Analytical Response Environmental activists are getting increasingly violent. John Berlau, Senior Fellow for Finance and Access to Capital in the Center for Economic Freedom at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, argues that environmental activists are a threat to the environment, animals, people and the economy. These activist groups are causing damage far beyond their intent to “grab” attention to their cause. Berlau’s argument is supported by narratives from diverse group of sources. He opens his argument with an incident that happened shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 at a Ronald McDonald house that houses families with sick children who are being treated at nearby medical centers. The incident defaced a statue of the namesake Ronald McDonald and was marked with the initials ELF and ALF (Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front). These two eco-terrorist groups have been classified by the FBI as “domestic terrorists”. The placement of the incident in the same context with the attacks on 9/11 sets his tone for his argument. Berlau also argues that these activist groups are using tactics that they claim are not intended to harm humans, animals and nonanimals. However these tactics are often unpredictable and may cause harm to the ones they claim to protect. The activist groups also hope to maintain a nonviolent image by conveniently claiming responsibility for acts in which nobody was killed and would never claim responsibility for an attack in which someone was killed. Berlau implies that these eco-terrorists are indirectly killing thousands of people who depend on medical research using animals or biotechnology research by