Josh Demmitt is a 19yr old who broke into a cruel research lab and destroyed $80,000 dollars worth of equipment used on animals and libertated a total of 13 animals who went free for the first time in their life...however, Josh got 2.5 yrs in jail for this, with now 9 more months to go. Please take the time to visit his site and perhaps write him a letter..I have and other friends, it can get lonely in jail, and he is also loosing weight due his veganism and jail food. His sentence his obviously wrong, but all we can do now is think good thoughts and write to him before he is free again.
Please visit:
http://www.supportjosh.org/index2.shtml

He has my full support. :up:

Sorry, the kid destroyed $80,000 worth of property. He's lucky he didn't get more jail time. Destroying other people's property is the best way I know of turning people away from more compassionate methods of treating animals. What he did was a setback to the movement.

Yes, animal testing is a cruel practice, but there are better ways to go about ending it's practice than destroying property. Picketting, letter writing campaigns, and leaflet campaigns are legal and do work. All this kid did was ensure that this animal testing facility will be rebuilt with more equipment and testing will continue. With the organization behind it all being less likely to listen to animal advocates in the long run.

Sorry, the kid destroyed $80,000 worth of property. He's lucky he didn't get more jail time. Destroying other people's property is the best way I know of turning people away from more compassionate methods of treating animals. What he did was a setback to the movement.

Yes, animal testing is a cruel practice, but there are better ways to go about ending it's practice than destroying property. Picketting, letter writing campaigns, and leaflet campaigns are legal and do work. All this kid did was ensure that this animal testing facility will be rebuilt with more equipment and testing will continue. With the organization behind it all being less likely to listen to animal advocates in the long run.
This is a support topic, not a debate.

This is a support topic, not a debate.

I'm just stating why I won't support him. It's not my intention to start a debate.

I'm just stating why I won't support him. It's not my intention to start a debate.
Okay, but maybe you shouldn't post anything in a support topic if you don't support the person/thing being supported. It tends to start controversy.

Aww, what a terrible loss (for the animals). :(
I will write to him ASAP. . can you send packages to jail inmates? I wouldn't know, seeing as I've never sent anything to one before

Just because it's a support forum doesn't mean people can't disagree with the topic or the opinions expressed.

He destroyed $80k worth of property that was not his. He got off easy.

Just because it's a support forum doesn't mean people can't disagree with the topic or the opinions expressed.

He destroyed $80k worth of property that was not his. He got off easy.
*shrugs* I thought the board policy was not to disagree in a support thread and to keep dissent quiet in deference to the OP, but proceed in disagreement if I am incorrect.

I think it's important on certain points, like these, that different points of view be brought out. I can think of many parents who would not support their daughters writing and sending parcels to an adult in prison.

I think it's important on certain points, like these, that different points of view be brought out. I can think of many parents who would not support their daughters writing and sending parcels to an adult in prison.
As can I. I just thought that it was board policy that if you didn't agree in a support thread to keep your opinion to yourself. In fact, I remember you starting a thread a while back that said that people who disagreed shouldn't post because it was a support thread. If I am misinterpreting the rules/etiquette, then post away.

Yes, and then people honor that. I don't see a post in this thread telling us "this is only for people who support Josh, the destroyer of property".

Also, this bickering is what's against the support forum (and why things are moved to the heap), not my disagreeing with the OP and the idea that teenagers shouldn't be writing to a man in prison.

hmmm.... Either way, animal testing sucks, and a lot of times, I feel like doing what Josh did....

Yes, animal testing does suck.

He's barely an adult himself, only 19. I appreciate his concern for the animals, I really do, but I hope that he finds less destructive ways to do so in the future.

Yes, and then people honor that. I don't see a post in this thread telling us "this is only for people who support Josh, the destroyer of property".

I inferred that from the tone of the thread, but only the OP can tell us.

I inferred that from the tone of the threadI would infer that, too.

Why do they use a gun for their logo?

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. While I admire his motives, the fact he stood up for what he believed in and all, this doesn't strike me as the way to go about it. And it's not the illegality of it that conserns me, it's the stupidity of it. I don't think what he achieved was worth the price he paid.

Why do they use a gun for their logo?

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Seems violent to me if they're trying to prove the non-violence of their actions.

Who is Josh?
Josh Demmitt is a 19 year-old animal rights activist currently serving 2.5 years in federal prison for non-violent direct action on behalf of animal rights.

Destruction of property sounds violent to me. Sure, nobody got hurt, but somebody could have. I appreciate his concern for the animals, but what he did was violent and the time he's serving is for the damage he caused. I hope in the future, for his own sake, the sake of the animals, and anybody else that could be hurt, that he uses his passion for animals in a more positive manner.

Sure, nobody got hurt, but somebody could have.How do you know that? I didn't find any info from that site about how the property was destroyed.

The mandatory minimum sentence for what was done is 5 years--he could have been in jail for 20 years. They wouldn't have given him a lesser sentence had somebody been hurt.
http://www.supportjosh.org/alf.shtml
http://archive.harktheherald.com/archive_detail.php?archiveFile=./pubfiles/prv/archive/2005/January/12/State/58038.xml&start=0&numPer=20&keyword=property+damage+at+BYU&sectionSearch=&begindate=1%2F1%2F2002&enddate=7%2F29%2F2005&authorSearch=&IncludeStories=1&pubsection=&page=&IncludePages=1&IncludeImages=1&mode=allwords&archive_pubname=Heraldextra.com%0A%09%09%09

He was very well meaning, and he sounds like a really nice guy; however, his actions were misguided. He deserves to know that people sympathize, but he also needs to know - for the animals' sakes and his own - that such radical action leads to trouble in more ways than one. I don't question his morality overall, but what he did was wrong and the ends did not justify the means.

While I admire his compassion for animals, there are other, much less violent ways to get your message across. This sort of action leads the general public to believe you are a wacko of sorts and completely disregard what you have to say. Terrorism in any form = bad.

This is a support topic, not a debate.

I refuse to support a criminal. If you're really concerned about this becoming a debate, ask a mod to move it to the heap.

He should have gotten more time. He got off really easy.