There's no question that society has a large responsibility for protecting our planet. We must be concerned about issues such as wholesale deforestation of rain forests and the extinction of some species of plants and animals. Environmental groups have been very successful in heightening our collective awareness of the limits of our natural resources. We know that we must plant new trees in place of the old. And we must set up protective habitats for birds, fish and other animals.
Human beings have an obligation to be good stewards of our environment.
Yet the very fact that we are already taking these important strides underscores how inexcusable and unnecessary violence and destructive behavior in the name of this cause really is. Peaceful education and consistent advocacy in defense of plant and animal life has been proven to work. We have welcomed them to submit testimony for the record. We certainly don't want to unfairly malign any person or group. And I invite any statements for the record which can help clarify what actions the various groups endorse.