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It was less than a year after September 11,
911事件還沒超過一年的時候
and I was at the Chicago Tribune
我在芝加哥論壇報
writing about shootings and murders,
寫些關於槍擊和謀殺的事件
and it was leaving me feeling
而這讓我感到
pretty dark and depressed.
相當黑暗和沮喪
I had done some activism in college,
在大學時我也曾參與一些社會運動
so I decided to help a local group
所以我決定幫忙一個在地的團體
hang door knockers against animal testing.
為反對動物實驗去敲人家的門
I thought it would be a safe way
我以為做一些正面的事
to do something positive,
是一種安全的方式
but of course I have the absolute worst luck ever,
但我實在是運氣極差無比
and we were all arrested.
然後我們全部被逮捕了
Police took this blurry photo of me
警察幫我拍了這張模糊的相片
holding leaflets as evidence.
把我手握傳單的這張照片當作是犯罪證據
My charges were dismissed,
雖然對我的指控被撤銷了
but a few weeks later,
但是幾個星期後
two FBI agents knocked on my door,
兩個聯邦調查局探員來敲我的門
and they told me that unless I helped them
然後他們告訴我,除非我幫他們
by spying on protest groups,
監控一些異議團體
they would put me on a domestic terrorist list.
否則他們會把我列入國內恐怖份子名單
I'd love to tell you that I didn't flinch,
我很想告訴各位當時我沒有退縮
but I was terrified,
但我嚇壞了
and when my fear subsided,
當我的恐懼平息後
I became obsessed with finding out
我變得著迷於找出
how this happened,
這種情況是怎麼發生的
how animal rights and environmental activists
動物權利和環保人士
who have never injured anyone
這些從來沒有傷害任何人的人士
could become the FBI's number one
如何會成為聯邦調查局的
domestic terrorism threat.
頭號國內恐怖主義威脅
A few years later, I was invited to testify
幾年後,我被邀請去
before Congress about my reporting,
國會為我寫過的報導作證
and I told lawmakers that, while everybody
然後我告訴議員們
is talking about going green,
當每個人都在談論生態環保之時
some people are risking their lives
有些人冒著生命危險
to defend forests and to stop oil pipelines.
去防止森林消失、去阻止油管建設
They're physically putting their bodies on the line
他們用自己肉身擋在
between the whalers' harpoons and the whales.
捕鯨人的魚叉和鯨魚之間
These are everyday people,
這些人士都是一般平民百姓
like these protesters in Italy
像這些義大利的抗議者
who spontaneously climbed over
他們自發地爬過
barbed wire fences to rescue beagles
鐵絲網圍籬去把小獵犬們
from animal testing.
從動物實驗裡救出
And these movements have been incredibly effective
這些運動都出奇地有效
and popular.
而且受到歡迎
So in 1985, their opponents made up a new word,
所以在1985年,這些運動的反對者製造了一個新詞
"eco-terrorist",
「環保恐怖份子」
to shift how we view them.
來改變我們對這些人士的觀點
They just made it up.
他們就憑空造出了這個詞
Now these companies have backed new laws
現在有一些公司支持一些像是
like the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act,
「動物企業恐怖主義法案」這類的新法案
which turns activism into terrorism
只要抗議會造成公司虧損
if it causes a loss of profits.
就把抗議行動說成恐怖主義
Now most people never even heard about this law,
現在大部份的人甚至從來沒聽說這個法律
including members of Congress.
包括許多國會議員們
Less than one percent were in the room
當這個法律通過的時候
when it passed the House.
只有不到百分之一的議員在會議室裡
The rest were outside at a new memorial.
其他人在外面參加一個新的紀念活動
They were praising Dr. King
他們在讚頌馬丁·路德·金恩博士
as his style of activism was branded as terrorism
因為他的行動若出自於動物或環境保護的立場
if done in the name of animals or the environment.
就會被視為恐怖主義
Supporters say laws like this are needed
支持者們認為這樣的法律對於對付極端份子是必須的
for the extremists:
這些極端份子包括
the vandals, the arsonists, the radicals.
破壞公物者、縱火犯、激進份子
But right now, companies like TransCanada
但現在,像 TransCanada 這樣的公司
are briefing police in presentations like this one
在對警方簡報一些像這份的報告
about how to prosecute nonviolent protesters
關於如何指控非暴力抗議份子
as terrorists.
為恐怖份子
The FBI's training documents on eco-terrorism
聯邦調查局的有關處理環保恐怖份子的訓練文件
are not about violence,
不是關於暴力
they're about public relations.
而是關於公共關係
Today, in multiple countries,
今天,在許多國家
corporations are pushing new laws
財團們正在推動新法律
that make it illegal to photograph
讓拍攝他們農場裡
animal cruelty on their farms.
對動物的殘酷行徑非法化
The latest was in Idaho just two weeks ago,
最近的是兩個星期前在愛達荷州的立法
and today we released a lawsuit
而今天我們提告
challenging it as unconstitutional
我們主張這樣的法律是違憲的
as a threat to journalism.
而且是對新聞業的一大威脅
The first of these ag-gag prosecutions,
第一個農業封口 (ag-gag) 訴訟事件
as they're called,
這類案件如此被稱呼的
was a young woman named Amy Meyer,
是個叫 Amy Meyer 的年輕女性
and Amy saw a sick cow being moved
Amy在街上時看見
by a bulldozer outside of a slaughterhouse
一頭生病的乳牛
as she was on the public street.
被一台推土機移出屠宰場
And Amy did what any of us would:
Amy 做了我們每個人都會做的事:
She filmed it.
她把這件事拍成了影片
When I found out about her story, I wrote about it,
我知道了她的故事後寫了篇報導
and within 24 hours, it created such an uproar
然後在 24 小時內,這篇新聞引起了大騷動
that the prosecutors just dropped all the charges.
迫使提告者撤銷了所有的指控
But apparently, even exposing stuff like that
但顯然,即使僅僅是批露這樣類型的事件
is a threat.
也被一些人視為是威脅
Through the Freedom of Information Act,
透過資訊自由法
I learned that the counter-terrorism unit
我了解到反恐單位和演說
has been monitoring my articles
一直持續監控著我的文章
and speeches like this one.
以及像我現在正在發表的這篇演說
They even included this nice little write-up of my book.
他們還在我的書裡寫了這樣假惺惺的小註記:
They described it as "compelling and well-written."
「引人入勝,寫得很好」
(Applause)
(掌聲)
Blurb on the next book, right?
這是下本書的宣傳簡介,對吧?
The point of all of this is to make us afraid,
這一切的目的都是讓我們感到害怕
but as a journalist, I have an unwavering faith
但身為一個記者,我對教育的力量
in the power of education.
有種堅定不移的信仰
Our best weapon is sunlight.
我們最好的武器是將一切公開在太陽下
Dostoevsky wrote that the whole work of man
杜思妥也夫斯基寫過,所有人類的作為
is to prove he's a man and not a piano key.
是在證明他是個人而非只是一個琴鍵
Over and over throughout history,
在過去的歷史裡
people in power have used fear
掌權者一而再再而三利用恐懼
to silence the truth and to silence dissent.
來消弭事實和異議
It's time we strike a new note.
現在是我們奏出不同調子的時候了
Thank you.
謝謝
(Applause)
(掌聲