The scientist at
UC Santa Cruz whose home was firebombed earlier this month is a
CIRM-funded researcher, holding a $500,000 grant to study differentiation of stem cells into motor neurons.
David Feldheim(center of photo), a molecular biologist,
won the grant in 2007, one of the first scientists whose research was supported by California's $3 billion agency.
Feldheim was the target Aug. 2 of animal rights activists, part of a recent upsurge in assaults on researchers. Authorities say the crime is being investigated as an attempted murder. The
Los Angeles Times reported today that academics in the UC system are "angered and worried," but vow not to be intimidated.
Last week, UC Santa Cruz faculty members and others rallied to support Feldheim and protest violence against researchers. Feldheim spoke to the crowd, along with the UC Santa Cruz Chancellor and the mayor of Santa Cruz, according to the
San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center, which published a number of photos and comment on the event. (The Feldheim photo is from
that report.)
A $50,000 reward is being offered in connection with the firebombing with funds from the
FBI, UC Santa Cruz, private citizens, the
City of Santa Cruz, the federal government and the
Humane Society,
according to San Francisco Chronicle reporter
John Cote.
J.M. Brown of the
Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that the attack came at 5:45 a.m., burning the front door. Brown wrote:
"Feldheim, his wife and two young children fled from a second-floor fire escape. Feldheim's feet were bruised during the escape.
"Minutes later, outside a campus residence less than a mile away, a fire ripped through a station wagon belonging to a colleague. No one was injured in that incident. A third scientist received a threatening phone message at home about the same time."
Last week,
Richard C. Paddock and
Maria L. LaGanga of the Los Angeles Times quoted UCSC Chancellor
George Blumenthal as calling the attack "domestic terrorism."
Their story also carried statistics from the
Foundation for Biomedical Research:
"In 2000 there were 10 such episodes against biomedical research facilities alone, and in 2006 that figure had grown to 77, according to the group's website. In addition, the type of attacks has changed in recent years.
"'Prior to that, the vast majority of actions taken were against institutions -- break into the lab, steal the animals, trash the facility,' said foundation President Frankie Trull. 'More recently, however . . . they've become much more personal, attacking the researchers at their homes. California seems to be the focus of this activity right now, but not the only focus.'"
The animal rights terrorism issue is not new to this writer. While at
The Sacramento Bee, I was the primary editor on
Deborah Blum's 1992
Pulitzer Prize-winning series, "
The Monkey Wars," which explored the violence against research involving primates.
What was abundantly clear then and even more now is the need for the public – not just academics – to speak out against this terrorism. The community needs to understand that the firebombers explicitly place animal life above human life. The perpetrators should find no shelter from misguided souls who think this is minor mischief.
The California stem cell agency has not yet spoken out on Feldheim bombing, but it has given preliminary support to state legislation aimed at helping to deal with the problem. A strong statement from CIRM is called for, along with a substantial addition to the reward for apprehension of the perpetrators, something along the lines of about $50,000. CIRM Chairman
Robert Klein should also direct his private lobbying group,
Americans for Cures, to add another $25,000 or so.
