Hi to all.

I knew this forum thanks to Alan Dawrst. I'm a Spanish lawyer. My background is more in animal rights / anti-speciesist movement than in utilitarianism, but my interest in the suffering of all the animals (including wild animals) did I was attracted for this forum.

Hi Daniel,
welcome to the forum, it's great to have a different ethical perspective from someone else who cares about animals!

If you'd like to kick off some conversation, please don't hesitate to start a thread! I'd be interested to hear a lawyer's perspective on whether animal activism should ever require us to break the law, for just one possible example. For another example, do you think as an lawyer you would better serve your interest in animal rights by donating to charity, or by working or volunteering for one?

Hi, RyanCarey. Thank you very much.

You ask interesting questions:

RyanCarey wrote:I'd be interested to hear a lawyer's perspective on whether animal activism should ever require us to break the law, for just one possible example.

Well, I don't think to break the law is always bad -- it depends on the short-term and long-term consequences. But in a world where most people are not very worried about the animal suffering, I think non-legal actions aren't usually good ideas. That puts the society against us.

Although I see exceptions. I don't see a lot of ethical problems when an economic damage isn't an end, but a way of activism (to enter in a farm breaking a door for recording the animals). Open rescues are interesting too. But I don't support the ALF, because I think is counterproductive for now.

RyanCarey wrote:For another example, do you think as an lawyer you would better serve your interest in animal rights by donating to charity, or by working or volunteering for one?

It depends. There are poor lawyers and millionaire lawyers. If you are a millionaire one, it's surely better to donate. If you are not millionaire (like me ), you can volunteer for an organization.