Animal rights groups often take strong actions towards those whom they consider have offended them or have endangered the welfare of animals. Animal research on a university level has been especially controversial as it is done in the name of aid in human medical break-through, but at the cost of how many animals' health and well being? I found an article dating on Feb 20, 2009 in AMP (Americans for Medical Progress) which reported two incidents in which animal rights activists approached and vandalized private property of both UC Berkely and UC Santa Cruz's professors. In both incidents the professors' attacked were involved in some form of animal research.
The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (Title 18 U.S.C. § 43) states that whoever uses or causes to be used any facility of interstate commerce for the purpose of damaging or interfering with the operations of an animal enterprise, and in connection with such purpose, intentionally places a person in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury to that person or an immediate family member, or conspires or attempts to do so, by a course of conduct involving threats, acts of vandalism, property damage, criminal trespass, harassment, or intimidation, shall be imprisoned for not more than five years. Although animal use in research is a very sensitive and highly controversial topic, investigators and police state that it is cowardly to attack the family members who were not involved at all. The intruders were successfully apprehended and await trial.
So for all you active, passionate, animal lovers/supporters...please be respectful of others. There are other ways to express your opinion and to get the word out (media? local news papers? fliers?). It would be difficult to advocate animal welfare...from a jail cell.
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