Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]



This is an archived forum, so it is here for read-only purposes only. We are not accepting new members and members cannot post any longer. Members can, however, access their old private messages. Strawberry Fields was open from 2006 until 2011. There is a Strawberry Fields Beatles Forum on Facebook. If you are registered with Facebook, join us at the group there!

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Animal Rights Activists Make A Difference...; ...but testing on animals increases.
Topic Started: Jul 24 2006, 08:48 PM (155 Views)
JeffLynnesBeard
Member Avatar
Administrator & Moderator
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-5971049,00.html

I'm in two minds on this subject and feel extremely torn. The animal lover in me believes that no animals should be made to suffer, but it's undeniable that without medicine & treatment research on animals, many scientific & medical breakthroughs would not be possible.

Is animal sacrifice for the greater good of mankind acceptable? :hmm:
...and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
bec_walker
Member Avatar

Personally I'm against all kinds of animal testing, whether it's for medical or otherwise. The whole point of animal rights is to view all animals (including humans) as equal to one another, so if we can't justify testing on humans then why can we justify testing on animals? Obviously I can see the arguments in favour of animal testing and I can see why people become torn over the issue, but there are many other ways these days of testing that animals aren't really required. A lot of the experiments are questionable in how useful they are anyway.

For anyone who isn't sure I'd recommend reading this book called Animal Liberation by Peter Singer. It's a seriously well written book with some great moral arguments in their. It really gets you thinking and changed my views on a lot of issues.
Keeping Rock n Roll Alive:

http://www.cavernshowcase.com
http://www.kingsizetaylor.com
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Deleted User
Deleted User

I just wonder how much of it ends up as a complete waste. More than most of us would like, I imagine.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
JeffLynnesBeard
Member Avatar
Administrator & Moderator
bec_walker
Jul 24 2006, 10:21 PM
Personally I'm against all kinds of animal testing, whether it's for medical or otherwise. The whole point of animal rights is to view all animals (including humans) as equal to one another, so if we can't justify testing on humans then why can we justify testing on animals? Obviously I can see the arguments in favour of animal testing and I can see why people become torn over the issue, but there are many other ways these days of testing that animals aren't really required. A lot of the experiments are questionable in how useful they are anyway.

For anyone who isn't sure I'd recommend reading this book called Animal Liberation by Peter Singer. It's a seriously well written book with some great moral arguments in their. It really gets you thinking and changed my views on a lot of issues.

You're probably right, Bec. It's a difficult one, seeing as science have learned so much from experimenting on animals. Transplants, for example, would never have become an every day procedure without perfecting it on animal subjects beforehand. I think there has to be a time when animal testing stops and more money is put into alternative research - there's no reason why that time should not be now.

You're absolutely right as regards to the ethical & philisophical quandries - we can't justify animal testing on those grounds unless you see animals as inferior to and more expendible than humans. I certainly don't, which is exactly why I'm vegetarian. I was watching a debate the other night on 'Newsnight' (BBC2) and someone justifying animal testing said that 150 monkeys were experimented on and those experiments helped develop a treatment which increased the quality of life of 10,000 people with Parkinson's Disease. Some people may say that the ends justified the means. My question is this - would those same people condone the suffering & death of 150 humans to cure a disease in 10,000 monkeys? I think we know the answer to that one.

We, as a species, are very arrogant - not everything was put on this earth for us to use and abuse.
...and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
bec_walker
Member Avatar

I saw that debate too, it was brilliant! I thought the pro-animal rights people did very well actually. -_-
Keeping Rock n Roll Alive:

http://www.cavernshowcase.com
http://www.kingsizetaylor.com
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
JeffLynnesBeard
Member Avatar
Administrator & Moderator
They did, although I believed that programme was a little less than un-biased. The presenter appeared to favour the pro-Animal Testing brigade which was slightly disappointing.
...and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · Things We Said Today · Next Topic »
Add Reply


"Treasure these few words"