Use of animals in research
A discussion of the use of animals in research.
posted by Gary Comstock @ 11:28 AM
1 comments
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1 Comments:
Where do you draw the line between when it is okay to use an animal and when it isn't? I'm sure every person's response would vary and would depend on the animal that is being used. For example, why would some people have no problem with experiments done on ants but have strong feelings against the use of mice? They both have nervous systems. Maybe the use of certain animals is looked down upon because we grew up in the city with stuffed animals to play with, but if we had grown up on a farm where animals were bred for food we would not have such feelings tied to the treatment of animals. If cruelty to animals is the main objection to using them, I'd have to assume those making the argument are vegetarians since the killing of an animal to use as a food source is practically the same idea.
I'm not going to decide what is an okay use of animals in research and what isn't - I do think there are cases where animal use is unwarranted, like spraying cosmetics in their eyes to see if it causes blindness, but I'd rather bring up a more interesting topic. Genetic engineering of animals. I'm all for it. I think research in this area will be very beneficial. This isn't my area of study so I can't quantify how useful the research may be, but I have high hopes that in my lifetime I may be able to see a flying monkey (kidding of course). I know this issue involves a lot more than only the use of animals in research.
Back on topic I suppose. The living conditions of research animals usually is pretty bad, but who's going to use a large chunk of their budget to provide lavish housing for animals that will most likely be killed in a few weeks? The animals that are used for research drew the short straw when they were born, but they have no idea. As far as they're concerned the life they live is exactly what they are to expect.
I condone the use of animals in research, but not all of the time, however I don't have a rubric for when it's okay and when it's not. Though I do back animal research, I am not a cruel person - I have a cat which I do not abuse at all =).
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