The Right Choice Essay -- social issues

The Right Choice The use of animals for medical experimentation has been one of the most controversial issues in our world since the seventeenth century. Edward Augustus Freeman stated, â€Å"The awful wrongs and sufferings forced upon the innocent, faithful animal race form the blackest chapter in the whole world's history.† In the United States, it is estimated that twenty to seventy million animals including cats, dogs, primates, rabbits, rats, and mice suffer and die in the name of research. At least thirty-three animals die in laboratories each second worldwide, in the UK, one every four seconds (Vivisection Information Network Plan 2000, Leaflet 4). Who has the authority to make a choice that the human race is a greater race than that of animals? People say: â€Å"We have rights over animals. They are given to us for use.† You have no rights over them. You have duties towards them (Annie Besant). At no point and time should we ever justify ourselves through the pain and suffering of another being. I have always felt that the way we treat animals is a pretty good indicator of the compassion we are capable of for the human race (Ali McGraw). Throughout years of practicing animal experimentation, researchers have stumbled across findings that have promoted the well being of humans and animals alike. It has helped provide antibiotics and vaccines, insulin for diabetics, treatments for leukemia, local and general anesthetics, and has made possible advances in medical technology such as blood transfusion, kidney dialysis, and the heart lung machine. Distemper, which killed dogs, seals, and dolphins, and is now prevented by a vaccine, was developed using dogs in the 1920s (Cornelius, CE 934-945). Media reports of medical research often give us the impression that progress moves in leaps and bounds, from one ‘breakthrough’ to another. In reality, the original ‘blue skies’ research that underpins each advance may take decades (Research Defense Society). About 40 years of research using monkeys, rats and mice led directly to the introduction of the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines in the 1950s (Sabin, AB 1 589) So we ask ourselves again, how do we weight the costs and benefits between saving lives by eliminating others? Professor Albert Sabin’s 1956 paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated â€Å"Approximately 9,000 monkeys, 150 chimpanzees and 133 hum... ...s. The official animal rights online newsletter 1998 Coleman, Vernon M.D. â€Å"Animal experiments kill people s well as animals†. Cornelious, CE. New England Medical Journal 281, 934-945 Einstein, Albert. Action Against Poisoning Page. Freeman, Edward Augustus Rabbit's Favourite Vegetarian,Animal Rights & Freedom Quotes Page < http://members.iinet.net.au/~rabbit/arquotes.htm> Icke, D. â€Å"It doesn’t have to be like this†. McGraw, Ali. Vegetarian Quotes Page Page, Tony. â€Å"Vivisection Unveiled† pg. 6, pg. 101-103 Primatt, Humphry. â€Å"Animal Rights and Souls in the Eighteenth Century† (Bristol: Thoemmes Press, 2000) < http://www.thoemmes.com/18cphil/animal_intro.htm> Research Defense Society. â€Å"Understanding Animal Research in Medicine†. Research Defense Society Page 2000 < http://www.rds-online.org.uk/home.html> Ruesch, Hans. â€Å"After Prolonged Tests† quoted in BAV leaflet. Sabin, AB. Journal of the American Medical Association 1956, Issue 162, Pg. 1589 SmithKline Beecham International Report 1999 Vivisection Information Network Plan 2000, Leaflet 4 Young, John B.A. Vivisection Information Page Sept. 2000 < http://vivisection- absurd.org.uk/menu.html>.