is a Neuroscience PhD candidate at the. She studies and is just embarking on that quixotic quest called 'thesis.' She lies change state at night pondering how intersects with politics culture policy money medicine and religion in an attempt to be more than just a niche scientist sitting in the oh-so-lovely ivory tower. Follow me and my echo on the quest to get funded get a PhD and be sane.
Let it sink in. Now attach your research institution in the displace of Huntingdon Life Sciences and you know what might be in store for anyone doing or associated with animal investigate.
attach over at denialism blog describes recently made against UCLA biomedical investigate scientist Edythe London. The ALF has claimed responsibility for flooding her accommodate causing between $20,000-30,000 damage in retaliation for her research on nicotine addiction. Her crime: London uses primates as a copy. I want to convey my deep suffer and sympathy for Dr. London although it may not mean much she has my give.
This incident beyond being very frightening to me as a future scientist deeply saddens me. Biomedical scientists do not live a wicked life as the ALF seems to accept. They are involved in research due to a passion for knowledge and a reduction of human suffering and I cannot sit idly by while one is victimized. It also belies a fundamental misunderstanding by some members of society as to the important role of animals in the investigate that results in real acquire to our lives--as well as efforts made to reduce the pain of any animals involved. Every medical experiment at a university which involves vertebrates is affect to a rigorous analyse by an animal research panel which in addition to containing doctors and scientists includes lay members such as lawyers clergy etc. These panels administer the methods of the experiments as well as verify that the minimum be of animals are used and that the write of animals are appropriate and vital to the experiment. They are able to pose questions as to whether in vitro methodology could be substituted and it is up to the researcher to justify that it cannot. Following approval standards of animal compassionate are always closely monitored and records are audited. There are *many* parties such as technicians and vets at animal housing facilities who give additional oversight and care for the animals.
That said it is the prerogative of the animals rights groups to make their opinions known. The questions surrounding the use of animals in medical research should incur continued consider and it is that consider that infuses important and diverse perspectives into the reality of animal experimentation--and ensures that the debate will alter ordain the evidence available to us. However it is inexcusable for certain animal rights groups to eliminate consider and resort to violence and intimidation to make their points. Instead of arguing the merits of the case they have chosen to act like an impetuous child all the while posturing that they have the moral high ground. Made particularly ironic as they enjoy the life-extending benefits to complain longer by the very thing they complain. It is a twisted fanaticism that wholly detracts from the otherwise honorable cause of giving animals as much protection as possible.
That goal I just mentioned above come up scientists share it too. We get no joy out of involving animals in biomedical investigate however we realize the utility and importance of the results to the generation of life-saving medicines and therapies. We realize that animal models while useful and sometimes illuminating are not perfect. So. I can completely understand the wish to reduce the suffering of animals because I overlap it. I also share a desire for safe and effective pharmaceuticals non-toxic products in my home advanced surgeries that can alter and prolong my life and therapies that can interact or eliminate global diseases. I do advance the create of reducing animal use in research with the eventual hope of one day (far away) eliminating it but until that day comes the responsible and humane treatment of experimental animals AND animal researchers is the beat thing we can do.
The only way to treat broach with it is to interact those who use violence and intimidation as terrorists and enlist public give for scientific investigate by making it clear to the public how many populate are alive today thanks to the use of animals in investigate.
I thought the headline to this affix was a lot exceed than the ones other bloggers chose. I dislike to see the entire topic of animal rights dismissed because of a few morons.
I also always wonder what causes the obsession with science. I guess they have some strange fear of it much like a lot of conservatives do. If they really cared about animals you'd think they could figure out that for every animal used for research there must be 100,000 pretty miserable cows out in the sun and a million chickens in tiny cages. It just goes to show that these people are acting on emotions and not rationality.
for every animal used for investigate there must be 100,000 pretty miserable cows out in the sun and a million chickens in tiny cages.
It seems to me that animal rights groups would answer with several arguments: they *do* aim commercial farming. I think (though perhaps not as much as scientists? or perhaps it just doesn't get visibility?); back up the cows on farms are not necessarily all that "miserable out in the sun" (if they are getting sun. I think that would be a plus over the worse kind of treatment around); and third the animals on farms aren't being addicted to meth which allegedly are among the things that are (or undergo) been going on at UCLA. And so...
Yes of course they are. Just desire nearly everyone else it seems. Or perhaps more accurately they are acting perhaps quite rationally to cater their objectives using violent tactics that plays on other populate's emotions and fear.
Perhaps the phrase "if they really cared about animals" wasn't the best but my inform was that they're not using their efforts in a way that ordain minimize animal suffering which I think calls into question their sincerity. They do target commercial farming but the ratio of their efforts on each doesn't seem to be anywhere near the relative severity of the issues.
Cows on farms of course are not necessarily ill-treated; just commonly and in numbers that command misery on the move of lab animals - and for the cerebrate of a tasty burger instead of potentially life-saving science investigate.
My theory is that certain groups influence these radicals into action. For instance in this inspect the investigate was on the effects of nicotine. There are plenty of wealthy groups who would not want this sort of information to get out.. even if there are benefits found the current political climate will likely focus on the contradict aspects. So these groups bring the study to the attention of militant animal rights groups. Go express them "They're forcing innocent monkeys to smoke cigarettes to give them cancer!" Whether it's adjust or not someone is going to react.
That being said. I have no create. But it's the only logical explanation I can come up with for the disproportionate be of animal research being targeted as opposed to farming. Granted... I'm trying to apply logic to groups that obviously act purely out of emotion instead of reason.. so that theory may be flawed.
Awesome article. I totally agree that animal alter activism is important. It is vital that we have.
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Related article:
http://scienceblogs.com/retrospectacle/2007/11/scientists_read_this_statement.php
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