NoellMarquez

Period6
2/8/16
WordCount:958

RespondingtoScienceFact

Topic:
Investigatetheethicsofanimalresearch:usinganotherspeciesasatoolforour
own.HowdoesthisrelatetoManifestDestiny?

AccordingtoDictionary.comanimalresearchisdefinesastheuseof
nonhumananimalsinresearchanddevelopmentprojects,esp.forpurposesof
determiningthesafetyofsubstancessuchasfoodordrugs.Byknowingmoreabout
thetruthofwhatanimaltestingreallyis,wecanthendetermineifweshouldcontinue
thistypeofresearch.Wewillseehowunethicalandtimewastingusinganimalsforour
owngoodis.
Around26millionanimalsareusedeveryyearintheU.S.annuallyfortesting
(AnimalTestingProCon.org).Theyareusedtodeterminethetoxicityofmediaction
andsafetyofproducts(AnimalTestingProCon.org).Animaltestinghasbeengoing
insince500B.C.(AnimalTestingProCon.org).Somemightsaythatifwehavebeen
doingitforsolongthenitmustbenormal/natural.Historyisfullofhorriblethingsthat
wereonceconsideredgoodorstateortheart.Sojustbecausewehavebeendoing
thingsforalongtimedoesntmakethemethical.95%ofanimalsarenotevenprotected
bythefederalAnimalWelfareAct(AnimalTestingProCon.org).Itsnotthatpeople

arejusttestingonanimalseither.testingcausesdeathtoo.Morethan100million
animaldiebecauseofit(AnimalTesting101).Themostcommonlyusedanimalsare
fish,rabbits,rats,guinea,minipigs,hamsters,farmanimals,birds,monkeys,
nonhumanprimates(AboutAnimalTesting).Weareliterallytakingbeingsliveswhen
theyhavenosayinit.Sometestsevenrequirekillingpregnantanimalsinordertotest
ontheirfetuses(11FactsAboutAnimalTesting).Mostexperimentsoccurinprivate
facilities,governmentlabs,nonprofitfacilities,anduniversitylabsandallanimaltesting
regulationsaresupposetobeapplied(Murnaghan).Thisdoesnotmeanthattheyare
though.
Animalshaveanervoussystemjustlikehumanswhichmeanstheycanfeelpain
justlikehumans(AnimalTestingProCon.org).Althoughtheycanbothfeelpain,we
areverydifferentthanhumansandmedicinesaffectusindifferentways(Animal
TestingProCon.org).Peopleclaimthattestinghelpsdevelopcuresandmedicines
andtherewouldbenootherwaytotestoutmedicines.Therearemanyalternativesand
ifwereallywantedtotestingonlivingthingsthatwouldbemoreeffective,teston
criminalsfacingthedeathpenalty.itwouldbeethicallythesameastestingonanimals.
Also,alotoftestsdoneonanimalsareflawedandwasteanimalslives(AnimalTesting
ProCon.org).Thereisnoevidenceanywherethatanimaltestingisessentialand
therearesomanymedicinebreakthroughsthathaveoccurswithouttestingonanimals.
AccordingtoDoSomething.com92%ofexperimalnaldrugsthataresafeandeffective
inanimalsfailinhumansclinicaltrialsbecausetheyaretoodengerousordontwork.
Thehistoryofcancerresearchhasbeenthehistoryofcuringcancerinthemouse.We

havecuredmiceofcancerfordecadesanditsimplydidntworkinhumanbeings.said
Dr.RichardKlausner,formerdirectoroftheU.S.NationalCancerInstitute.
Mediaisthesourceofmostofoursocietysinformation.Whatthemedia
producesiswhatwebelieveandwhatweusetoinfluencemostthingswedo.Although
someofustrytofilterourmindsfromthemedia,itdoesnotcompletelyblockusfrom
consumingit.Ihadaskedmymomanddadabouttheirthoughtsonanimaltestingand
bothofthemtriedtoconvincemethattestingonanimalswasaneffectivewaytofuel
ourmindswithinformationandknowledgeaboutmedicine.Despitethetruthandfacts
abovetheystillhadthispositiveviewthatanimaltestingisaneffectivewayforusto
evolve.Ialsoaskedthenwhatinformationsourceinfluencedtheirpointofview.They
bothtalkedabouthowtheyseebillboardsandandpromotionalpostersaboutanimal
testing,buttheyareneverbackedupwithfacts.Theyseesomeoneelse'sopinionand
turnitintotheirtruth.
Thisconnectionbetweenmediaandanimalsissoimportant.Weallsaythatwe
loveanimalsandwereallagainstanimalcrueltybutwepaypeopletomutilate,torture,
andslaughteranimals,andit'snotforanynecessity.Itsnotbecauseweneedtoforour
health.Itsjustbecausewelikethewaytheytaste.ThisquoteissaidbyJamesAspey,
amanwhodidnttalkforanentireyearinsupportofthevoicelessanimals.Althoughhe
istalkingabouthowoursocietyviewstheeatingofanimals,Istillthinktheycanbe
appliedverywelltothewayweuseandtreatanimalsingeneral.Weliketosaywelove
animals,butinrealityweonlyloveourdomesticatedanimalsathome.Atwhatpointin
timedidwedecideitwasokaytokillandtestonratsandmonkeysbutcareforcatsand

dogs?SomeAsianculturesthinkofthecowasholyandkillcatsanddogs(9Countries
ThatEatCatsandDogs).Butatwhatpointdidtheydecidethatonewasmore
importantthantheother?Weareconstantlytellingourselvesthatwhatwedoisnatural
andthattestingiswhatwillgiveustheknowledgethatwedesire,butwewillnever
knowenoughtosatisfyus.Thatisnotnecessarilyabadthingeither,butthewayweare
obtainingthatknowledgeisunethicalanddisgusting.

Knowingmoreaboutthetruthofwhatanimaltestingreallyis,wereallycan
determinewhetherornotthisresearchshouldreallybecontinued.Itiscompletely
unethicalandwastesourtimethatwecouldbeusingforfindingmorebeneficialwaysto
progressourmedicalresearch.