When reading the assigned chapters, I found the text about using animals brought strong feelings to me. Animal research proves to be beneficial because it helps to study a group of almost genetically identical with a similar upbringing. The use of animals helps to expand knowledge of behavior and the quality of human health. However, sometimes in order gain that knowledge, experimentation considered unethical to humans is used on animals.Being an animal lover and someone against cruelty of animals its hard for me to accept this concept. Although many benefits come from this research such as ways to cure illness, it's still morally wrong. Animals are living creatures and performing unethical experiments and using them as test subjects completely disgusts me. Although animal testing is regulated, sometimes seems as if scientists follow these guidelines very loosely. The video below shows both sides of the controversy, but seeing what animals rights activists recorded on hidden cameras makes me question how closely these people follow the guidelines.
Animal research is great debate topic. As an animal lover who spent the first half of my life as a vegetarian, I found animal research to be an atrocious and deplorable act of humanity. But when you consider the benefits that have come out of animal research, it's hard to find the lives of animals as valuable of the lives of humans. It is not a religious belief for me, but rather knowing people who have suffered and died from diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer, and diabetes. It's hard to imagine what would exist of humanity today if the Polio vaccine had not been found using animal research or if my brother would even be alive today if animal research was not used to find treatments for his asthma. When it comes to medical research, I'm convinced animal research is an ethical practice.
ReplyDeleteThis definitely has valid arguments on both sides. I do agree that when it comes to curing human diseases animal testing seems to be the only option. Finding the cure for AIDS or cancer would save millions of lives, and in that scenario animal research is the only way to discover these cures.
DeleteI too find animal testing hard to swallow. I suffer from the same issue, I know it is very helpful but I can't help but feel for the animals that have no say in the testing being done to them. Very interesting video!
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