March 26, 2001    
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What are your feelings about using animals for medical research?

Since eating meat is an ethical practice as far as I'm concerned, I have no difficulty using animals in medical research.

Jill, 60
Saylorsburg
, PA  USA

I'm not sure. It benefits a lot of people, but apparently it's inaccurate in some cases. And the ardent animal rights protestors really annoy me.

Shanna, 15
Cardiff  ENGLAND

It seems unethical to me. The animal can't give its consent, but people can.  Why not use people who actually gave permission? Which is more important: the lives of animals or the lives of people? It's a hard question to answer. I know I feel like it's wrong, but sometimes my feelings aren't right, so maybe the information we acquire from animal testing is worth the pain we put the animals through. I'd like to hear more arguments about this before I can have an educated opinion.

Eric, 18
Beverly Hills
, CA   USA

Do it. I've heard all sides and I really think if it advances human health, we can sacrifice mice, gerbils, rabbits, whatever. I just don't like experimentation for cruelty, but that's another issue.

Katie2, 18
Detroit
, MI    USA

Anti anti anti. Ack, I hate it!!!! Animals can feel everything we can, including fear. Imagine living your entire short brutally painful life in a constant state of fear, only being let out of your cage so some scientist can hurt you some more. It is horrid and senseless and it makes me cry to think of it.  PETA http://www.peta-online.org   can show you guys just what's up.

Maggie, 20
Sandwich
, IL    USA

That really depends on what kind of research is being done. As long as it's not torturing the animal, I feel that it's fine.

Cathy, 26
Mandan
, ND    USA

I think people are in love with the idea of keeping every living creature, no matter how large or small, intact. This is wonderful in theory, but if we want to see humanity endure all the nasty little killer-germs out there these days, if we want to survive as a species, then we need to get things back in the proper perspective and let science help preserve us. If this means the demise of a few (relatively speaking) rats or rabbits, as a means to an end to cancer or AIDS, then so be it. If animal rights groups put nearly the amount of time and effort and money into educating our youth and keeping kids off the streets, I believe we'd have less violence in our society. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful cause when you are dealing with people hurting animals just for the sick sake of hurting animals...but when research and animal testing in a controlled environment may someday ease the anguish that a family may be going through watching their 3-year-old dying of some unforgiving disease?... I think it's a little much to shed tears over a rat.

Fisch, 45
Preston
, CT   USA

Humans are animals, and overpopulated ones at that.   So that's what they should use.

Karen, 21
Marshelltown/Ames
, IA  USA

I don't really believe that human life is inately more important than any other life. However, I do think that the will to survive is part of every animal including humans. In that vien I would view medical research on animals in much the same way I view eating meat. Such research should be conduct with the minimum amount of pain caused to the animal however. Research on animals to test beauty products or non-life threatening medical remedies (I.e. viagra), I don't think should be conducted.

Felicia, 35
Lowell
, MA   USA

Animal research is very important and provides vital information and feedback to scientists. The use of animals should be closely regulated to ensure the animals are treated as humanely as possible.

Laura, 36
Lowell
, MA   USA

Well, on one hand, using animals has helped us a bit, but on the other... I don't think that it's right that we take advantage of animals just because we think we have the right to...

Jeremy, 13
Highlands Ranch
, CO  USA

Mixed/undecided

Firelady, 23
Dallas
, TX    USA

I work at an establishment that DOES use animals for research and since I am an animal-lover, I gave this question a lot of thought. I am a Christian and I believe in the Bible...take what it says seriously. In Genesis, God gives man dominion over animals and I take that to mean that animals are to help man and be his friends. Research is necessary to develop medicine and medical procedures for the benefit of mankind and as long as its done properly, causing as little pain and suffering as possible, I feel that experimenting on animals is OK. (Besides, we eat animals . Isn't that worse than experimenting on them?)

Reba, 51
Rockville
, MD   USA

If the research can save lives or vastly improve the quality of life, I accept animal research as a necessary tradeoff. I am opposed to animal research for trivial reasons, such as cosmetics testing.

Jane, 60
West Linn
, OR   USA

totally unethical

Angela, 16
Aiken
, SC   USA

i FEEL IT IS GOOD FOR THE ANIMALS TO BE USED IN MEDICAL SCIENCE. tHEIR BODIES ARE SO MUCH LIKE OURS AND THERE MEDICINES ARE SO MANY TIMES TAKEN JUST WHAT WE WOULD TAKE FOR THE SAME MEDICAL PROBLEM LIKE ARTHRITIS, HEART CONDITIONS AND FLU LIKE SYMTOMS. i THINK gOD MAY HAVE CREATED THEN THAT WAY SO THEY COULD HELP FOR THE HUMAN ILLNESS'S.

Marci, 55
Diamond
,
OH  USA

Just say no!

Jami, 27
Lowell
, MA   USA

If it is too save a human life, than I think that is acceptable, provided the animals are used in a humane way. It is for frivalous crap, like testing for cosmetics, I disagree with using animals for that purpose.

Mick, 30
Chicago
, IL    USA

Depends on what the research is and how much of it's been done already.

Alias Irrelevante

It should be asked, what are ANIMALS feelings about it? I find it totally reprehensible and immoral.

Talia, 23
Wilton
, CT   USA

I think it's kinda a necessary evil, but sometimes pharmaceutical companies can go too far with their reckless disregard for the lives they are destroying. . .

mothmc, 36
Los Angeles
, CA  USA

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the results from testing medicine on, say, a mouse, or a dog, is going to come out the same way as it would if it were tested on a human. DUH. If you can't open your eyes and see that, your as dumb as one of those people that believe it produces some kind of benefit to us or any one of the many unwilling participants in this kind of research that are tortured daily, in unspeakable ways, and given terminal illnesses so they can shove pills down their throats and give them painful injections for the fucking name of science. He is a vengeful God.

Lisa J., 22
TN    USA

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