Animal Testing Essay, Research Paper

Can t you just picture it? Our founding fathers, sitting side by side, along a massive oak table, arguing over the rights American citizens should have. And finally they come upon an agreement, and that agreement was that all men are created equal. But didn t they forget about something, or someone? Are only human beings allowed the right for freedom, liberty and justice? I think not! Our neglect for animals and their rights as human beings is deplorable, and I believe respect for animals, as human beings is vital.

Animals have children, just like people. They have to eat, just like people. They have to sleep, just like people. And just as people do, they need respect. Tom Regan, author of the book The Case For Animal Rights, has this to say about the respect given to animals in the U.S. The (animal) rights view is not anti-business, not anti-freedom, not anti-science, not even antihuman. It s simply pro justice, insisting the scope of justice will be seen to include respect for animal rights. (Regan 96) In relationship with his quote, his book also has this to say about respect. According to the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Animals the four general rights that animals possess are as follows. 1) All animals are born with equal claim on life and the same rights to existence. 2) All animals are entitled to respect. Man, as an animal species shall not inhumanly exploit other species. All animals have the right to the attention care and protection of man. 3) All animals have the right to liberty in their own environment, weather land, air, or water, and should be allowed to procreate. 4) No animals shall be ill-treated or be subjected to cruel acts. If an animal is to be killed, it must be instantaneous and without distress. Deprivation of freedom, even for educational purposes, is an infringement of this right. And in coherence with these statements, truly, the only one of these rights we as humans even take into consideration, is the first, in which all animals are created equal. When people say that all animals are created equal they do not consider the possibility that all living creatures, animals and humans alike are created equal. Because all creatures are created has equals they should be treated appropriately. And we, as Americans, don t treat animals as our equals but equals to each other in the animal kingdom.

When brought to the attention of society, the second rule of animal rights is the hope that man, has an animal species, will protect the well being of animals. Although morals tell us to follow this as the golden rule to animal rights, human beings tend to ignore their conscience and follow what whatever path leads to success in fame and fortune. To behold that fame and fortune, animals are killed everyday by poachers, hunters, and even well respected scientists. Animals are slaughtered for their furs, horns, and even make-up. Every year 3,000 to 6,000 plants and animals are listed under the Endangered Species Act. And the U.S. is losing species at a rate comparable to that of tropical Brazil. The number of animals killed all over the world is immense. Nearly 100,000,000 birds and 50,000,000 mammals are slaughtered yearly. Many ask what hunters have to say about the mass slaughter of animals. The hunters argued that by killing of excess numbers of animals. They preserve the balance of nature, and if hunters do not perform this valuable function then animals would overpopulate. (Finsen 12). A large persent of the American population strongly disagrees with this statement. Most American citizens say that the difference between American, Eskimo, American Indians, and even animal predication can be summarized in one word: necessity. Statistics show that those who leave the city for a weekend of hunting are persuaded to hunt for pleasure — something quite different form the model of the American Indians, who kill out of necessity. Take into consideration the Koyukon Eskimos, their view is that all nature is spiritual and should be respected, only to be killed for necessity. When they are forced to kill an animal, they pray and thank them for what the animal has given them. They believe that this is the moral and ethical behavior that keeps the right relationship with all the animals. If only all humans could think this way.

The moral behavior in which the Koyukon Eskimos believe leads perfectly into the next rule of animal rights. The third rule of animal rights, that to is widely over looked, says that animals shall have the right to live in their own habitat. The Koyukon have always believed that what animals own, will always be theirs. The Europeans, believing that everything they find will belong to them, have inhabited this country and have pushed animals further and further into land that, according to this right, belongs to the animals. Ever sense taking control over the land, sky, and water in America we have been invading the animals space, giving them less and less room in which to live. We have trapped animals in an unfamiliar world of technology of commerce. And in today s society of commerce, legality and morality are built on different foundations and what the law allows morally sometimes forbids. The moral aspects of today s society are built on the idea that all creatures remain the same and therefore deserve the same treatment. In a column written about bear hunting, a hunter was asked about his personal views on hunting . In his response he said that, Hunting is legal therefore not immoral there is substantial, biological support for bear hunting. (Finsen 47) His defense rests simply on legality, and at no time did he consider the moral aspects of hunting. On one ground he is right, he may legally kill a bear, but it is ethically and morally wrong to do so.

The morality of animal testing has much to with that of equality and respect. Imagine, that you our in a laboratory where you can be burned, exposed to diseses, forced to smoke or drink alcohol, have various organs removed, your bones broken, or your spinal cord severed. Things such as this are done to approximately 10-100 million animals a year. All laboratory testing seems to ignore everything that the fourth animal right has to say. This animal right states that no animals should be subjected to cruel acts, and if they are to be killed it must be instantaneous. Yearly, ignoring animal rights thousands of goats and pigs are shot in the department of defense wound laboratories all around the country. The animals are restrained and shot with high-powered military weapons, so that military doctors and surgeons can study their wounds and learn how to treat them. Though polls and other means, the American people indicated that they support the use of animals in research and testing. And although there have been rallies and picket lines all over the country Americans opinion on animal testing has not been altered. John Matrox explains clearly why animal testing is not beneficial when he was asked, Why do we research on animals? With no thought at all, he replied, because they are like us. Then he asked the reporter, How can this be morally justified? The reporter replied, Because they are not like us. (Regan 72). This idea has also proved to be true when doing the Drazie Test. (The Drazie test is used in a rabbit s eye testing the irritancy and then charting the progressive deterioration.) In the past years the Draize test was administered to the rabbit s eye. By charting the data scientists found that the rabbits eye was significantly different than a human eye, making the years spend of excessive torture to the rabbits useless.

Today animals are disrespected, and immorally treated. They are pursuited by pochers, hunters, and scientists. Equality is a major issue when it comes to dealing with living creatures other than humans. This should never have been, and should no longer be a predicament for Americans and people all around the world. It is only appropriate that some one speak out for animal rights, such as equality and respect. This right should be fought for by humans because animals cannot speck for them selves. And because animals cannot speak for themselves the animal rights movement is unique. Animals cannot join the struggle for their rights, while in other conflicts, such as the segregation movement, the African American people could speak out and join their struggle for equality. In American history, has their ever been a case were one group (in this case humans) has altruistically worked and won a struggle for respect and equality of entirely helpless group (animals) ? We will just have to wait and see.