Should Animals Be Used for Research - Term Paper Example

? English Should Animals Be Used for Research Thesis: Animals research played an essential part in scientific breakthrough that improved life expectancy and created a healthier society. However, there are some ethical issues involved in animal research. Therefore, the purpose of this presentation is to tackle the claimed ethical issues then we will weigh the practical benefits as compared to these ethical issues. Scientific breakthrough has created a healthier society and longer life expectancy. Scientists have traveled a long way of research to meet this end. Yet, the price being paid is so high because the lives of man’s friend such as dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys, and others are being sacrificed in various animal testing and research for medical advancement. In a simpler term, we are facing a confusing thought of, “Is animal research, a ‘Blessing’ or a ‘Curse’?” Evidently, medical scientists consider animal research as a blessing. They have attained numerous achievements on developing medicines, antibiotics, medical treatments, operational procedures and even organ transplants. Dreadful diseases such as the epidemic of influenza, typhus, infantile paralysis, poliomyelitis, small pox, typhoid fever, diphtheria, measles, malaria, pneumonia and others are being controlled and treated. All of these things would not become possible without the help of animal testing and research. Let us put it this way. Let us say, that you are in a critical condition. Your life is in danger due to an illness or an epidemic. I am pretty sure that you don’t want to die, especially at this moment that your are still young. What if the only way to save your life is to sacrifice a life of a rat, or a rabbit, or maybe a monkey, for research in order to test and produce the medical treatment intended for you? If that’s the only way you can be saved from an excruciating disease and even death, would you reject the idea of animal research and prefer to die instead, just because you are against the animal research technology? Is it really worth to die than put the animal in laboratory research and suffer pain while being experimented? Or is it really worth it that animals should be sacrificed in order to save human lives? So the question is simply as, Who must be sacrificed, an animal life, or a human life? This reminds me of a situation in ancient times, during the bible times or before Christ era. According to the bible, as attested by historical facts, people of ancient times are used to sacrifice lives of animals, particularly sheep and goats, in order to gain Gad’s favor and righteous standing before Him. So, would it be possible that even God himself consider animals research as a blessing for humankind? This is such an emotional issue for individuals who are against animals research. Probably, in their own points of view, this situation is impossible to overcome because evidently they consider animals research as a curse. Since they oppose the idea of using animals in laboratory experiments for developing possible cures to common rampant diseases due to ethical issues, would it be easy for them to stood by this principle and tell directly to the doctor that do not use the animals for laboratory test for my health benefits or for treatment of my illness? In the stance of a pro-medical technologies using animal testing, they may view those in the opposing side as short-minded persons or extremely fanatic and traditional. If you will watch the 3-minute video clip of the PETA organization, People for Ethical treatment of Animals, regarding their anti-animal testing stand in the you tube, with a video URL link of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QRBcHIIsXc you might find them quite reasonable in their points of view. You might find this video as heart-stirring in behalf of the lives of animals being sacrificed in animal laboratory research. You will surely understand the ethical issues that they want to point out and willing to fight for. It is true, like humans, how animals suffer pain is basically the same as how we are suffering pain. They also feel lonely like us, feel hurt just the way we are being hurt, and feel hungry and thirsty, just us how we feel the thirst and hunger. The ethical issue that is presented in this video is quite alarming. Animals like us deserve to live because just like us, animals want to live. It would be unfair for animals to suffer pain because of laboratory testing and research being performed to them, but merely a performance of a trial and error testing. The research and study being made to animals is not the outright procedure needed to directly save a human life. There will be a series of repeated experiments because of repeated failures on some initial trials of testing before a scientist can attain the intended goal or achievement. So, how many lives of animals are needed to be sacrificed in order to find out the possible treatment for a single illness only? With so many rampant diseases, how much animals are going to be sacrificed in a trial-and-error procedures of testing and research? So, with the advancement we have right now, you could imagine the volume of animals lives that are being sacrificed into death to suffice the never-ending process of trial-and-error testing of scientists everyday. An avid animal research activist may reason out that even life expectancy seems to be lengthened, but just the same, we still die. Even treatments and medical procedures have become more advance, still, we all suffer illness and eventually get old and finally will die. So, do animals sacrifices really worth it? Both parties have their own point of views. It is inevitable that animal research activists may captured others attention and support as their hearts are stirred by their heart breaking sentiments and hearty presentation of ethical issues involved in animal research. Definitely, those who are pro-animal research will gather their own crowds as they weigh the various benefits and advantages attained by animal research. Actually, both parties have their own valid reasonable stance. Whether animal research will be a blessing or a curse, will forever be a debatable issue. The answer will be legitimately depends on every individual on whatever stand a person may choose. I am pretty sure, that in this classroom, we do not hold a unified stand. I’m sure both opposing parties have found their respective supporters within the class. Anyway, this is no longer an issue whether what is righteous or unrighteous? What is principled and unprincipled? Both parties have their own disposition of what is righteous and what is ethical in their eyes. What I perceive in this controversial issue is whether a preference of being a practical or a sentimental one, a traditional one or a liberated one. Just like you, I have my own stand. I understand how the PETA emphasized the ethical issue involved in animals research. I was so touched in watching the short video clip regarding the ethical issues concerned. In fact, I have my own pet, which is a dog. I almost feel my dog’s sentiments. I know how lonely he is when I leave home and left him alone throughout the day. I almost feel the same hunger when I am feeding him when I get home. I am feeling happy when I see how happy my dog is when we do some walking and jogging in the streets every weekends. So, I fully understand the point that PETA and other animal research activists wanted to point out. But since I am a scientifically inclined person, I intend to support the idea that animals research is considered a blessing for us. My liberated personality seems to outweigh my inner person of a sentimental one. I am happy with my dog, and I can feel the same way as how he feels. I would be happy and grateful if my dog would be willing to sacrifice his life just to save me from an attacker. Well, I may be willing to sacrifice some point or things in my life for my dog because I love him so much, but not to the point of losing my life for his sake. Before I end my discussion, I would like to quote another biblical point of view. After the deluge during Noah’s times, God pronounced an act allowing Noah and his family to use the animals as their food for sustenance. This decree has been extended to our generation. Thus, if God allows killing animals to serve as sustenance for our lives, surely it would be ethical for him too when scientists use animals as subject of experimentation to promote longer and healthier life. One viewer of the video commented that “if a scientist were to torture a human to save an animal, it would be condemned, so what makes us superior?” Unfortunately, we are created by God as superior to animals. In fact, since we are superior, animals tend to serve us in our best interest. Work cited PETA, (2006). PETA Anti-animal testing video. You Tube. Retrieved March 30, 2012 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QRBcHIIsXc Read More