How Should We Animal Activists Best Peruse Our Cause?

Recently I read about an epileptic research experiment which involved operating on the brains of 200 conscious cats without antithetic. I'm sure experiments similar to this go on the time on all sorts of animals. Certainly our treatment of battery chickens isn’t exactly great. I also know that the British government banned cosmetic testing on animals only for the animal research to move across the channel and into the wider world. The undemocratic future super power of China does some appalling things to quite intelligent animals for all sorts of small purposes. It just goes to show that even if all of Europe and all the English speaking nations where to ban all animal testing in all its forms the research would simply move abroad. At least animals tested on in the West can be given some animal welfare standards as opposed to none at all. So the only way our contribution to animal suffering can be minimized or terminated is by boycotting its fruits. And in the case of medical research this would mean drugs that save peoples lives. And the joke about boycotting yourself a cure to an illness is that the cure has already been tested on animals by the time you have access to it.
Fact is; the only type of animal cruelty you, as a consumer, can boycott and make an impact on is battery farming (namely buying a cheap chicken from the super market). This is because food consumption is ongoing whilst the development of medication is not. As surely the stocking of meat that lived a life of misery will not be helped if your individual lifetime’s consumption doesn’t continue? But in most peoples cases it does, and so the production of these products continues; so I suppose that’s that then.

Nevertheless I still think it would be a great idea if the patients of illness where given some idea of the amount of suffering that went into producing their medication. At the very least they will have accepted in an educated manner the fact that the revenue generated by legally curing themselves will go on to cause animal suffering.
Idealistic? Surely this is more effective than moving research abroad by terrorising scientists or closing down Labourites? But surely education can only be delivered on a voluntary and proactive basis?

Yet if mankind where to gain a serious faith in the afterlife, and if it ever gains a serious concern about our sins towards animal suffering then surely educating the consumer is the best constructive hope of animal activists? Is it ether that or manufacturing illegal prototype drugs that deny drugs companies of the patient revenues they feel they deserve to continue their future product research? Frankly I don’t see any other way of being effective if “Direct Action” simply amounts to research location.


[edit on 090705 by Liberal1984]

I don't think trying to educate the sick about the bad things that are going to create their medications will fix the problem, and is not going to help or be effective in any way. In fact I think it could BACKFIRE. Instead you need to educate and encourage positive relationships with animals for the general public, and especially children. And then the well being and treatment by the majority for animals - should encourage those people in other places - medical research facilities - to treat other Species better.

SPCA - special treatment for cats and dogs. This group is often blind sighted by the plight of cats and dogs, and have been mistakenly allowed on boards for farm animals and fail to protect other species. Very sad.

I've often thought about how much of the Organic claims and Animal friendly products are simply that by name, and could even worse be opposite of what they claim. Since most of these seem to be just marketing ploys - we need to identify those who are making false statements, or deluding people into believing their product is any different. What we perhaps need is people to confirm these companies statements. And list them on the internet. Video feeds comparing Chicken prisons versus Free range might also help. As well, as holding some of the bigger companies to working with farmers / farm conglomerates to a higher standard. And rewarding companies that do treat their animals well with praise, and positive advertising so that they can expand their operations.

I don't think much can be done to reach adults as opposed to children. As children are more likely to be guided to love and cherish other life forms on Earth. A few ways to help with this are:
. Petting Zoos
. Animal keepers doing School Drop-Ins
. .. more to come ... thinking about this.