Animal Rights Protesters Torment Scientists

Animal Rights Protesters Torment Scientists

www.examiner.com

BERKELEY, Calif. (Map, News) - In the hills above the University of California's Berkeley campus, nine protesters gathered in front of the home of a toxicology professor, their faces covered with scarves and hoods despite the warm spring weather.

One scrawled "killer" in chalk on the scientist's doorstep, while another hurled insults through a bullhorn and announced, "Your neighbor kills animals!" Someone shattered a window.

Borrowing the kind of tactics used by anti-abortion demonstrators, animal rights activists are increasingly taking their rage straight to scientists' front doors.

(visit the link for the full news article)

While I understand the need for medical research, I think much of animal experimentation probably is done with little or no feeling for the subjects. When it comes to highly evolved animals, like monkeys, it's especially distressing. The trouble with the protesters' methods is that they turn a lot of people against their cause. Is it possible to achieve scientific advancement and still respect the existence of non-human species? And if so, will the protesters' efforts be justified?

www.examiner.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Sestias


Exactly. This is just like the anti-war protesters who interrupt soldier's funerals. They have the right idea, but the wrong place and most definitely the wrong method. These people only manage to hurt the causes they support by making all people who stand for animal rights look like belligerent aggressors.

I don't know the specifics of this case but if you agree in principle that much of today's animal testing is needless and unnecessarily cruel, please suggest an appropriate avenue or manner in which people should protest.

reply to post by Shar_Chi


I'm not quite sure what an appropriate method of protest would be. If it's simply writing to the offenders or circulating petitions, that probably would do no good. I might suggest staging protests but not violent ones. On the other hand, that might not scare the offenders enough.

I'm open to suggestions.

Originally posted by Sestias
reply to post by Shar_Chi

 

I'm not quite sure what an appropriate method of protest would be. If it's simply writing to the offenders or circulating petitions, that probably would do no good. I might suggest staging protests but not violent ones. On the other hand, that might not scare the offenders enough.

I'm open to suggestions.

Sorry but referring to scientists as offenders is a little extreme. I would argue that at the expense of a hundred or so animals, we may find a treatment that may cure thousands or millions of humans....not just now but also in future generations.

Are you going to be the one to tell an Alzheimer's sufferers' family that due to the fact that a small minority of protesters do not agree with the methods, there will never be a cure or even a treatment to ease the suffering??

Please do not get me wrong, testing make-up on animals is absolutely ridiculous. However, legitimate research that can potentially provide a cure to a widespread condition is necessary. How many of us routinely use drugs that have been tested on animals?? Remember that these scientists are not breaking any laws. In most cases the Protesters are.

Extreme animal rights protesters confuse me. The methods of intimidation against scientists is contradictory to their stance on the rights of animals....are humans not animals? living, feeling and fearing animals?? Yet they have no regard for the well being of their 'targets'. I feel that we should be treating extreme 'animal rights protesters' as terrorists and they should be prosecuted as such. Digging a grandmother of a scientist up from her grave is blatant terrorism and should result in the loss of freedom FOR LIFE of the offenders. (correct usage of that word).

Please read the article below for more information on the methods of animal protesting:

Source:
www.timesonline.co.uk...

Animal rights??

Kind regards

[edit on 8/7/2008 by Nerevar]

Stop testing cures and treatments on animals?

Okay, we'll just start testing everything on people.

I'm sure the Human Rights groups would LOVE that one.


Seriously, what do you expect to be used for testing? You can't test a treatment on a plastic dummy... the only thing that would tell you is what it looks like when you poke a plastic dummy with a needle... yeah, we really needed to know that.

Yes, I think it's sad that we have to sacrifice other animals in the pursuit to save our species from viral annihilation, but there really isn't much other choice I'm afraid.

Computer models can only go so far, because lets face it, living things aren't computerized, nor precise.

So, here's the deal. You find the scientists a way to run field tests of drugs on living things without using living things, and they'll do it.

Over the past couple of years, more and more researchers who experiment on animals have been harassed and terrorized in their own homes, with weapons that include firebombs, flooding and acid.

These aren't mere protesters, they're terrorists. They do more harm for their cause by acting in this regard. How do they expect to garner any support, when they rip out a page from the terrorist how-to manual. It makes no sense.

But then only hardcore ideology such as these only makes sense to its devotees. This particular type of terrorist/activist is no better than any hoodlum, criminal or street thug. They seek a means to their end through violence and harrassment.

its ok.. to torture humans... by threat of harm..and intimidation... but you have to think of the poor lab mouse... what its going thru.. no wonder the animal rights people want to kill those scientist.. they should set them all free, at least the cats will have something to eat.