Girl vs. Rat: Who Would You Rather See Live?
How do you feel about animal research now?
I like meat but I don’t like thinking about where it comes from. I know plenty of folks will tell me I owe the animals I’m consuming at least some thought if I’m insensitive enough to eat them, but the thing is that I’m not heartless and I do feel a little bad when it occurs to me that my burger once mooed, so I choose to block it out. It may not be right, but it is what it is.
I also don’t like to think that any medicine I take or makeup I use might have been tested first on an animal. While I’d prefer no animals were harmed in the process of bringing something to my medicine cabinet, since I don’t have a better solution to propose, I generally keep my mouth shut.
There are plenty of people who are adamantly opposed to animal research, but I wonder how they’re reacting to a new campaign that pits a rat against a little girl and asks which one should live.
A Washington, D.C. non-profit called Foundation for Biomedical Research has launched a new campaign promoting the use of animals in research for human medical treatments.
“Without research with animals models, especially rodents, we will not have cures for the many currently incurable diseases afflicting children today including leukemia, diabetes, paralysis, autism, congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, Deuchenne muscular dystrophy and malaria,” FBR president Frankie Tull said to ABC News.
Nor surprisingly, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) disagrees.
“It still doesn’t make any difference to any feeling human being what the species is,” said a PETA representative. “They all experience pain. They all can suffer.”
According to FBR, the aim of the billboard campaign isn’t to shock people, but to make them think about where the benefits are coming from that they expect when they’re sick.
The billboards will remain on display until early next month in five cities: Los Angeles, Seattle, Baltimore, Chicago and Portland, Ore.
Me? It’s a no-brainer. Girl over rat, obviously. But really, who would choose otherwise when you put it like that?
What do you think of the campaign, and when you think of it, can you really be opposed to animal research?
Image: ResearchSaves.org
As a scientist, I support animal research. I am vehemently opposed to any animal abuse or cruelty, and having worked with animals in the laboratory, I can say there are EXTREMELY high standards about pain/suffering/discomfort. It is not a subject that is taken lightly in any way. And while I respect PETA’s stance, I’ve seen a lot of hypocrisy in the organization, not the least of which is (last time I checked) their VP is diabetic and uses insulin made from animals, which is directly against PETA’s own creeds (to not use animal products), so take that as you will.
Great campaign. It needs to be said.
I just saw one of these billboards today in Portland! I think it is a thought-provoking but not shocking campaign that shares an important message.
What the others have said; I do, however, believe that there are better options for cosmetic testing than use of animals and prefer to purchase my cosmetics in that manner. But for medical reasons? Yes. Definitely.
Most scientists nowadays, I think, are more ethical, much much more ethical than before. I do think that when we decide to kill things we make it an important decision. I don’t think we should kill and torture them for testing shampoo or makeup, but perhaps for medical purposes. From what I understand, many medical are more-or-less invalid on animal models and have to be repeated on humans afterwards anyway. As well, I think it is probably possible to do a lot of tests on humans, or at least human cells, in the first place.
How to Build Compassionate Kids: Deadly Beasts, Cannibals, Empathy, and Enlightenment
“It’s a no-brainer. Girl over rat, obviously. But really, who would choose otherwise when you put it like that?”
In fact, there are plenty of animal rights activists for whom this is NOT a no-brainer, but an example of “speciesism”.
The preferential treatment of humans over non-human animals has been compared directly to the Nazi’s holocaust by members and proponents of PETA.
Presumably, they would say that your “no-brainer” decision is as immoral as Hitler’s decision to exterminate the Jews.
@Dan — Wow, as a Jew, I can tell you that I would always choose a human being over a rat and that I would sleep very soundly at night afterwards.
I support animal testing – I think it is essential. But, I think they missed the mark on this campaign. People don’t like to be reminded that their drugs are safe because of cute fuzzy things.