PETA Members Should Opt Out Of Treatments Discovered By Lab Animal Experimentation
Since humans may die or die much sooner thanks to PETA's efforts to stop not just wasteful and hurtful treatment of animals in lab conditions, but all use, they should protest in a truly meaningful way -- by refusing treatment that came about through animal experimentation.
This post was inspired by a blog item by Edyta Zeilinska on The Scientist about FedEx and UPS and shipment of lab animals:
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced last week that two major carriers in the United States, FedEx and UPS, confirmed that they will not ship mammals for laboratory use, and restrict the shipment of some non-mammalian organisms. Neither UPS nor FedEx are major players the lab-animal shipping business, but the move does restrict the options for researchers and could limit the operations of small companies, such as Florida-based Xenopus Express, which relies on UPS to ship its laboratory-grade frogs....Charles Hewett, the executive vice-president and chief operating officer at the Jackson Laboratory, voiced his concern that such decisions are short-sighted. "[It's] troubling that the corporate leaderships of UPS, FedEx, and others yield to the pressure of a small minority who overlook the importance of what [animal research does] for preventing, curing and treating human disease," he told Nature.
You can ship frogs via UPS?
Christmas is going to be a bit different this year.
Conan the Grammarian at September 26, 2012 9:18 AM
I've met people who do.
NicoleK at September 26, 2012 10:51 AM
Suppose someone openly objects to government ownership and control of the healthcare system, such as the one in Canada. Should that person opt out of receiving medical treatment through that system?
Ken R at September 26, 2012 11:01 AM
"You can ship frogs via UPS?"
Apparently not anymore.
Ken R at September 26, 2012 11:02 AM
Keep this quiet, PETA should not be informed of this dark secret. Taxpayers are supporting the USPS. USPS is the most efficient shipper of of young chicks, day old in fact, who will become layers of eggs and meaty dinners.
Dave B at September 26, 2012 11:02 AM
Watch for good-paying, high-education jobs in drug and medical device development to start moving offshore in 3... 2... 1...
Cousin Dave at September 26, 2012 1:47 PM
More like...huge opportunity in medical animal shipping.
Robert at September 26, 2012 2:05 PM
I'm with you on this one.
PETA members who are diabetic...no insulin for you.
Vaccinations tested on animals? Nope.
Die for your cause already.
Oh, BTW, PETA kills animals too.
DrCos at September 26, 2012 2:28 PM
DrCos: "Oh, BTW, PETA kills animals too."
That's true, they do. They euthanize tens of thousands of them. But they only want animals to have the same rights that they believe human beings should have.
Ken R at September 26, 2012 3:00 PM
Well, remember that PETA believe that owning pets = slavery. So they're certainly not going to be in the business of animal adoption. And they're at least smart enough to realize most domesticated animals will starve on the street, so what's the alternative?
Sosij at September 26, 2012 3:54 PM
I just had a discussion on this same topic a few days ago. I pointed out that I'd likely have died by now without animal research and animal components in medication. I have to take heparin or Lovenox injections for my clotting disorder. It is made from bovine intestinal mucus. I have also suffered from gestational diabetes and required insulin. I pointed out that without the research I and millions like me would have very poor life quality or no longer be alive. I was told that I should not use those medications, that animals should not have to suffer for my health because their lives were at least as valuable as mine if not more.
BunnyGirl at September 26, 2012 5:05 PM
Hi!
Let me be the devil's advocate here.
In what way is your life more valuable than that of a {pick a mammal}?
Be sure to be objective. Especially when you consider the idea, "Valuable how?"
Radwaste at September 26, 2012 5:51 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/09/peta-members-sh.html#comment-3341258">comment from SosijWell, remember that PETA believe that owning pets = slavery.
Lucy sleeps on a velvet pillow much of the day, right in front of the fan, because it's like the joy of being in the car without the frequent stops. When she's not on the velvet pillow on the floor, she's on the velvet pillow on my lap, with frequent petting. When she's not doing that, she's outside on the doormat lying in the sun. Or peeing or pooping, two of her favorite entertainments. Or sniffing around, one of her other favorite entertainments. Or being cooed over by humans, probably her very favorite entertainment. Her main deprivation is a lack of human food, save for when Gregg is cooking and drops things on the floor. If there were an amendment to free the dogs, I'm pretty sure she'd campaign against it.
Oh, and frankly, if she were in the wild, she would have been eaten by something 14 years ago, or however the hell old she is. (I can barely remember my own age, let alone hers.)
Amy Alkon
at September 26, 2012 6:05 PM
"In what way is your life more valuable than that of a {pick a mammal}?"
I'll answer that as soon as a mammal can tell me in what way his/her life is more valuable than mine. OK?
Dave B at September 26, 2012 7:32 PM
Those PETA people are the worst hypocrites.
Flynne at September 27, 2012 3:34 AM
"In what way is your life more valuable than that of a {pick a mammal}?"
Short answer: Because human's don't just passively exist. When an animal can carry on a conversation, hold down a job, vote, pay taxes, and contribute to society in general then it can claim at least equal value to human life.
For the crazy Christian answer: Because the bible says so.
Genesis 1:26
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
Sabrina at September 27, 2012 9:20 AM
A human life is more valuable than {pick a mammal} to the same degree that that human's life is more valuable to other humans than the life of {the mammal picked} is valuable {to other mammals of the mammal picked}.
How'd I do?
Jeff Guinn at September 27, 2012 7:05 PM
Wow. You guys can't answer the question at all. Fallacy much?
Radwaste at September 27, 2012 9:56 PM
My life is more valuble than an animals in that I can think, feel more than transitory emotion, I can lie, I can create art, I can poneder the question you posed
That in and of itself makes me more valuable.
Other people will have to answer for themselves
lujlp at September 28, 2012 11:46 AM
Wow. You guys can't answer the question at all. Fallacy much?
Is life getting you down?
Dave B at September 28, 2012 12:56 PM
Not at all, Dave.
But maybe some people don't realize that their position on the food chain was inherited, not earned, and it's not a guaranteed thing.
Valuable? To what? To whom? To claim that you are valuable to yourself is nothing more than ego talking. You'll fight for your life? So does other life. You may have more tools, but you still have to compete.
It's really strange that people think they aren't subject to the same laws of nature that those lowly animals have to obey.
And, of course, the question remains unanswered here.
Right now on the news, there are efforts in place to protect animals from the collateral damage incurred by Man. If you "break" where you live, how valuable are you really?
Expensive, yes. Check the environment and the costs you incur there.
Radwaste at October 13, 2012 7:52 AM
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