Animals have been used in medical research for centuries. Most of the animals used for research are rodents such as rats, mice, hamsters and gerbils. Some dogs, cats and a variety of goats, ferrets, pigeons, monkeys and rabbits are also used .The struggle against this tyranny is a struggle as important as any of the moral and social issues that have been fought over in recent years. Animal rights are an emotional issue. For decades the value of animal research has been grossly overrated. Although researchers have depended on animal test data to achieve medical advances, there should be other means of research because testing on animals is cruel, inhumane, and often unnecessary.
The American Medical Association believes that research involving animals is absolutely essential to maintaining and improving the health of human beings. They point out, that virtually every advance in medical science in the 20th century, from antibiotics to organ transplants, has been achieved either directly or indirectly through the use of animals in laboratory experiments. They also emphasize that animal research holds the key for solutions to AIDS, cancer, heart disease, aging and congenital defects. Finally, they insist that the result of these experiments has been the elimination or control of many infectious diseases. This has meant a longer, healthier, better life with much less pain and suffering for humans. For many patients, it has meant life it self.
However, there should be other means of research because the whole process of animal research remains cruel and inhumane. Animal rights activists have gathered a large amount of information that has closed down many laboratories that violate anti-cruelty statutes. In the past, research labs have had to be subsequently suspended due to animal cruelty. Reports involving horrifyingly painful experiments on monkeys and the filthy laboratories the animals must live in. Animals limited to living in tiny metal cages in which they can barely move. From the capture of primates in the wild, to the factory-like breeding of mice and dogs, to the confinement and isolation of cages, it is undeniable that animal research is inherently cruel.
Animal research is often unnecessary. History has shown that many important medical advances have been made by clinical research and close observations of human patients, not animals. There are countries that don't use healthy animals to train veterinarians or teach surgical techniques. In England they use only sick or injured animals and do most of their work on animal cadavers. Humans can give informed consent. Animals cannot. Many AIDS patients have said they are willing to try out new drugs, so why not let them volunteer for testing. In most cases the drugs will need to be tested on humans before the FDA will approve them anyway. It is a known fact that not all drugs work the same on humans as they do on animals.
Many of the ways animals are treated would never be acceptable towards people. We understand that people have certain rights that keep them from being experimented on by other people. What we don't realize is that it is impossible to justify rights for humans, who are a type of animal, and deny rights to non-human animals. Animals have a right to life just as humans have a right to life. Human morality must expand to acknowledge and respect the rights of non-human animals.
Ok, this is the full essay. Please feel free to say what you like about this essay. :)
Hi. I am not an English teacher, but love English.
Your essay is very good, and well researched.
May I give you some tips on some changes or corrections you might consider?
In each paragraph, be sure to speak in the same tense (past, present, future).
Try not to use contractions (“don't”: use “do not”).
Paragraph 1: “monkeys,” should have a (comma) after it.
Paragraph 3: 1st line is redundant of the last line of paragraph 1. "had involved horrifying," (not “horrifyingly”) and painful experiments." (That sounds a little better). "animals are limited." (You forgot the verb). “From the capture...., (comma) factory-like breeding,..dogs, (comma) ….. and confinement and isolation in cages."
Paragraph 4: “why not let them volunteer….. testing?” (Use a question mark. You are asking a question). “Humans can give …., (comma) animals cannot.” (Otherwise, you will have an incomplete sentence “animals cannot”, cannot what?
Paragraph 5: "toward people." (“Toward” is a better choice. Leave off the “s.” I believe that is a subject/verb disagreement).
I hope you aren't offended, and this helped you. Good luck.
The issue of using animals in medical research is a complex and controversial one. On one hand, proponents argue that animal research has played a crucial role in advancing medical science, leading to breakthroughs in treatments and improving human health. On the other hand, opponents argue that animal research is cruel, inhumane, and often unnecessary.
To understand both sides of the argument, it is important to review the facts and consider different perspectives. The American Medical Association (AMA), for example, strongly supports animal research, stating that it is essential for maintaining and improving human health. They emphasize that many medical advancements, such as antibiotics and organ transplants, have been achieved through animal experiments. They also claim that animal research holds the key to finding solutions for AIDS, cancer, heart disease, aging, and congenital defects. The AMA argues that the result of these experiments has been the elimination or control of numerous infectious diseases, leading to longer, healthier, and better lives for humans.
However, critics of animal research argue that there should be alternative methods for research, as the whole process remains cruel and inhumane. Animal rights activists have gathered substantial evidence of animal cruelty in laboratories, leading to the closure of labs that violate anti-cruelty statutes. Reports have revealed horrifyingly painful experiments on monkeys as well as unsanitary living conditions for animals in laboratories. Animals are often confined to small metal cages, barely able to move. The inherent cruelty of animal research is undeniable.
Another argument against animal research is its alleged unnecessary nature. Critics argue that many medical advances have been made through clinical research and close observation of human patients, rather than animal testing. Some countries use only sick or injured animals to train veterinarians or teach surgical techniques, while others rely heavily on animal cadavers for research. Furthermore, humans have the capacity to give informed consent, whereas animals cannot. Some argue that willing human AIDS patients, for example, should be allowed to volunteer for testing new drugs rather than subjecting animals to the same experiments. Additionally, it is a known fact that drugs do not always work the same way in humans as they do in animals.
The moral aspect of this debate raises questions about the rights of animals. Many argue that animals, like humans, have a right to life and should not be subjected to experimentation or suffering. It is argued that human morality should expand to acknowledge and respect the rights of non-human animals.
In conclusion, the issue of using animals in medical research is highly debated. While proponents emphasize the crucial role of animal research in advancing medical science and improving human health, opponents argue that it is cruel, inhumane, and often unnecessary. The moral question of animal rights also arises, questioning the justification of denying rights to non-human animals while granting rights to humans. It remains a complex topic with no clear consensus.