I consider posting a whole FAQ on the net rather inappropriate. It wastes
a lot of bandwidth. The persono who did it should have offered a pointer to
that FAQ instead (and, perhaps, maybe, to other relevant net material).
As regards the Animal Rights question, I think that there are some intelligent,
well-read and informed people who pose serious and important questions on the
use of animals in research, but at the same time are followed by a mass of
"useful idiots" (cfr. P Ilich Ulyanov Lenin) who just act (I can't say think)
emotionally. In fact, you can not argue with those people, since their
arguments are emotional; there is no chance that an agnostic can discuss with
a fervent believer of any religion. The point is: What is actually -necessary-?
It will be very difficult to reach a consensus on what is justifiable and
what not.
The point is that even radical antivivisectionist will use an insecticide if
he finds bugs in the kitchen, won't he? Or, won't he kill the mice that
terrorize his wife? Come on people, if you have to be kind towards animals,
then it must be all animals!
Most antivivisectionist are concerned with the so-called "betrayal of
intimateness" (cfr. D. Morris, "Intimate behaviour", 1971), and to this
regard, it is even counterproductive to assert that "our animals are nursed
with all care, and treated very well", since this adds even more cruelty to
the "betrayal" of the scientist. The reasoning is: How can this doctor be
so intimate and kind with his children and patients, when he tortures his
animals after nursing them? How can I trust the whole world of medicine
and/or research, if it is so full of double-faced individuals?
There is no way to counteract this kind of emotional reasoning, except
that by using other irrational, emotional answers. For example, when
some antivivisectionist argue that animals feel the pain (true) and are
as important as humans (debatable, but can be held) one just answers "Go
tell that to the mothers of focomelic children that used thalidomide, a drug
who was only tested on rodents to avoid using other animal species".
Paolo Tomasi
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Paolo Tomasi MD PhD voice: +39-79-228283
Ist. di Endocrinologia voice: +39-79-271692
Viale S. Pietro 12 fax : +39-79-228282
07100 Sassari - Italy fax : +39-79-219220
E-Mail: TOMASI at MVCHSS.CINECA.IT | Sardinia - the sun island
E-Mail: UY8SSQ21 at CINE88.CINECA.IT
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