Persuasive Essay On Animal Testing

1397 Words3 Pages

Since ancient times, animals have been the subjects of medical and safety testing. But only relatively recently has discontent been expressed by large numbers of people. Referred to as animal rights activists, this displeasured community condemns all animal use in medical, product testing, and research experiments despite the beneficiary outcomes because they firmly believe that interfering with another living creature’s life is immorally and ethically wrong. One individual who sides with the activists is named Jamie Aronson. Having earned a Ph.D from the University of Massachusetts located in Boston, Aronson affirms that “animals do not have a voice in our society.” Opposing Aronson is the duo of Patricia George and professor of State University …show more content…

A list of medical benefits includes the cures for destructive diseases such as polio, malaria and smallpox. These particular diseases ravage the world in previous decades. Situations where the disease has come from animals are also prevalent. For example, illnesses like rabies, feline leukemia, and the avian bird flu all begin their cycles in animals. Medical technology advances such as CAT scans and MRIs Importantly, such tools can also be beneficial to the health of animals as well. Diabetes and cancer treatments, for instance, were eventually unlocked, and the key was animal testing (George and Wagner). Along with past medical advancements, the two women also mention future medical advancements that have yet to be invented. George and Wagner stress that without animal testing, devastation would strike the human population if a new, unstudied disease epidemic were to ever …show more content…

In response to this, George and Wagner state that death, although ugly, is a natural part of life. They then compare humans and animal experimentation to a hunter and its prey. Non-surprisingly, Aronson wholeheartedly disagrees with George and Wagner on the issue of animal importance in society. Viewing animals as equally deserving as humans, he is curious as to what qualities a living being needs to possess to qualify as a superior lifeform. He concludes that many would say it is an individual’s “intelligence” and “self-awareness” that defines a lifeform as a superior beings. To counter this belief, Aronson provides specific examples to prove that animals can possess these qualities. One example he contributes the quality of intelligence to is the Octopus, a sea creature which can “demonstrate considerable problem solving ability.” They display this skill by discovering ways to open fish-filled jars with no assistance from an outside

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