Animal Experimentation in the United States - Literature review Example

Animal Experimentation in the United s Around the world animals have been protected under different programs and conservation strategies, which basically aim at the wildlife charter that is governed by the top world non-governmental and non-profit organizations. These organizations need to adhere towards the laid down standards in order to continue their programs which are more geared towards the betterment of the wildlife and in particular the cases for a specific animal breed which is targeted for that matter. These programs cover the adoption as well as shelter steps for the animals and at times, cover the plants and vegetation aspects as well. The need of the time is to fund these programs on these organizations’ part so as to complete what they have undertaken and bring the projects to a successful stage, whereby the condition of animals could be said as satisfactory and below danger level. (McKie & Townsend, 2006) Of late, human beings have used animals in order to experiment the research studies done for the betterment of mankind. This has been happening since science and technology advanced drastically and the reason for the same is that man believes that animals are the closest to giving out results which are more in line with the expected results if conducted on human beings in essence. (Author Unknown) The reason is also that no human life can be taken or put at risk but animal lives are usually taken because man’s life is much more precious and priceless at the same time. The advocates of animal experimentation and testing regimes suggest that it is the ultimate worth of a human life that puts the whole experimentation strategy at risk and hence animals are chosen for the same purpose so as to give close results if not the precise ones. The issue of human rights seems to creep in if human beings are used as experiments and hence the researchers and animal experimentation masters think that it would be appropriate if animals are employed for this purpose. There is little debate if animals are used and litigation is also negligible in such cases, notwithstanding certain countries where animal killing and slaughtering for whichever intended purpose is not only forbidden but could also lead to fines, confinement and other punishments under the legal code of the land. Animal experimentation and testing is not only cruel but is also considered a practice that leaves the whole exercise of testing with a bad taste in the mouth. Innocent animals are taken for hostage and they are cut down to pieces in the wake of finding drugs, remedies and solutions for the human beings. Perhaps medical science has advanced drastically but not to the levels where it could be regarded as independent of making use of animals and that too for a cause that would help the human beings only. One should believe that this is not only inhuman but also very unnecessary since these practices bring to light the notion of care and understanding which is so very missing within the medical science and research tenets. These unnecessary practices put a scar on the face of biological science and the experimentation regimes and researchers are looked upon with a sense of shame as they have killed animals in the pursuit of their generally known motives. Different critics have comprehended that these practices could be substituted by other methods – methods which would not kill animals and thus put them at risk at the hands of people who know nothing about animal care. The problem with the experimentation regimes, researchers and experts who delve deep into animal experimentation and testing is that they have no other substitutes to bank their research upon and just the fact that animals give the closest possible results to that of human beings; they are bound to make use of animals whilst conducting their experiments. This really is a situation where a researcher is put into a fix as to what best he could do in order to present the new findings within medical science as well as get away from the wrath of the general people who usually detest such practices. The animal shelter programs and awareness groups demand that such animal experimentation and testing be put on a hold so that medical science could advance further in time and find out ways where these inhuman acts could be stopped once and for all. Inflicting trouble on helpless animals is just not the right tonic to find out betterment ways for the people of this world. There must be some other alternative which could present the positives nonetheless. These animals have done nothing wrong to deserve such harshness that their lives are taken away in a whisker. The fact that they cannot even say anything leaves a great void in their saga and human beings must understand that this is against the animal rights that they are killed, slaughtered and murdered in broad day light for something good that will come up for the betterment of human beings themselves. (Author Unknown, 2008) This is a classic case of bringing in positives for the humans at the expense of the innocent animals who cannot express their plight and are ready to get their head chopped off so that a researcher could find what kind of blood would be suitable for a specific medicine or which hormones are released at different time intervals. There are a number of criticisms and quite rightly so within the relevant domains of animal testing, experimentation and broadly put – their murderous ways. When one speaks of the shelter programs, the discussion centers on the animal control organizations which protect the health and welfare of the animals within any community. Their role is to have the lawful power which is needed to bring a significant result within the laws of animal control ordinances. With the changing times, man will realize that animal experimentation is an unnecessary practice in the real sense of the word. The fact that thousands of animals are used to find drugs, remedies and experimental data for a number of different testing measures is a shortcoming on the part of the researchers themselves. It is about time they realized their mistake and abandoned the idea of cutting down animals once and for all. This will bring a great deal of respect and dignity to the related domains of medical science which have been scarred by these testing mechanisms time and time again. Perhaps the researchers need to pull up their socks and stop this practice so that sanity could prevail at the end of the day. Animal experimentation and testing has been openly debated on different forums around the world. This is because animal experimentation and testing is now openly regarded as a sinful exercise, even though the same has been rampant within laboratories in a rampant fashion. Much needs to be done in order to make the researchers understand that they are doing something criminal on one pretext or the other. The ploy behind using these animals is that since human beings cannot be used for the sake of experimentation and testing, animals are thus the scapegoat under these scenarios. Perhaps the researchers need to comprehend the fact that their personal shortcomings in the field of studies does not mean that they could put all the blame on this premise of using the animals. They must devise adequate substitutes so that animals could be spared their lives and also some sort of sanity prevails at the end of the day, within such quarters. This will be a much appreciable act on the part of the authorities and the various stakeholders will also understand the dictum behind animal experimentation and testing. It is a given that being against the practice of animal experimentation and testing is something which should be encouraged in a proper fashion. This must be supported by different organizations and animal care bodies around the world and more so within the boundaries of United States. The US lawmakers need to understand that public sentiment should be given importance. If the public turns against the government, it helps no one and the lawmakers need to discern the very same fact. Animal experimentation and testing has never been appreciated by any society and one can comprehend that no society will ever like this to continue in the times to come. Perhaps it is the need of the hour to have alternatives in the wake of animal experimentation and testing. The researchers will do themselves a world of good if they devise proper strategies which are apt and look to allow a living environment for the varied animals. United States’ legislations must be drawn in a manner that the animal experimentation and testing regimes are asked to submit their testing mechanisms and samples to the lawmaking bodies. There needs to be more check and balance regimes in place so that the end results are there for the taking. It is about time people should be taken on board and told about the different nuances related with animal experimentation and testing. Animal experimentation leaves a bad taste in the mouth when the news breaks with regards to the extinction of the animals which are being used on a constant basis by the researchers. Perhaps this is the time for these researchers to understand that they are doing something horrible with the natural habitat and thus they need to change their samples in entirety. They would have to find some other ways through which research studies could be conducted in a more effective and wholesome manner. (Evans, 2008) Animal experimentation becomes a problematic quotient when such animals suddenly start becoming extinct and the media brings these aspects to the fore. There are anti-experimentation and anti-research bodies left, right and center and the voice gets heard against the generally accepted norm of animal experimentation and testing. The scientific basis of experimentation is playing havoc with natural habitat and there are no proponents who can justify usage of such animals for the long run well-being of the human beings. It must also be understood that these kinds of research studies are usually conducted within the domains of medical universities, healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical companies, commercial establishments, defense regimes and so on. These kinds of research studies are usually held in the fields of genetics, behavioral studies, developmental biology, xeno-transplantation and biomedical research to name a few. Also drug testing, toxicology tests and cosmetic testing regimes come to the fore as well. It is also a fact that such animals are held for the purposes of finding new evidences for the sake of education, defense and breeding research avenues. Then again, there are some supporters of the theory related with animal experimentation and testing, as these people specifically point out the fact that all medical achievements have been made with animals going through the process of testing and research. There is quite a lot of significance within such debates but then again as times have changed, it is the duty of these researchers to find alternatives which could suit their research regimes. They must put an end to the usage of animals for the basis of conducting research studies. There has to be an end to these sinful measures which are undertaken on a consistent basis. Some supporters suggest that sophisticated computers too have failed to bring the correct measurements of molecules, cells, tissues, bone make up, different organisms, their environments and so on. (Blakemore, 2008) All these aspects are however easily covered when animal experimentation and testing regimes are carried out in a wholesome fashion. United States and British research mechanisms have allowed for the usage of animals within these measures but then again the laws have been enacted in such a manner that limits the usage of animals within such research bases. However following these laws and procedures leaves quite a few issues for one and all to tackle. If only the US and British governments take complete control of the animal experimentation and testing regimes within their own hands, there would be less killing and slaughter going on, around the globe, and more so within the domains of United States. There are the ethical questions which are raised every now and then as well. These question the basis of using animals for such experimentation and testing regimes. As discussed earlier, the claims made by both the sides stand valid, however there is little that these researchers can do at the end of the day. They are bound to look after the professional domains of their work and hence cannot utter any frustrations which they face whilst carrying out experimentation and testing on animals. The procedures might change in the wake of strong protests from anti-experimentation and anti-testing bodies but then again animal experimentation and testing is the ‘in’ thing and it will continue to remain as such in the days to come. Minorities have joined the bandwagon of protests too. (Author Unknown, 2008) They feel that animals have moral rights and no one can deny them the same. It is a given that these discussions will keep making the rounds of animal experimentation and testing regimes as long as animals go through the knives of the researchers. What is more important is the fact that how these researchers limit their usage of animals within the experimentation and testing mechanisms. This indeed is something that is not only ethically right but also fundamentally correct from a number of different perspectives. All said and done, animal experimentation and testing will continue to make headlines as long as these research studies are conducted. The need is to have a fine line between improper testing and experimentation processes, and sound and adequate usage of the same. Works Cited Author Unknown. Animals Used in Experiments. Found Online at: http://www.uga.edu/sos/experiments.html Author Unknown. Alternatives: Testing Without Torture. Found Online at: http://www.downbound.com/Animal_Testing_s/285.htm , 2008 Author Unknown. Animal Testing Ethics. Found Online at: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week1150/cover.html , 15 August 2008 Blakemore, Colin. Should we experiment on animals? Yes. Found Online at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/3353960/Should-we-experiment-on-animals-Yes.html , 10 November 2008 Evans, Jill. Animal Testing - MEP Wants Law Changed, Duplicate Experiments Mean Too Many Animals Suffering, Europe. Found Online at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/127454.php , 30 October 2008 McKie, Robin & Townsend, Mark. Animal testing hits a 14-year high. Found Online at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/jul/23/businessofresearch.research , 23 July 2006 Word Count: 2,294 Read More