Reader: Vegetarianism, anti-vivisection
both stem from a compassionate choice
Scott Harrah, in both his review of
the “Animal Liberation” LP (Daily
Nebraskan, Oct. 29) and his recent
column (DN, Nov. 2), tries to separate
the arguments for vegetarianism from
the arguments against vivisection. His
fatalist attitude assumes that animals
must suffer for the benefit of human
ity;
Guest Opinion
In doing so, he misses the entire
point of animal rights activists who
feel that animals should not be used/
abused in any way by humans. This
includes using them for food, as sub
jects in experiments and for luxury
garments such as furs. Harrah claims
that vegetarianism and anti-vivisec
tionist sentiments “are hardly cogent
doppclgangers,” basing this on the
claims that “vegetarianism is a per
sonal choice” and that vivisection is
“traditional and necessary.”
Tradition should never be used to
justify the status quo. As to the neces
sity of vivisection, that shall be cov
ered later in this letter. However, the
crux of the matter is that vegetarian
and anti-vivisectionist sentiments are
indeed linked. A person who puts
some value on the life of an animal
recognizes the links between all forms
of what he/she sees as the exploitation
of animals. If vegetarianism is a per
sonal choice, then the respect of ani
mal life as a whole is also a personal
choice — one based on compassion.
And it is because animals have no
choice in their use by humans that
humans should exercise that choice. If
we are truly “superior” to animals,
should we not demonstrate that supe
riority by respecting animal life?
Vivisection can be divided into two
realms — medical and cosmetic test
ing. In neither case can it be seen as
“necessary.” i
Regarding medical experimenta
tion, Harrah defers to traditional and
vague questions for justification.
There are two ideas to consider here.
The abolition of all medical experi
mentation upon animals I do not think
is currently feasible. However, it is
imperative that humans adopt a for
ward-looking mindset and begin de
veloping alternatives to the use of
animals in medical research.
In schools and labs, models, charts
and computer designs have begun
replacing the use of animals, but fur
ther progress is needed. In fact,animal
experimentation isnotinfallible,as no
animal has bodily processes similar to
those of humans.
Flenac, Opren, Osmosin, Zomac
and Eraldin are among the drugs that
were withdrawn from the marketaftcr
causing serious illness and death
among humans after having been
declared safe after animal experimen
tation (“Cured to Death,” Melvill and
Johnson). A more familiar example
involves the thousands of so-called
Ihalidomidc babies. Thalidomide
was administered to pregnant women
after extensive animal testing. Al
though declared safe based on that
research, the use of Thalidomide re
sulted in thousands of deformed ba
bies until the drug was recalled. As a
whole, then, vivisection is neither
dependable nor necessary.
The other aspect of vivisection
involves the cosmetic industry, which
regularly blinds, maims and kills.
Harrah follows the industry’s justifi
cation, claiming that if we do not
harm all these animals, humans who
use cosmetics will suffer. Surely
computer designs and other alterna
tives based on existing animal re
search could be developed. In the
meantime, current means of duplica
tive testing need to be eliminated.
The industry currently depends
jpon the Draize and LD-50 tests in the
levelopmcnt of new products. Both
ests are appalling and unreliable,
jiving some hope for the future, the
EPA now discourages the use of the
-D-50 test and relies on computer
analyses of chemical structure. New
methods such as the “up-down limit
test” and in vitro testing have given
scientists “a precision totally ade
quate to our purposes,” according to a
Procter and Gamble Co. toxicologist
quoted in Newsweek. As new, reli
able methods are developed, should
we not adopt them and spare animals
needless suffering?
Concerning vegetarianism, Har
rah writes, “Cattle, pork, and poultry
are all raised to be slaughtered and
consumed by humans, we’ve been
eating animals since prehistoric
times.” The existence of an ethically
inferior lifestyle does not justify the
lifestyle itself. Not too many years
ago in this country, slaves were bred
and sold for whatever ends suited
white people. White people, who
considered themselves “superior,”
saying that “it has always been this
way, so it must be right” is simply
ridiculous.
Humans have progressed to a point
where ve arc capable of exercising
moral judgment in a changing world.
In this, we are facilitated by the ever
advancing realm of technology.
Technology has brought humanity to
a point where we need to re-evaluate
our moral choices. Human life need
no longer depend on animal life for
sustenance. On a global scale, human
ity could benefit tremendously from
the gradual transition into a vegetar
ian diet. Moreover, technology has
has brought humanity the ability to
end or greatly reduce the use of ani
mals in medical and cosmetic testing.
Thus humanity now has the ability to
reject the fatalistic notion that ani
mals must suffer for the benefit of
humans. Think of how the animals
feel.
Bryan Peterson
sophomore
ph i losophy/psychology
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