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We hope that these excerpts will serve as starting points for your declaration to the Forum/Againstum. Feel free to use examples that illustrate your point, or facts from other sources. Just be sure to tell who the sources are, so that those whom you’re trying to convince know the weight of your evidence! In The Case for Animal Experimentation (University of California Press, 1986), Michael Allen Fox states that "there is no denying that laboratory animals are sometimes subjected to unpleasant procedures and manipulations, of which the following are major examples: burn injuries, electric shocks of varying intensities, radiation, brain stimulation by electrical means or by the injection of drugs, stress (including the induction of seizures, fear, social isolation, and so on), and eye damage...[But] many experiments that appear at first to manifest inhumaneness or cruelty and little else—to be examples of research whose aim is merely to satisfy curiosity at animals’ expense—can be seen in quite a different light on closer examination. Though it is perhaps an unfortunate truth, valuable information has frequently come out of experiments that strike the layperson, who usually gives them only passing attention, as the most odious...We may note, however, that those who debate the ethical aspects of experimentation generally agree that on important principle relevant to judging the moral acceptability of a piece of research is that its (actual or potential) benefits must be directly proportional to the amount of suffering it entails. In the case of very stressful experiments...the benefits must be considerably in excess of the harm caused." Just how common are experiments involving animals? The following figures come from Sir William Paton’s book, Man and Mouse (Oxford University Press, 1993), and show how many animals of each species were experimented upon in Great Britain in 1990. Species Number Percentage of Total Mouse 1,636,332 51 Rat 891,536 28 Bird 247,609 8 Guinea-pig and other rodents 162,459 5 Fish 107,989 3 Rabbit 89,845 3 Hoofed animals 34,759 1 Reptiles/Amphibians 13,123 0.4 Dog 11,433 0.4 Primates 5,284 0.2 Cat 4,392 0.1 Ferret and other carnivores 3,612 0.1 Other mammal 821 0.03 Total 3,207,094 Paton goes on to say, "The current figures represent one mouse per head of population every 15 years. Is that big or small in relation to the hundreds of millions of animals used for food each year? Or the hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs killed annually as unwanted? Or indeed, the 100 million smaller animals killed by our [the United Kingdom’s] cats each year?" In F. Barbara Olans’ book In the Name of Science (Oxford University Press, 1993), professor of philosophy Tom Regan’s beliefs about animal rights are quoted as follows: "Animals have a basic moral right to respectful treatment...Animals have preferences, goals, and desires; they have mental states that enter into the explanation of their behavior...[A]nimals are "subjects of a life" just as human beings are, and a subject of a life has an "inherent value." ...This inherent value is not respected when animals are reduced to being mere tools in a scientific experiment. To conduct any animal experiment is morally wrong no matter how much humans may benefit from the results because the animal’s basic right has been infringed." What do you think? Head back to the Forum/Againstum and speak out! Don't stop here! Find out more about the genetic engineering debate by visiting these sites. We want you to be as informed as possible when arguing in the Forum/Againstum. Just don't forget to come back! National Anti-Vivisection Society This site is definitely opposed to the use of animals for experimentation--but without giving out too many horror stories. Benefits from the Animal Experimentation of Dr. Tom Gennarelli This page defends animal experimentation by focusing on the work of a neuroscientist at Penn State University. Brute Science This page summarizes a recent book profiling the pros and cons of experimentation, stating some of the conclusions that the researchers have come to. Americans for Medical Progress This site depicts animal experimentation as crucial to finding cures to diseases like AIDS and Alzheimer's. Animal Testing The folks at Facts on File have put together a great balance of essays for and against animal testing. What do you think? Head back to the Forum/Againstum and speak out!