Testing Waters

Animal Testing:

Animal testing  is a more heated issue than abuse, more intimidating then vegetarianism and more hidden then the former two. This issue is difficult to ignore and even more difficult to claim is inherently evil. The very core of testing is to examine cases of unclear issues to look for solutions, Not every test is frivolous abuse. Of course there will always be moral unjust cases such as the radiation monkey pilots and the rabbit eye tests but not every researcher's goal is unjust and cruel. We as a society need to sit down and thank our spaceship earth companions for their sacrifice to our society. Without them polio would be a word uttered behind closed doors among terrified parents and rabies would be still stalk our children in city alleys. Individually we need to honor their sacrifice. This can take form in any number of ways. Before using any kind of modern medicine imagine the tests that might have been performed. Truly visualize and internalize the suffering. Do not torture yourself though because that would defeat the sacrifice that they made. These animals are the foundation that modern medicine is based upon, with human longer lives comes wisdom and reflection. With this new knowledge, maybe we can find both an alternative to animal testing and a way to properly mourn and honor these noble creatures.

Humans: Need and Needed

Why must all animals need to exist without humans? Humans have done a lot of damage to the planet in our process of creation and destruction. However not all of interaction with animals are negative. There are certain breeds, which we have altered over the course of our history to perform tasks for us. Horses were broken by early man to ease the hard work that our frail frames could not perform, they helped to till our fields, move our goods, to name a few of their tasks; and they are respected and cared for. Then we have the obvious animals i.e. dogs and cats who’s symbiotic relationship has secured their place in the evolutionary food chain as a human companion. However not even these “pets” cannot escape the demands of humans. Below is a clip of Bernese Mountain Dogs from Dogs 101m they are pulling carts, their large frame has been breed to do this type of work and they love it.

 This is not me attempting to say that animals should love to die for human consumption. Humans have over the centuries molded their behavior and physique to create companions to our world. Like corn these animals cannot flourish in truly wild environments due to their catered lives as farm animals. If farmers properly treat their stock as both animals and their livelihood as farmers have for many centuries I do not see how removing the farm would be beneficial for these creatures. Cows should be allowed to graze, pigs should be allowed to roll in filth carefree, and chickens should establish their pecking order all without fear of random predication. In return humans will systematically slaughter parts of their population. This is a huge price to pay for these animals and I am sure that like any animal they have no interest in dying. We as humans have placed ourselves as the dominant predator of these creatures but that does not mean that we have to rob our prey of their deserved lives.