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Umanzor 1

Gabriela Umanzor
Professor Ogbara
English 1A
3 December 2015

Animals are People Too


Animals have been in our families for centurys weather they are cats, dogs, or small
creatures. They have been loved and cared for in our families until animal experimentation
began. Animal experimentation is non-human testing done on all type of animals. The most
common animal tested on is a mouse. Mice are generally tested on because they are 98%
genetically compatible to us. Animal testing for medical research is not perfect nor is it an ethical
business. The philosopher Michael Gazzaniga theory was since we are born we know the
difference of ethical and unethical. Some animal tested researched products have had to be
banned between 1976 and 1985 (Greek 26). They were withdrawn because there were too many
side effects in the medications. This was one of the many ways that proved that animals didn't
help us in medical research. Animals now are not only suffering but also not being heard or seen
because all this is happening behind closed doors. Although, animal experimentation has led to
medical advancements, overall the results have been more negative than positive.
Michael Gazzaniga is a professor of psychology that graduated from the University of
California at Santa Barbara. Gazzaniga believes that once people are exposed to violence they
began to adapt and prefer it. He develops his rhetoric that people know the difference of ethical
and unethical. Morals are a sense of values it does exist but its not what drives us to make good
or bad decisions.

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Animals were not used for animal research until the 1900s. First they started using mice
just to help them understand how cancer developed and how to cure it. Vaccines later came into
the world and they did not use animals to test the vaccines on. Since the vaccines were made for
people they would test them on only people. Medical advancements were made without harming
any animals. Not only were they made but they discovered important medical technology and
discovered "how to treat heart disease and high blood pressure" as well (Greek 26). Furthermore,
they later on realized to test on primates because they are the closest to humans they could get.
Scientists use primates to help find a cure for Human Immunodeficiency Virus better known as
(AIDS). Macaque Monkeys are essential to help find a cure for HIV, sadly there is no cure. There
is only medicine people take to keep their t-cell levels up. They discovered this with using
primates and they would infect them with the virus and study them and try to find a way to keep
them alive. Till this day scientists are still trying to find a cure by infecting primates when there
it's clear there won't be a cure. Its just another unnecessary test they will keep running for
money.
People came to the conclusion animal testing was misleading but they kept doing so for
money and business. Gazzaniga argues that we are wired to know the difference of ethical
decisions as well as the unethical ones. Morality is existent and that we learn to tell the
difference. Money plays a huge role on why researching on non-humans is unethical. First of
they dont care if its an unnecessary test they do it for only money. It doesnt always benefit
medical research people believe it does. According to Ingrid Newkirk there are "millions of
animals who suffer through stressful and unnecessary tests" (Newkirk 28). This is an unethical
where macaque monkeys were made to suffer to see if it would trigger mental illness, this was to
see how stressed they would become before they could injure their infants. That case was

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unethical and not virtuous because at times the mothers would go crazy and bash their infants
skulls. Morally its wrong and Gazzaniga would say experimenters knew morally their decisions.
Unnecessary tests are when they force animals to drink drain cleaner knowing the effect is death
(31). These previous cases are important because they show the stress they undergo as well as the
unnecessary tests they run on them. After they realized how much money they could make by
having the government fund tests on animals they also tested chemical and beauty products.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have seen what animal scientists are
capable of doing to poor helpless animals. Animals are denied everything even proper care in a
lab. People now around the world are rising to give animals a voice and to free them from cruelty
and the abuse.
Animals are very different from Humans and do to make great test subjects. The reasons
are tests that pass animal trials do not pass human trials. They don't pass human trials because of
the tests subjects they use. The most common species they use are mice and primates. This is
only in genetics and in genetics 2% is a lot of difference. Primates and Humans are the same
species homo sapiens and throughout the years we have evolved and became human. Primates
and humans share 99% of the same DNA meaning they believe that primates are good test
subjects . So they use them a lot in their experiments causing pain and suffering and not getting
anywhere. Not only do they not get anywhere but because a human body is much more complex
than an animals body. Not every persons body is the same so depending what problems their
body has they will have different issues.
Animal experimentation is considered unmoral and unethical. The reasons why nonhuman experimentation is considered unmoral is the tests they run on them. Some of the
experiments they run on these creatures involve seeing them suffer. One example of a ridiculous

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test they do on them would be force feeding mice and making them become sick.. Experimenters
again run tests on them which we clearly know the answers too ourselves. They know testing on
animals is barbaric and useless they don't seem to care and disregard them as human beings as
equals. One specific scientist said he referred to a macaque monkey as a "defecating machine"
when they would scream he also said it sounded like "squeaking tires"(Newkirk 33). Some
scientists have zero disregard for any other human life because they believe they are making a
difference. Other scientists would say it inflicts sadness on them to harm animals they do not feel
its morally right to do so. Another reason why animals are experimented and cause pain and
suffering is they are not all protected by The Animal Welfare act. The Animal Welfare Act was
the first law to regulate animals in research. A research responded that he " finally stopped
torturing animals" (Newkirk 33).
Animal experimentation is just another word for unethical animal abuse. People use the
word animal experimentation to sugar coat what they really do. Animal experimentation doesn't
always mean medical research or that are trying to find a cure. Some research scientists simply
do it because corporations make money that way and do not care for non-human lives. Most
animals are not treated with respect in most laboratories. One of the things experimenters don't
do either is give proper veterinary care to all animals. For example, in some cases their cages are
covered in feces and its unsanitary for any living creature. There was a case where macaque
monkey had to drag themselves in their cages to move around they had blood and huge hideous
scars on their spines (Newkirk 30).
There is a difference between morally and ethically wrong. Morally wrong means you
know the difference of right and wrong. For example, you know treating animals wrong is not
right. Ethics means you know how to conduct yourself in a certain manner or profession. Ethics

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plays a big role in the animal experimentation industry. The reasons why they play a big role is
because ethically they should respect animals and their work and not treat them like scum. Most
scientists disregard them as living beings. They believe they are making medical advancements
but they don't always use animals for this. They test household items on them and burn their skin
off its very painful for them because not only are they burned but also their screams are not
answered nor are they gave sedatives.
Money has been an issue why animals cannot get out of this "insufferable business"
(Peggs). In this business people believe that animals have no rights. Since not all animals are
protected under The Animal Welfare Act it's hard to give animals a voice. There has been a lot of
controversy about animals, ethics, and morals. People are starting to speak out that it is wrong to
abuse them. The only way to save the earth is by saving animals. There are many different
resources than using experimented drugs and products. Now in the 21st century people have
made products vegan and realize that there is so much suffering to make just a medicine that
won't make it to human trials. Money will always be a big issue in this topic "money is power"
and animal testing has become a regular system. This quote from the book illustrates how
unethically its wrong to abuse animals.
"Exposing tens of millions animals, dozens of animal species, to unimaginable
pain and suffering under the pretext of protecting of public health, while simultaneously
allowing the continued production and release of thousands of poisons into the
environment, is unethical and unsound public policy" (Fano 70).
This unethical trade has made virtuous advancements in human life. The reason
why it has made advancements is because they made a lot of trials and error on animals and

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perfected it on people. Animals have help develop medicine and are helping develop medicine
for breast cancer. There are many diseases in the world and animals have been a solution for the
problem. Lawrence Corey argues that without animal experimentation, human lives would be in
trouble (Mur 22). We would be in trouble because without animals we would have no one to test
new medicine on and not know the outcome. Animal testing has developed new vaccines and
helps thousands of people in Africa with the development of medicine for AIDS (Mur 24).
Animals are precious to the survival for human life but we also must respect them and act
ethically right. Gazzaniga the philosopher rhetoric is we know the difference and I believe people
in certain situations do not know what they are doing.
In conclusion there have been many medical advancements with animal research but
there is many alternatives than testing on them. They are essential part of human life and keep
the balance in the world. Animals are our friends not our to probe and pick on. Just because they
are ours for the taking doesnt mean we are allowed to abuse them. It starts with medical
research animal cruelty and it leads to abuse outside and has led the world to believe it's
acceptable. Animals have always had rights they have feelings and feel everything feel. Animals
are not invincible and they do get hurt. Medical research has made many advances in technology
and in medicine. Only people can save these animals. Animal welfare act is not enough and
should protect all animals. Equality between humans and non-humans is essential in this world
we live. Animals were here before us and we took them out of their territories and its a huge
reason why as well there will sooner or later not exist. Instead of using them as our guinea pigs
we need to value all life around us.

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Work Cited
Peggs,Kay."AnInsufferableBusiness:Ethics,NonhumanAnimalsAndBiomedical
Experiments."Animals(20762615)5.3(2015):AcademicSearchPremier.Web.23
Nov.2015.
ABBATE,CHERYLE."ComparingLivesAndEpistemicLimitations."Ethics&The
Environment20.1(2015):AcademicSearchPremier.Web.23Nov.2015
Orlans,FBarbara."EthicalDecisionMakingAboutAnimalExperiments."Ethics&
Behavior7.2(1997):MEDLINE.Web.23Nov.2015.
Franco,NunoHenrique."AnimalExperimentsInBiomedicalResearch:AHistorical
Perspective."Animals(20762615)3.1(2013):AcademicSearchPremier.Web.23Nov.
2015.
Holmes,Hannah."HISTroublesAREYOURTroubles."Discover32.9(2011):
AcademicSearchPremier.Web.23Nov.2015.
Mur,Cindy.AnimalExperimentation.SanDiego,Calif:GreenhavenPress,2004.Print.
JacobusA.Lee.AWorldOfIdeas.Boston.NewYork.Bedford/St.Martins,2013.

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