How should we judge medical laboratories that rely on cruelty, and the medical data they produce?

It's time for everyone with a sense of compassion and an interest in medical science to pay attention to the annual World Day For Lab Animals: it's time to reject outdated animal-based methodology in disease research. 

April 24th is the World Day For Animals in Labs --  https://worlddayforlaboratoryanimals.org/.  Please also check out the Animal Defence and Anti-vivisection Society based in Vancouver, BC, to find out why cell culture, stem cell, in-vitro study and computer modelling imaging techniques are the way forward:  https://adavsociety.org/

These techniques are explained at https://www.uwindsor.ca/ccaam/ (Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods). Many labs in Europe are pursuing the same types of alternative research, the better to advance effective medical treatment. In the U.S. the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine (nonprofit) provides a wealth of detail: 

https://www.pcrm.org/

Canadians appalled at the immense cruelty toward over 4 million animals used in lab research, including over 120,000 per year "subjected to severe pain", can contact their MPs to voice their concern. 

They can also email Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, at  ISI.minister-ministreISI@canada.ca.  

Shipped off to torture and execution -- the horses of Canada

 

The Canadian Government is "... balancing the need to develop effective and science-informed policies and strategies with the perspectives of stakeholders who are affected by its decisions. Stakeholders will be engaged in consultations, as applicable ...". 

Have you ever heard a more appalling piece of bureaucratic bafflegab by a government? Well yes -- it happens all the time. This one is about why the Gov of Canada cannot stop torturing innocent horses. "Stakeholders" might not like it if they did. Let these stakeholders show their faces, as they watch no-longer-wanted horses forced into a 28 hour flight without food or water to the slaughter houses of foreign customers. 

Yes, the Canadian Government -- friend of the abused -- can't even stop that abuse. 

Some things they really can't stop -- they can't suddenly make climate change go away, or make Russia, Afghanistan and Iran stop torturing people. But how is it they can't even stop themselves torturing innocent horses? Herding them into trucks and planes as live meat ready for butchering. Old racehorses, the winners and the losers, old saddle-horses, show jumpers and rodeo performers -- all now surplus to requirements. 

The question is, why don't Canadians require ethical behavior and decency from their government? The PM's "Mandate Letter" of one year ago to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food included "ban the live export of horses for slaughter". 

So what happened? Oh yeah, that "stakeholder" thing. If you feel you have an ethical stake in non-cruelty, write to your MP, and to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food: marie-claude.bibeau@parl.gc.ca  

If you need help find some here: https://cpj.ca/writing-a-letter-to-your-mp/  (from Citizens For Public Justice)

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Why is there no Social Justice or "Protected Characteristics" for animals?

 The social justice movement has come up with "protected characteristics" for humans (e.g. age, disability, sex, gender, race, religion) on which basis they cannot be discriminated against re. employment and receipt of services. (Equality Act, 2010, UK)

Why aren't characteristics of non-human animals also designated "protected"? Why are animals not protected from abuse and loss of access to habitat and natural resources? Why subjected to gross confinement in cages and factory farms (breeding females discriminated against on the basis of sex and gender), and others slaughtered on the basis of age and disability, and abused on the basis of race (show horses, sled dogs, furbearers, captive whales ...)?

Isn't it time humans developed characteristics like rationalism, consistency, and ethical behavior? Why do we accept the social injustices inflicted on beings who feel the same emotions as we do (fear, desire, attachment, loyalty to kin, longing for freedom)? 

Why do we think species-ism is okay, given our brother-sisterhood with the rest of the animal kingdom? Time for a bit more equity and inclusion, Justice Warriors?

 

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