Replies

I posted about in post #55 and the reactions to it were like the reactions on this thread, just as PETA would like.

You can be against certain kinds of treatment of certain animals without buying into PETA's agenda.

PETA says that animals have inherent rights, which is silly because animals don't enforce them against each other, but PETA wants to unilaterally enforce them against humans.

Conservatives, Christianity and Western Civilization asserts that we have dominion over the animals, but we have a responsibility to be humane. Most people in these groups raise the bar for humane treatment depending on sentience level and in some cases the tameness or relationship of the animal to man.

So, it is nothing to squish a Daddy-Long-Legs because it annoys you, but it is "wrong" to pick the legs off because you feel like it.

It is not an issue to put a live lobster, with it crude ganglia into a pot of boiling water for a tasty meal, but we wouldn't do it to a rabbit, and most of us would not do it to a turtle, even if it won't be quite as tasty killed first.

Eating dogs and cats is considered out of bounds in the west, as are horses for the most part in the U.S. (though not in France).

Having dogs and even roosters fight to the death for mere gambling and entertainment, is certainly different than testing surgical staples on dogs (a big PETA issue years ago).

Personally, I do not care for the treatment of hens in factory farming, because I think the increased efficiency and cost reduction is more than offset by what I see as unnecessarily cruel treatment to the birds for an insufficient reason. Men of good will can disagree with me on that, and other than preferring eggs from chicken who are treated better, I make no lifestyle changes, and it is about #300 on my list of things wrong with the world.

So, I think that torturing monkeys and dogs for medical research for anything short of finding a cure for cancer or diabetes or something along those lines can be considered torture by people who are NOT PETA supporters. It all depends on the underlying reasons. I will not allow PETA dictate my reasoning on these things. I apply principles independent of their stand.

Everything you've said there is reasonable. My point is that unless we know precisely what's being investigated all we have is an emotional accusation of torture. An accusation that's been made before with the goal of making medical research more difficult.

The fact is a lot of animals have suffered and died for our medical advances. Some of it is pretty gruesome stuff. I am glad however for the spectacular advances I've seen over the years.