Re: [Leica] something something and now animals

["Rob Appleby" <rob@robertappleby.com>]

> > > as with all radicals, PETA and others
> > > often go to far.

That would pretty much be the definition of a radical, I should think. How
far is too far - for some sectors of society, the very existence of radicals
is already an affront.

Someone mentioned that using computers to model the effects of new
pharmaceuticals was unrealistic. Well, I suspect that if more pressure is
put on labs to exclude animals from their research programmes, this would
accelerate the development of alternatives.

This doesn't mean that pro-life or pro-animal or pro-justaboutanythingelse
terrorism is acceptable, but it is the job of radicals to exert pressure for
change.

Taken in a larger context, the pharma companies could be argued to accrue
overall social costs which come close to outweighing the benefits we derive
from their research programmes. Of course, Ivan Illich argued that
allopathic medecine had itself passed that watershed some decades ago - not
a popular argument, I realise.

- -- Rob

http://www.robertappleby.com
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- ----- Original Message -----
From: "John Collier" <jbcollier@shaw.ca>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 9:43 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] something something and now animals


> I would tend to agree, based on the facts you have given, that PETA and
> others are going too far in this case. However you also have to
> remember there are many horrific stories on the other side as well.
>
> John Collier
>
> On Thursday, October 30, 2003, at 12:41 PM, Barney Quinn wrote:
>
> >> I welcome the pressure PETA and others
> >> have put on the scientific and cosmetic industries to improve their
> >> practices. I also agree that, as with all radicals, PETA and others
> >> often go to far.
> >
> > I have a friend. My friend has two Doctor's level degrees. This person
> > is a
> > very high level medical researcher, internationally known, Ivy league,
> > Nobel
> > prize material. The work this person does involves animals. PETA and
> > similar
> > groups have, for years, made life for this person a living hell. There
> > have
> > been times when getting in and out of the lab has been impossible. This
> > individuals home has been picketed, and familly members have been
> > harrassed
> > with out mercy, particularly the children. I find what has been done
> > to these
> > people totally inappropriate, outrageous, and counter productive. It
> > has not
> > done one single thing to help animals, and it has cost these groups the
> > support of everyone who has had to watch what has been done to this
> > family
> > while they were trying to support them. If you are opposed to cruelty
> > then I
> > think that you have to be consistant about it. If you have never been
> > on the
> > other side of these tactics it may be impossible for you to understand
> > what
> > they actually do to people.
>
> --
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>


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