"Let's face it, there IS no easy answer to the research question. Yes, it is cruel to subject animals to research. But would it be fair to obtain humans for all kinds of tests, forcibly or voluntairly?"My thoughts: The very fact that we (most of us) cannot bear to think of performing such tests on humans, nor ever justify doing them on even those we deem undesireable (many movies have been made on this premise, no?) is argument enough against doing the same to animals.
Here's a thought, which will no doubt get me the label of insensitive creep: Disease is a part of the natural life/death cycle. To overcome it by finding cures is to deny our mortality. What SHOULD we die OF? No disease seems acceptible to us. Why not?
There are several things I DO NOT mean to suggest by this:
1)that those dying of disease deserve it
2)that we should give up, curl up and die when we find out we are sick
3)that I would gladly accept disease in my body or in the bodies of those I love
What I would suggest is that we can work to AVOID disease. (For example, to avoid the world's most common disease, gingivitis, eat fewer sweet foods, and raise our children to consume natural, unrefined sugars. To avoid heart disease, eat a diet low in animal fats, and exercise lots. To avoid osteoperrosis, exercise lots (starting while you are young) and go easy on the protein.)
We can also try to cope with disease through holistic medicine, through counselling, and by treating the PERSON not the disease. I've heard many studies quoted which show that, for a wide range of illnesses, an effort towards improved health through exercise and better eating does wonders towards recovering from or living with disease.
