Animal Testing

Well, this hasn't been the best of debates, but hopefully we can have a better one in the future. Rebuttals:1. My opponent has admitted to using certain forms of medicines and has even gone to the doctor. For example, he admits to taking Tylenol. Tylenol has actually been a result of animal testing [10]. Thus, he is contradicting himself in the sense that he benefits from animal testing in his everyday life yet claims that it should be abolished. In addition, he claims that there are better alternatives than animal testing, yet he provides none. As a result, I do not have to refute this point. 2. To answer your question truthfully; no, I would not like to be taken from my family to be subjected to tests. However, please take note that the animals that are used in animal testing are generally rats and mice. In addition, these rats and mice are not always alive. Sometimes, scientists test on already dead animals. Therefore, I feel somewhat offended that my opponent has compared my life to that of a rat's. Are you suggesting that we, human beings, are no better than these small, tiny mice and rats? Are you suggesting that intellectual beings such as us can be compared to animals that have brought disease and death upon us [11]? Moreover, the animals that are taken away are treated respectably until it is time to test on them. Certain government agencies make sure of this, and if they feel that a company is not treating the animals that are being subjected to testing fairly, then they will close them down or prevent them from testing on any more animals. Lastly, testing on animals isn't just to help us, it is to help them (as I proved in my second argument and its subgroups). 3. You claim that it is immoral to test on animals, yet I have proved otherwise. Without animal testing, there would be no treatments, medications, or knowledge as to how to save an animal's life. Without animal testing, we could no longer bring back animals that were near to extinction. Animal testing may be evil, but its outcomes are just so good that it is illogical to get rid of it. Wouldn't you be willing to sacrifice, say, 50 animals to find a cure to a deadly disease that affects both humans and animals? The cure would protect us from many unneeded deaths. You also state that organs can be donated to test on. And where do you think these organs are coming from? Did you imagine that, perhaps, they would appear out of thin air? No, these organs can come from two sources--animals or humans. I am doubting that any human, including yourself, would want to donate their kidney to cure a disease. After all, would you want to donate your lungs/heart/brain/etc. to be subjected to testing? I certainly wouldn't. There are those, however, who are selfless and will give their lives for the greater good. Sadly, there aren't too many of those people who will be willing to give their lives to cure a disease. However, let's assume (as a hypothetical situation) that we have enough organs from humans to test on. Well, depending on what organs were donated, it would probably cause a plethora of pain, suffering, and death among humans. Thus, it would be pointless to create a cure if that many people die for it. Have you ever read Alas Babylon? If so, then at the end of the book you would have noticed that while the U.S won the war against the Soviets, a character (I cannot recall who) states that it doesn't really matter. Do you know why? Because the U.S lost so many people and cities that winning the war seemed to be a trivial matter. Likewise, the same will probably happen here. In addition, testing on organs doesn't always work. Sometimes, we need to see the effects on the whole body, and not just that particular organ. Therefore, it is so much simpler and better to use animals to test on. Conclusion:I have successfuly refuted all of my opponent's arguments and some of my own have gone un-challenged. Thus, I urge you to vote Con!I thank my opponent for creating this debate, although I wished he had had more time to make his arguments. With that said, I'm going to go eat some chips and salsa! [10] http://www.essayforum.com... [11] http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com...