From: russ@wpg.com (Russell Lawrence)
Subject: Re: Anti-AR movie goers - Please read
Organization: WP Group
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 22:22:05 GMT


From article <mhulsey-161192104547@fatrat.fcs.uga.edu>, by mhulsey@hestia.fcs.uga.edu (Martin Hulsey):
mh> I respect your decision, but you have no evidence that P&G is not 
mh> "fully committed" to developing AAT.  I NEVER indicated that 
mh> "past nor future developments have depended on P&G 
mh> participation." In addition to being a corporate patron to CAAT, 
mh> and performing research in house, P&G ALSO funds extramural 
mh> proposals aimed at developing alternatives.  NO OTHER company has 
mh> such a triad of efforts toward developing such alternatives.  

Proof?   

mh> P&G is acting responsibly to protect the interests of human and 
mh> non-human animals, and, hence, is undeserving of a boycott by 
mh> animal activists.  You have no evidence to suggest otherwise.  

I'm not interested in buying soap powder, personal hygiene products,
and cosmetics that have been tested on rabbit eyes.  Does P&G still
conduct draize testing?  [yes or no]

mh> Authorities on AAT currently agree that, despite claims such as 
mh> yours above, there is yet NO substitute for the Draize test.  

Are you ignoring the battery of tests described in the articles 
I cited previously?

mh> In 
mh> June of 1990, after consulting the EPA, FDA and CPSC, Governor 
mh> Deukmejian of California vetoed AB 2461 which would have outlawed 
mh> the Draize test.  I applaud this courageous move, for the 
mh> decision to use or ban the Draize test should be based on 
mh> scientific merit and not outcry from animal activists.  

I posted my references, Martin.  Perhaps it would behoove you to
admit that some scientists no longer consider draize testing to
be an essential practice.

rl> References:
rl>  
rl> "Skin Stand-ins: Dermal substitutes promise to reduce animal testing",
rl> _Scientific American_, September, 1990, p. 168.
rl> 
rl> Fentem, Julia and Balls, Michael.  "In Vitro Alternatives to Toxicity
rl> Testing in Animals".  _Chemistry and Industry_, March 16, 1992, pp 207-
rl> 211.
rl> 
rl> Weiss, Rick.  "Test Tube Toxicology".  _Science News_, January 16, 1988,
rl> pp 42-45.
rl>  
rl> Jasper, James and Nelkin, Dorothy.  _The Animal Rights Crusade_.
rl> The Free Press: NY, 1992. pp 103-114.
rl> 
rl> "Animal Experiments - #4".  _PETA Fact Sheets_.  People for the Ethical
rl> Treatment of Animals: Washington, DC. 

mh> It is too bad that your reference list did not also include the 
mh> article by Alan Goldberg and John Frazer ("Alternatives to 
mh> Animals in Toxicity Testing" Scientific American, 261(2);  1989).  
mh> Anyone who reads this article will understand why you omitted it.  
mh> Selective citation of the literature that supports their position 
mh> is a trademark of the animal "rights" movement.  

I was unaware of this article, Martin.  Your unkind suggestion 
that I omitted it purposefully is a "trademark" of Martin Hulsey.  

Be that as it may, have any changes taken place in the past three 
years that would alter any conclusions set forth by the authors of
an article published in 1989??  

mh> Consider the following quote from Partners in Discovery (part of the NIH):
mh> 
mh> "An integrated approach of clinical, whole animal and _in vitro_ 
mh> studies is currently the best approach to advance science, 
mh> develop new products and drugs, and treat, cure and prevent 
mh> disease." - Dr. Alan M. Goldberg, Director, Center for 
mh> Alternatives to Animal Testing, Johns Hopkins University.  
mh> 
mh> If you cannot trust the opinion of a person who has dedicated his 
mh> life to finding alternatives to animal testing, who can you 
mh> trust?  A psychiatrist?  A philosopher?  

You're entitled to trust any authorities that you choose to trust.
Meanwhile, I'm not going to buy any P&G products and will be giving
my business to P&G competitors who've made a committment to the 
alternatives.

-- 
Russell Lawrence, WP Group, New Orleans (504) 443-5000
russ@wpg.com   uunet!wpg!russ
Newsgroups: talk.politics.animals