Rights for Rights
More than ten million animals are used for human experimentation each year. Animal testing is
used throughout the world for medical research, cosmetic/chemical testing, and food and drug testing.
Often the animals are forced to endure pain, and suffer through severe torture which results in serious
psychological impairment. In addition to this, many of the experiments cost the animals their lives. It is
unjust to believe that we are entitled to the use and control of another’s life. Not only that, but it is
selfish to trade one life for another, especially when you are biased and have ties to one of the lives.
Imagine you wake up every day wondering what you did to deserve constant pain. Imagine that you live
in two by two plastic box that smells like antiseptic and each second your instincts are telling you to run.
As you go throughout the day, the anxiety of being trapped and the stress your caregivers inflict on you
mercilessly, prompting your instincts to not tell you to run, but scream at you to run. The ‘’researchers’’
continue on punishing you for whatever you did that you can’t seem to figure out. Once they leave you
in your plastic box, your entire body is roaring at you to run and you know you should be sleeping to
prepare for tomorrow, but you won’t because the anxiety is so high it’ll keep you up for hours.
Although, not every animal’s experience will be like this one, the number that will is too high. Especially
when the number could be zero, and should be zero.
These experiments are cruel, for the most part unnecessary, and have proven to be inaccurate. The tests
often are on animals that are born into the world already in the hands of these experimentation
facilities. The ones that are born into it, live their entire lives in pain, fear, and constant neglect. Even
worse, they have no reward or justification for what they go through because of the ‘’need of humans’’.
However, some may reason, that animal testing saves hundreds of lives and is the best means of
progress and is therefore indispensable. The same people who reason this, believe that all other
primates are below humans. That perhaps, a human life is worth more than all other forms of life. It is
true that, thanks to animal experimentation, many medical advancements and cures have been
developed. If animal testing is vital to medicine and human survival, what is reasoning for cosmetics
testing? Again, in order for them to justify the testing, they must highly value the life of humans, and
belittle that of the other primates. This view is fueled by prejudices and thoughtless points that
nonhuman primates have not evolved to the same level of worth as people.
I personally hope the realization happens sooner rather than later. When I think about all the animals
suffering and dying for unjust reasons, I am appalled. I fail to see how the general population hasn't
come to terms with the fact that being different from an animal does not determine worth. I believe
that every form of life is equal, and that as humans we cannot possibly judge the extent of other
primate's meanings of life. What right do us as people have to decide that for primates other than
ourselves? Rights are often misconstrued when it comes to animal testing. Many may believe that they
have the right to utilize animal lives over human lives. In retrospect, I know that animal testing has
resulted in somewhat miracle progression and a means to survival for mankind. Today, however, I see
that it is no longer necessary, and that if funding was to be focused on alternative ways of testing,
animal experimentation could halt and dissipate completely. I have the surest opinion this would work.
There are many things to be done to eradicate animal experimentation. As a female who often
purchases makeup, I always refuse to buy product that is made free from animal testing. Today, makeup
that utilizes animals is still made because of popular demand. I, however, refuse to participate in
creating any demand, however small, for beauty products previously tested on animals. In addition to
this I will urge all my friends, family, and acquaintances not to buy these products birthed from the pain
and suffering of innocent animal lives. Not only will I urge them to join me in this boycott, but I will
educate and inform each individual of the horrors of animal testing. I will make it a point that animal
testing is unnecessary and a cruel form of laziness by people who don’t want to spend the time to find
alternative ways. In time, through education and cooperation this will be realized.