I won't lie, I find this picture distrubing. Especially considering the fact that these people remind me of the terrorists we see in Iraq, Israel and other Islamic countries. These acts of terrorism are pretty much denounced by most U.S. citizens as morally wrong...and yet, we see our animal activist friends imitating them almost exactly.
I am all about the humane treatment of animals, and whether or not it's morally right or wrong to test animals is not what I'd like to discuss (although for the record, I will state that I am not entirely opposed to the medical testing of animals...if we need to test some mice and monkeys to find a cure for cancer or AIDS, then I say by all means do it). What I'd like to discuss is the methodolgy behind it.
I stated to my husband that I don't think these tactics are effective. He reminded me that without said tactics, the U.S. would stil be a British Colony. And it's true...without acts such as the Boston Tea Party (where men disguised themselves...and then vandalized and destroyed property that was not theirs), our country would not be the nation it is today.
My question is, are these tactics still effective presently?
I don't think they are. If you go to YouTube and watch some of the videos of these wackos (ok sorry, it's hard to not be biased...) raiding research facilities and "freeing" the animals, it's pretty scary. I won't reference any videos here...you can look them up for yourself, they're not hard to find. I will admit that it does appear that some of the animals these people retrieve look mistreated...however, I don't feel these individuals are justified in their actions...2 wrongs do not make a right in my opinion, and certainly not in this case.
And what about the families of these people...are they to be subject to the terrorist tactics just because their father/husband participates in the testing of animals?
"...Kordower has not faced attacks or protests. University of Utah neuroscientist Audie Leventhal has.
The Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for dousing a home owned by Leventhal with glass-eating acid and covering it with animal rights slogans. Leventhal estimated the damage at $20,000. At another home, the group claimed responsibility for putting glue in the house's locks and pouring salt to destroy the front lawn.
'Even if I retire, I'm going to tell them I didn't retire,' said the 56-year-old scientist. "There's no way they're winning."
Still, he said, he has mostly been living out of state since the protests began two years ago. He said he refuses to teach classes to avoid having a fixed time and place where activists can find him. His wife got so scared after activists scaled the gate at their home in a Salt Lake City suburb that she bought a gun, Leventhal said."
I find it completely unacceptable that these fanatics feel justified in making the lives of these people hell. It infuriates me as much as the terrorists who took down the WTC felt justified in killing thousands of people simply because they were citizens of a country whose goverment was (and still is) hated.
Bottom line is...I wish these people would take a step back and realize that not only are these tactics extremely harmful, they're not effective in the way they're meant to be. These methods don't work any more, and the only attention the activists are drawing to themselves is negative. The only thing they're doing, honestly...in my opinion of course...is making people either fear or hate them. So who will listen? Who will really hear their "message?" Ummmmm....
Ok...deep breath...stepping off the soap box...
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I heard a patient say something profound tonight:
Revenge is fighting evil with evil.
What these "activists" don't consider is that they are treating HUMAN BEINGS just as cruely if not more so...than the animals they are trying to save.
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