The aforementioned CNN debate can be viewed below:
For Animal Research:
Against Animal Research:
Full report and analysis later.
Speaking of Research
Posted in News, SR in the Media
Tagged Conn, Greek, holder, michael conn, Peter Young, pro-test, Ray Greek, Tom Hodler, young
Given the increasing media interest in the animal research issue CNN have decided to do a short web debate on Wednesday 9th November (tomorrow) . The debate starts noon EST (9am PST / 5pm GMT) and can be watched live on http://www.cnn.com/video/ – alternatively watch it afterward on CNN here. This will hopefully put to rest some activist claims that “we” are unwilling to publicly debate – we are willing and we intend to put the record straight.
The four participants are:
For Animal Research:
Against Animal Research:
There is an opportunity for viewers at home to send in their questions – so make sure you’re watching the segment.
Regards
Speaking of Research
Posted in News, SR in the Media
Tagged AFMA, animal research, animal rights, animal testing, CNN, debate, michael conn, Peter Young, Ray Greek, speaking of research, Tom Holder, vivisection
The recent success of the Pro-Test Petition (10,000 signatures and counting) has caused stirs among animal rights activists. Two extremist blogs – the Thomas Paine’s Corner (which we have previously mentioned and is staffed by a number of ALF Press Officers) and the Negotiation is Over blog (which we have also mentioned), decided to encourage other activists to harass scientists who had signed the Pro-Test Petition.
The petition is both a directory of people whose minds need to be changed (and in many cases whose behavior needs to be changed) … Please select as many names from the petition as you see fit and contact these individuals as soon as possible. Some common names may be difficult to trace to the particular individual but many names will not be difficult (particularly if they have listed educational credentials or academic titles with their name).
It is only just the someone who opts to take a public position in favor of violence toward animals receive some negative feedback from more compassionate individuals such as the many dedicated activists who read this blog.
The effect is to create a climate of fear among scientists whereby they do not feel secure enough to speak up about their research or the research of others. Pro-Test for Science and Americans for Medical Progress have responded by emailing signatories and urging them to ignore any harassment (and to report it to us – contact@speakingofresearch.com), a response to which SR adds its name. Thus far we have not heard of anyone who signed being contacted by activists.
The petition is a good example of safety in numbers and the importance of standing up together to defend research – it becomes almost impossible for activists to effectively isolate and target individuals. This is what happened in the UK with the original Pro-Test movement and the subsequent “People’s Petition” which attracted over 20,000 signatories. So if you haven’t signed the Pro-Test Petition there is never a better time than right now!
A couple of blogs have also rallied round in defence of the petition such as Lousy Canuck and Traumatized By Truth:
So please, if you have not signed, now is the time to lend your support. Let these vile cretins know that you support science, you support medicine, you support a better understanding of disease, you support new medicines and improving old ones.
Let them know you support a better future for your parents, your children, your grandchildren, your friends – yourself. Let them know you support the scientists who are helping make that better future and will not tolerate violence against them.
Remember – the actions of the animal rights activists reflect the reasons behind our creation of the Pro-Test Petition. The more they harass us, the stronger our resolve must be to overcome it.
Cheers
Tom Holder
Posted in Animal Rights News, News, SR in the Media
Tagged activists, ALF Press Officers, americans for medical progress, animal rights extremism, animal rights extremists, climate of fear, negotiation is over, People's Petition, petition, pro-test, pro-test for science, Pro-Test Petition, support, Thomas Paine's Corner, Tom Holder
“Researchers to animal-rights activists: We’re not afraid”
This is the sort of CNN headline we need to hear more about. The story covers the actions of two SR committee members, David Jentsch and Dario Ringach, who recently wrote a top-rated journal article in the Journal of Neuroscience. Also mentioned is Professor Jeffrey Kordower’s article in the same journal. Ringach gets to the heart of the problem when he says:
Scientists bear part of the responsibility for not having explained to the public why their work is important
However the top quote of the article goes to Society for Neuroscience President Thomas J. Carew, who said:
Responsible animal research has played a vital role in nearly every major medical advance of the last century, from heart disease to polio, and is essential for future advances as well,” he said in a written statement. “Today, it is unacceptable that, in the pursuit of better health and understanding of disease, researchers, their families and their communities face violence and intimidation by extremists.
It is quotes like this that are vital to get into the mainstream news if we are to challenge the public misconceptions about animal research. The article goes on to mention the Pro-Test Petition:
The outspoken researchers are not alone. More than 10,000 people — many of them scientists — have signed a “Pro-Test Petition” that credits animal research with having “contributed … to major advances in the length and quality of our lives.”
It adds that “violence, intimidation and harassment of scientists and others involved in animal research is neither a legitimate means of protest, nor morally justified.”
This is generally been a very positive article to have on CNN – we urge other scientists to following in Jentsch, Rinach and Kordower’s footsteps and stand up publicly in support of animal research.
Cheers
Tom Holder
Posted in Animal Rights News, News, SR in the Media
Tagged animal research, animal testing, Carew, CNN, Dario Rinach, david jentsch, holder, Jeffrey Kordower, jentsch, Kordower, president, Pro-Test Petition, Researchers standing up to activists, Researchers to animal-rights activists, Ringach, Society for Neuroscience, speaking of research, SR, SR committee, Thomas Carew, Thomas J Carew, Tom Holder, we're not afraid
Over ten thousand supporters have signed their name to the Pro-Test Petition (www.raisingvoices.net), which supports the rights of scientists using animals in medical research to conduct their lifesaving research free from harassment.
Among those supporting the petition are Nobel Laureates, including David Baltimore and David Hubel1, and members of the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute for Medicine. Further support has come from science and research organizations such as the Society for Neuroscience and the American Physiological Society.
The petition was launched on April 22nd 2009 during a pro-research demonstration at UCLA at which almost 800 students and scientists marched in support of the use of animals in medical research2. The rally was organized by UCLA Pro-Test (now “Pro-Test for Science”), founded by Professor David Jentsch, in response to the growing threat of animal rights extremism3, and the misrepresentation of science by “anti-vivisection” groups.
Over 700 students and scientists marched in support of animal research in UCLA (contact us for high res image)
The Pro-Test Petition is jointly sponsored by Americans for Medical Progress – a non-profit that conducts education and outreach on the issue of animal research, Speaking of Research – a campus oriented organization challenging animal rights activism in the US, and Pro-Test for Science – who organized the April 2009 rally4. The organizations plan to present the petition to key lawmakers and opinion leaders in April 2010.
Animal research has been crucial in the development of modern medical treatments such as new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine which helps prevent cervical cancer. Animal research played a vital part in the development of Insulin, Penicillin, the HIB Meningitis Vaccine, heart surgery and modern breast cancer treatments. It is also an important tool in improving our understanding of, and developing innovative treatments for, neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Animal research plays a crucial role in the development of the treatments of tomorrow,” Speaking of Research founder, Tom Holder, said. “The Pro-Test Petition provides a voice for those that believe that the future of modern medicine should not be controlled by a small, but often violent, minority of animal rights extremists.”
Comments Off
Posted in News, SR in the Media, SR News
Tagged American Physio, American Physiological Society, americans for medical progress, animal research, animal rights activism, animal rights extremism, animal testing, antivivisection, David Baltimore, David Hubel, david jentsch, lifesaving research, medical research, Nobel Laureates, petition, press release, pro-test for science, Pro-Test Petition, rally, Society for Neuroscience, speaking of research, ten thousand strong for research, Tom Holder, ucla pro-test
Backing up a recent post by DrugMonkey, Speaking of Research is now urging you to write to your Member of Congress (contact my Congress Representative) and Senator (contact my Senator) to request that they sign the Pro-Test Petition.
For example (Pick one of the three coloured paragraphs):
Dear <insert name of your Senator/Member of Congress here>,
I am contacting you to urge to you to sign the Pro-Test Petition which seeks to defend the rights of scientists to use animals in medical research. The petition can be found at www.raisingvoices.net. It states:
We the undersigned believe:
- That animal research has contributed and continues to contribute to major advances in the length and quality of our lives. It remains vital to understanding basic biological processes and for the development of new treatments and therapies such as antibiotics, vaccines, organ transplants, and cancer medicines.
- That animal research is morally justifiable provided animal welfare remains a high priority and no valid non-animal alternatives are available.
- That violence, intimidation and harassment of scientists and others involved in animal research is neither a legitimate means of protest, nor morally justified.
Animal research has played a part in nearly every major medical advance from penicillin (mice) and insulin (dogs, rabbits, mice) to meningitis vaccines (mice) and anti-retroviral drugs to combat AIDS (mice, monkeys). Scanning techniques, such as MRI and CT, as well as surgical procedures, such as transplants and replacement heart valve surgery, have benefited from knowledge gained through animal studies. It is important that this lifesaving method used in the development of new treatments is not blocked by a small, and often violent, minority.
Animal research is one of the most heavily regulated fields of science, with oversight at both an institutional and national level to ensure animal welfare remains a priority. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) ensure all research maintains a high standard of welfare through the application of the 3Rs – the Replacement of animals with non-animal techniques wherever possible, the Refinement of animal welfare through better housing and improved veterinary care, and the Reduction of animal research to an absolute minimum. Given this system we believe animal research can contribute to the treatments of the future while keeping the US as a front runner in animal welfare.
Researchers around the US have been under attack by a small but violent group of animal rights extremists. Arson attacks against the homes and vehicles of scientists is rising, and researchers and their families have been threatened by activists. In the UK in 2006, the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, signed his name to the People’s Petition in support of lifesaving medical research and against the violent actions of animal rights extremists – this contributed to the swing in the public support for scientists and the important work they do for society as well as broader support for science in general. The Pro-Test Petition aims to replicate the success of its UK counterpart, and to make the public aware of the lifesaving work that researchers in the US carry out on a daily basis.
I urge you to add your signature to almost 12,000 others in supporting the aims and principles of the Pro-Test petition. To learn more about the benefits of animal research please check out www.speakingofresearch.com or www.amprogress.org.
Yours Sincerely,
<insert your name>
I hope the above model email helps – please personalize it wherever you can – the larger the variety of the emails on the same issue, the greater the likelihood of the Senator/Congressman taking action.
Cheers
Tom Holder
Posted in News, SR in the Media, SR News
Tagged animal research, animal rights, animal rights extremism, animal studies, animal testing, animal welfare, congress, drugmonkey, IACUC, member of congress, model, penicillin, petition, Pro-Test Petition, raising voices, Senator, speaking of research, us, www.raisingvoices.net
No it’s not the reduced Shakespeare company, it’s the first of a handful of videos which UCLA Pro-Test is producing (with the help of FPS Productions) about the successful rally on April 22nd.
Now for everyone with a YouTube account, we need your help to get this video seen by as many people as possible. So favourite the video, rate it 5*s and then share it with your friends.
Alternatively you can view it on our website below.
YouTube has been a hugely important tool for organizations to get their messages across, and Speaking of Research is no exception, with our “Why we need animals in research video“. So help us spread the message.
Cheers
Tom
Well we’ve covered video coverage and print coverage of the Pro-Test rally, now onto the blogs.
Before we get too deep into the UCLA Pro-Test coverage, many of the blogs, including the highly-read Pharyngula blog, have talked about the poll attached to the LA Times article. The poll has (somewhat suspiciously for both sides) attracted over 150,000 votes, with the Pro-Testers currently leading this simplistic dichotomy (see Adventure in Ethics and Science blog on this) by around 60%. So in the words of PZ Myers “please, go forth and destroy this pointless metric”.
Respectful Insolence wrote a piece reviewing the various media coverage as well as offering his own thoughts:
For too long, animal rights extremists have had the public relations stage virtually to themselves, and this Pro-Test Rally was an excellent demonstration of what scientists can do when they refuse to be cowed. Remember, this is about animal welfare, but not animal rights. Animal welfare. Scientists are very much concerned with animal welfare, and animal research is a highly regulated endeavor.
Nick Anthis’s Scientific Activist blog also wrote a fantastic and comprehensive report of the rally coverage.
By all accounts, yesterday’s UCLA Pro-Test rally in support of animal research was a great success. Up to 800 people showed up for the Pro-Test rally, but only 30-40 people showed up for a concurrent anti-research rally.
Science Journal’s blog (which we mentioned before but was so good I’m mentioning it again) gave some of the best coverage of the issue:
The organizers of today’s Pro-Test rally at the University of California, Los Angeles, say it succeeded beyond their hopes. Hundreds of people—many of them students and postdocs—came out to show their support for biomedical research.
The Pharyngula blog announced “I am Pro-Test”. Drug Monkey mentioned some video coverage among his two posts on the issue, and Neurotopia v. 2.0 showed their excitment about the rally.
So that’s the coverage all wrapped up, if you know of any more leave a comment.
Cheers
Tom
Posted in Campus Activism, News, SR in the Media, SR News
Tagged adventure in ethics and science, blog coverage, demonstration, drug monkey, greg miller, LA Times, march, Nick Anthis, Pharyngula, poll, pro-test, pro-test ucla, PZ Myers, respectful insolence, science journal, scientific activist, ucla, ucla pro-test
