Author: speakingofresearch

The Basel Declaration: Standing up for Medical Progress

Top European scientists have pledged to engage in more public dialogue, openness, and education about animal research. Concerned about threats to the future of medical research, the scientists met recently and drafted a declaration that affirms commitment to responsible research and animal welfare and calls for increased effort to facilitate public understanding of the essential … Continue reading The Basel Declaration: Standing up for Medical Progress

The Voices of Reason Ring Through

In the days since the announcement that I had received a letter containing heinous death threats and razor blades from animal rights extremists opposed to my research, the voices of sanity and reason have started to be heard. From scientific and professional societies to non-scientists across the country, there is a strong support for the … Continue reading The Voices of Reason Ring Through

A Very British Story

It is rare in the US that anything about the benefits of animal research makes the national newspapers. In the UK such stories do appear more often, and have contributed greatly to the general change in opinion surrounding the animal research issue. Saturday, December 4th, provided a wonderful example in The Guardian newspaper (a British … Continue reading A Very British Story

Singer Turns on Violent Activists

The famous philosopher, academic, and animal rights activist, Peter Singer, criticized the actions of those animal rights extremists who sent razors to researcher David Jentsch (claiming that they were "covered in AIDS infected blood" - see Jentsch's response on SR). Singer is often regarded as the founder of the animal rights philosophy with his 1975 … Continue reading Singer Turns on Violent Activists

No Scares for ONPRC Monkeys at Halloween

Well people are always bugging us to include more footage from biomedical facilities - here is something recently released by ONPRC: It was nice to see this story appearing on CNN's iReport. "Last week, monkeys at Oregon Health & Science University’s Oregon National Primate Research Center enjoyed a pumpkin feast.  In what has become somewhat … Continue reading No Scares for ONPRC Monkeys at Halloween

Open Letter to the Justice Department

In recent days, the Justice Department (the moniker of an animal rights terrorist group) sent a letter to my home that contained razor blades and graphic threats to “cut my throat”, and they have openly announced that they sent similar letters to at least one of my trainees. The letter that was sent to my … Continue reading Open Letter to the Justice Department

We must reject extremism

  Today's Pop Quiz:   What kind of social activism involves: Stalking persons at home and screaming “murderer” through bullhorns Issuing “wanted” posters listing home addresses Thinly veiled (or not so thinly veiled) suggestions that their targets should be murdered Razor packed letters and death threats Adherence to the motto "by all means necessary" And … Continue reading We must reject extremism