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animal rights
September 2008 
The View From the Top of the Food Chain
Posted on Oct 24th, 2006
by 
Donna
Donna
I had an interesting experience last week. I'm a psychologist at a high school and they asked me to speak on Career Day. This is always fun for me because I really enjoy...for the most part...what I do and I love to talk with students about the many twists and turns that my life took before I really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. Another psychologist was speaking as well...two presenters per class per period. Well, I happened to arrive at the class just as the other psychologist was finishing up and I had to bite my tongue. She works in animal research lab at Arizona State University! Yikes...my animal rights activist heart nearly jumped right out of my skin.
After she walked out the door I said, "It's a good thing that psychology is such a huge field, 'cause I'd never be that kind of psychologist. I'd be the one picketing outside of her lab." That got a chuckle, but it gave me a chance to say a bit about animals and my perspective on the topic.
So after the presentations, I was speaking to a couple of the teachers and the event organizer and we discussed how different my world view is compared to the animal researcher. She told me that some of the students were really upset and the researcher assured them that the animals were well cared for and not in pain. The event organizer said to me, "I know that it's not pleasant, but they're working on a cure for Alzheimers." My mother-in-law, a beautiful and kind woman, died a horrible death due to Alzheimers, so I would also like a cure to be found for this disease. But I told her that in my world view, my needs don't outweigh another being's needs. That they value life and fear death just like we do.
Now, I'd like for you to visualize a world where we are no longer at the top of the food chain. If you're a Star Trek fan, that shouldn't be too hard ;-) Another species exists from a galaxy far, far away and they make their way to our beautiful blue planet. So, they decide that since we are similar in some ways to them that they can use us for research so that they can develop cures for diseases that still plague them. They know that we can't be too smart as we are consuming more resources than the earth can support and the pollution here is just horrible. They set some traps and capture us, lock us in a room so that we can't get away, and then they do tests on us. Some of them are nice to us...they speak to us and pat us on the head, but some get very angry when we try to get away and they hit us, shock us, and sometimes break our arms. They do feed us, and clean up our waste, but we are not free to go and we are separated from our friends and family. Sometimes the experiments hurt...they put chemicals in our eyes to see what will happen, they put electrodes in our heads, and they practice surgical procedures so that they get it right before they try in on themselves. Oh, and by the way, they thought it was a little exotic at first, but now they are okay with eating us...we taste like something they eat back home...similar to our chicken.
Now, how do you feel about animal research? It's easy to think about our own needs, but it's not so pretty if we're no longer at the top of the food chain. Please only support companies that don't use animal testing for their products. And please don't support organizations who don't use new technology for testing...animals don't have to be experimented on to create new drugs. It's just cheaper...that's why it's done. Money always seems to be more important than compassion.
That's my perspective and I'm sticking to it!
Peace, happiness, and compassion,
Donna
After she walked out the door I said, "It's a good thing that psychology is such a huge field, 'cause I'd never be that kind of psychologist. I'd be the one picketing outside of her lab." That got a chuckle, but it gave me a chance to say a bit about animals and my perspective on the topic.
So after the presentations, I was speaking to a couple of the teachers and the event organizer and we discussed how different my world view is compared to the animal researcher. She told me that some of the students were really upset and the researcher assured them that the animals were well cared for and not in pain. The event organizer said to me, "I know that it's not pleasant, but they're working on a cure for Alzheimers." My mother-in-law, a beautiful and kind woman, died a horrible death due to Alzheimers, so I would also like a cure to be found for this disease. But I told her that in my world view, my needs don't outweigh another being's needs. That they value life and fear death just like we do.
Now, I'd like for you to visualize a world where we are no longer at the top of the food chain. If you're a Star Trek fan, that shouldn't be too hard ;-) Another species exists from a galaxy far, far away and they make their way to our beautiful blue planet. So, they decide that since we are similar in some ways to them that they can use us for research so that they can develop cures for diseases that still plague them. They know that we can't be too smart as we are consuming more resources than the earth can support and the pollution here is just horrible. They set some traps and capture us, lock us in a room so that we can't get away, and then they do tests on us. Some of them are nice to us...they speak to us and pat us on the head, but some get very angry when we try to get away and they hit us, shock us, and sometimes break our arms. They do feed us, and clean up our waste, but we are not free to go and we are separated from our friends and family. Sometimes the experiments hurt...they put chemicals in our eyes to see what will happen, they put electrodes in our heads, and they practice surgical procedures so that they get it right before they try in on themselves. Oh, and by the way, they thought it was a little exotic at first, but now they are okay with eating us...we taste like something they eat back home...similar to our chicken.
Now, how do you feel about animal research? It's easy to think about our own needs, but it's not so pretty if we're no longer at the top of the food chain. Please only support companies that don't use animal testing for their products. And please don't support organizations who don't use new technology for testing...animals don't have to be experimented on to create new drugs. It's just cheaper...that's why it's done. Money always seems to be more important than compassion.
That's my perspective and I'm sticking to it!
Peace, happiness, and compassion,
Donna
Access: PublicTagged with: compassion, animal rights, vegetarianism, veganism, peace, yoga, psychology, spirituality, environment
I think a lot of people are (still) brainwashed about the efficacy of animal testing… if people only did a little research into what goes on in those labs and just how many products there are now that don't use animal testing. And if people only knew just what makes up most of our medicines these days, they would certainly use a more complementary approach to their healthcare- meaning preventative healthcare.
I forget who said this but a society is judged by how it treats its elderly , its children- and I would add, its animals.
Excellent post, Donna.
Hi Regina,
I forgot to list some books for you regarding veganism/vegetarianism. The first book to start with would be “Diet for a New American.” Also click on some of the Links on my Links page of www.practicekindness.com Especially Earth Save, Farm Sanctuary, and PETA. You can request a free vegetarian starter kit from PETA. There are more books as well, but this should be a good start :-)
I hope that you are breathing and smiling when you think of your father,
Donna
Thanks, Donna! That's the second time someone has mentioned Diet for a New America to me… and I will check out your links as well.
You don't have to give me the space-aliens argument, sweetie, I already know that the end never justifies the means.
People are fond of saying that two wrongs don't make a right, does this mean that they don't consider animal suffering to be wrong?
Thanks for sharing your comments Darkchanter. I believe that there are a lot of really nice people out there that don't think about where their food is coming from and the suffering involved in it…thus, the space-aliens argument may not be necessary for you, but may give someone else a different perspective.
After I went to bed last night, I realized that I was mixing blog topics with my comment above. Although I still stand by what I said above, I would also add that there are a lot of really nice people out there that don't understand the suffering involved with animal research…they want to believe what researchers are saying i.e., no pain etc., because it's too painful for them to know the truth. Awakening to the truth can be painful, but only then can we change.
Peace and love,
Donna
…so…what would be your take on animal testing the way that Ivan Pavlov tested conditioning methods on his dog?
…and the name escapes me…but the guy who studied operant/instrumental conditioning with pidgeons…
…just curious, because well, those discoveries were instrumental in establishing a foundation for our understanding of learning processes and such.
I mean, I'm certainly not one to advocate for smearing innocent creatures in potentially harmful chemicals…I just think that it's difficult to draw the line, and that sound moral judgement is based on case by case contexts, not on an absolutist resolve which becomes essentially just an autonomic response.
-Rob
Hi Rob,
Thanks for reading my blog and for your question. I don't know if you noticed that I am a licensed psychologist as well as a yoga teacher and my belief system as I wrote it still stands. Anything that brings about suffering for one being…even if it benefits human beings is wrong based on my ethical standards. I work with students in the school system and know that we have learned a lot from animal research; however, I believe that we can learn the same things through different experiemental methods. I'm not a research psychologist, so I will probably never win a debate here, but I feel that we can observe nature in it's natural state or conduct non-harmful studies on human beings…I don't believe in hurting us either. It's interesting to recollect on studies from even about 50 years ago, where white human beings felt that it was okay to experiment on African-Americans without their consent or knowledge with very harmful outcomes. Human beings always seem to justify the knowledge obtained with the suffering that is brought about to “lesser” beings…whether that's impacted by species or race.
Finally, it's easy to say that we should make decisions based on sound moral judgment on a case-by-case basis when we're the ones benefiting…not the ones being hurt.
Peace,
Donna
Thank you for your reply.
I brought up the Pavlov example specifically because it didn't seem to inflict any sort of quantifiable suffering on the dog…so it seemed fairly benign…something which could be done on humans as well…
…at any rate, I'm not trying to make an argument for animal testing or anything…there are merely circumstances where I'm not sure I'd consider it to be immoral…
…in any circumstance however, it certainly isn't desireable. Like chemotherapy…it's brutal…but as a last resort….hmm….I'm just not sure what I'd do.
On another note, have you ever heard of/read the work of David R. Hawkins?
Thanks for taking the time :-) I'm actually just getting to the end of my first semester studying psychology, and hope to eventually get my degree(minoring in philosophy too…getting geared up for moral philosophy next semester, lol).
…I did notice that you were a licenced psychologist and figured I'd be silly to pass up the opportunity to pick your brain!
Peace,
-Rob
Hi Rob,
I actually think that the way that Pavlov had the equipment hooked up to the dogs was probably not a lot of fun for the dogs…I recall seeing pictures a very long time ago and was surprised as it sounds so simple…my first thought is, if it can be done on humans, that should be our preference especially as we are applying the results to humans. Also, humans would have the right to say no and unfortunately, animals aren't given that right…even when they show with their body language (pulling away, etc.) they are still forced to participate. If I have read anything by Hawkins it was a long time ago…I really can't recall. Please tell me a bit about his work. Since I've been in practice for quite a while now, I have to admit that I'm kind of out of the loop on more recent studies…I spend more time now reading the Yoga Sutras and practicing yoga in my free time.
Finally, it's the thinking about these issues that is the most important as most of us don't think to avoid our own discomfort. If people had to experience through observation the pain and suffering of animals that are considered food, there would be a lot more vegetarians…even discussing and thinking about their suffering would do the trick for many.
Peace,
Donna