Empathy Exercise
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Wolran Kim
June 2011



A few days ago, I saw terrible pictures from the Internet news. It was the appearance of experimental animals. A dog was lying and bleeding in a wooden bed, a monkey was hanging in a cage with limbs bound, and a rabbit was locked up in iron boxes with only his face sticking out. Their eyes were overwhelmed by fear and panic, and when I saw the pictures, I could feel exactly what they felt. After I read other news, I had to click again on the pictures and wanted to know how many animals fall prey to human beings' cruel experiments. That was not simply moral sympathy and I wanted to grasp the facts of the case.

Not long ago, more than 700 scientists and doctors including three Nobel Prize laureates issued a statement supporting the animal experiments in the UK. They said, “The animal experiments are a small portion but they have been a very critical role for a better life of humanity.” There are five hundred million animals being used and euthanized for experiments with various medical supplies, cosmetics, and daily supplies annually. However, the results of animal experiments do not give 100% of safety to humans. In 1957, Thalidomide which had the efficacy of pregnant women's morning sickness has been sold after clinical trials in mice. And more than ten thousand deformed babies were born in forty-six countries around the world—nicknamed ‘Thalidomide Baby.’

The pharmaceutical company belatedly recognized the side effects and clinical testing in dogs, cats, and hamsters. But these animals showed no toxicity or side effects. Today, a disease of animals and humans sharing turns out just 1.16 percent.
Animal activists made ‘Huntington Life Sciences’ shut down which is the largest research institute for animal experiments in Europe in 1999. Also they elicited a ban of animal testing of cosmetics in Europe in 2000. Three organizations, EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), NTP (National Toxicology Program), and NIH (National Institutes of Health) announced that they will abolish animal experiments by stages and develop new testing methods using computer models recently. Possible alternatives should be studied and increased for ethical reasons and effectiveness as well.

I think that humans, who are creatures as well as animals, do not have a right to abuse and have a free hand of animal lives.
But one of my friends does not consider that animal experiments are immoral. Humans developed and invented vaccines of deadly diseases, such as polio, tuberculosis, and measles, also have contributed in human health and longevity through animal experiments. She said that the animal experiment is a legal procedure and has strict experimental phases, and is not simply abuse or neglect of animal life. Also animal testing is not just for human beings, and there are many experiments for animals too, such as bird flu and mad-cow disease. Sensibly, nobody wants to use unproven medical supplies and basic necessities. How can we do clinical trials directly to humans without animals?

Animal experiments are already included as part of our society, if we consider the many benefits from that. She thinks that using animals is the best way in the present situation. And all animals which are used in experiments are treated and protected with the dignity of life much more than pets. Forty-one Nobel Prizes have been awarded to scientists who got good results through animal experiments and many vaccines—polio, diphtheria, measles, rubella, and smallpox—would not be possible to invent without animals. In addition, heart surgery, brain surgery, and coronary artery bypass surgery could not be developed. There is an immeasurable list of medical technologies which have been established from the fruits of animal experiments.

In addition, there is no way to achieve the same results through animal experiments. According to a report, cells, skin, organ culture, and computer models can be used as a temporary fix, but these alternations are not able to get a variety of results of body as the whole animal body. A few examples for the reason of animal needs are HIV vaccines and the development of the situation in mental stress relief or anxiety. These new challenges could be obtained only through the animals. In other words, animal experiments have a lot more gain than lose; “amputate a limb to save the body.” The development of human medicine and science would not be able to achieve without animals. Animal experiments are indispensable to promote the health of humans.

I assumed that animal experiments are simply immoral, but my friend's disagreement made me change my opinion a little. She thought that it is done according to the law—not just animal abuse—made me very relieved. But I still do not sympathize with animal experiments as my friend. Because ‘Thalidomide Baby’ would bear again and could stop the sacrifice of animals, if the dazzling modern science and medical technology does not focus on the making of an alternative method. Animals have feelings and emotions just like us. I prefer the necessities which engraved the phrase on the cover: “We do not experiment on animals.”

Communication between pros and cons should endorse their views with evidences and accurate knowledge as much as conversation skill. Above all, a good speaker has a variety of common sense and knowledge. These days, we use the Internet to search in our hands rather than read books, and being conditioned to the fragmentary knowledge. The good and the bad relationships depend on the quantity and quality of conversation. The method of communication is the harmony of knowledge and skill especially in particular issue.