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Letter: Don't use primates for experimentation

Posted

This month, Ndakasi an endangered mountain gorilla who became known with her selfies with a park ranger in Congo, died after an illness in the arms of the ranger who rescued her as an infant 14 years ago.

Unless you are in the business of squashing infected mosquitoes or other such activities, experimenting with animals like non-human primates for human disease purposes is idiotic. It shows to others you are too lazy to upgrade your skills. Even if you have a drawer filled with Nobel Prizes [a big thing in October where they announce winners], the Mary and Jim Gilligan’s Island Chair and Table of a department at a Top 10 university [big things at universities], or retired from the U.S. government with a U-Haul truck full of awards and you are now the Supreme Allied Commander of a university commonly known as President or Provost, experimenting on non-human primates is lazy, as credentials do not matter here.

Stating, “but look what’s achieved in xyz because of animal research” or “if monkey research saved your daughter’s life, you would do research on that monkey” are all white-trash responses. A billionaire’s response of “if it ain’t illegal, it’s okay to do on you,” or stating “well, consuming arsenic is okay because mercury is worse” are all white-trash responses.

Arguing with folks whose livelihood is dependent on experimenting with animals, in the tobacco industry, in the opioid industry, or being a dictator of a country is a time-waster because nothing one says will matter. Like that Metallica song says, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. Sure, making the same argument about eating non-human primates, dogs, cats, mice, roaches [okay, eating roaches is justified], etc. can be be made, but stay focus here; I am writing about experimenting on non-human primates for human disease purposes.

Richard Guadalupe McDonald
Las Cruces


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