Step Three: Brief

Ever since the time of the Greeks, scientists have used experiments and tests on animals to attempt to learn more about humans. Now many animal rights activists claim that this testing is morally wrong and inhumane. Despite these arguments, the benefits and advances in medicine and human healthcare due to discoveries in animal testing are undisputable. Anyone who has taken painkillers or antibiotics has experienced the advantages of animal testing. The polio vaccine, developed in the 1950’s, was tested on at least 10,000 animal subjects before use in humans. Drugs and medicine can be very dangerous when they are first developed, and experiments on animals are worth the human lives that would be put at risk from new drugs. Some people would argue that scientists should use other methods, but alternatives such as stem cells, tissue samples, and computer models are not effective. If scientists ever hope to cure Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, or cancer, then animal testing will be a necessary means. Actually, most scientists would prefer that animal testing not be used, but they agree that it is the best method currently available and therefore the only solution to advancement in medicine.
Many animal rights supporters would also argue against hunting and the breeding of animals for food. Although these issues receive less attention than animal experimentation, they cannot be overlooked. Factory farms provide the nation with large quantities of affordable meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Whether animal rights activists like it or not, the nation demands these products, and until this nation becomes entirely vegetarian, it will necessarily need factory farms to produce food its people.

Step Two

For our topic, Brittany and I have chosen to mediate animal rights. The debate over whether animals have rights or not is a big issue and includes disagreements over animal experimentation, endangered animals, hunting, fishing, vegetarianism, and all sorts of different topics. Animal rights, in general, is a very broad topic and may need to be narrowed down to a more specific issue. Nevertheless, I will be arguing the more conservative view that animals do not posses rights like humans, and Brittany will be opposing my argument. Animals, were created by God for the human race. If experimental tests conducted on animals can save human lives, then the costs of the lives of these animals do not matter. Hunting and eating meat is a necessity for sustaining healthy bodies. In any case, the expenses of animals are worth the benifits for us humans.