Lex Ferenda

The artists formerly known as the Research Defence Society, the RDS (they adopted the acronym because of confusion with ‘defence research’, an entirely different matter!) have recently been bloggingon the coming-to-a-head crisis in Britain (and Oxford in particular) with regard to the use of animals in scientific research. A fascinating and catchily titled little group called Pro-Test (website down at time of writing) organised a protest this weekend in support of research-using-animals (the same position as the RDS have been advancing for years, and a view that I share). Most of the media coverage centred on the fact that the organiser of the demo is a 16-year-old student by the name of Laurie Pycroft.

If you disagree with me on this one, there’s always SPEAK, the anti-testing group which is definitely positively absolutely not aligned with the Animal Liberation Front or anyone like them. They do share a love of ridiculous rhetoric, though, like this choice quote:

Oxford University continues with its plans to build a new animal torture laboratory. The animals destined for that building have no voice of their own; it is up to us to SPEAK OUT for them.

Can you get planning permission for an animal torture laboratory? And will someone come around and get you under the Trades Description Act if you’re only inflicting inhumane punishment? Such a shame that the Geneva Conventions don’t apply to animals. Certain humans don’t seem to appreciate them. And no, lab rats don’t have a voice of their own. That’s because they are rats. And they don’t talk.

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