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Animalsorchildren?—Ascientist'schoice1Iamtheenemy!Iamoneofthosecursed,cruelphysicianscientistsinvolvedinanimalresearch.Theserumorssting,forIhaveneverthoughtofmyselfasanevilperson.Ibecameachildren'sdoctorbecauseofmyloveforchildrenandmysupremedesiretokeepthemhealthy.Duringmedicalschoolandresidency,Isawmanychildrendieofcancerandbloodshedfrominjury—circumstancesagainstwhichmedicinehasmadegreatprogressbutstillhasalongwaytogo.Moreimportantly,Ialsosawchildrenhealthythankstoadvancesinmedicalsciencesuchasinfantbreathingsupport,powerfulnewmedicinesandsurgicaltechniquesandtheentirefieldoforgantransplantation.Mydesiretotipthescalesinfavorofhealthy,happychildrendrewmetomedicalresearch.2Myaccusershavetwistedthetruthintoafableandcastmeasthedevil.TheyclaimthatIhavenomoralcompass,thatItortureinnocentanimalsforthesolepurposeofcareeradvancement,andthatmyexperimentshavenorelevancetomedicine.Meanwhile,anuncaringpublicbarelywatches,convincedthattheissuehasnosignificance,andpublicity-conscioussenatorsandpoliticiansincreasinglygivewaytothelobbyingofanimalrightsactivists.3We,inmedicalresearch,havealsobeenunbelievablyuncaring.Wehaveallowedthemostextremeanimalrightsprotesterstocreepinandframetheissueasoneofanimalfraudandhatred.Wehavepersistedinourbeliefthataknowledgeablepublicwouldconsenttotheimportanceofanimalresearchforpublichealth.Perhapswehavebeenmistakeninnotrespondingtotheemotionaltoneoftheargument.Perhapsweshouldhaverespondedtothosesadslogansandpostersofanimalsbywavingequallysadpostersofchildrendyingofcancerorexternalwounds.4Intheanimalrightsforum,muchismadeofthevolumeofpaintheseanimalsexperienceinthenameofmedicalscience.Activistsdenythatwearetryingtohelpandsayitisevidenceofourevilandcruelnature.Amorereasonableargument,however,canbeadvancedinourdefense.Lifeisoftencrueltoanimalsandhumanbeings.Teenagersareflungfromtrucksandsuffersevereheadinjuries.Youngchildrenbarelyabletowalkfindthemselvesatthebottomofswimmingpoolswhileaparentisoccupiedwithsomethingelse.Fromeverydaygermstogangviolence,nolifeisfreeofpain.Physicianshopingtorelievetheeternalsufferingofthesetragedieshaveonlythreechoices:1)createananimalmodeloftheproblemtounderstandtheprocessandtestnewtherapies;2)experimentonhumanbeings(someexperimentswillsucceed,mostwillfail);or3)leavemedicalknowledgestatic,hopingthataccidentaldiscoverieswillleadusforward.5Someanimalrightsactivistswouldsuggestanoptionalfourthchoice,claimingthatcomputermodelscancreateanimalexperiments,thusomittingactualexperiments.Computerscanimitatetheeffectsofwell-understoodprinciplesoncomplexsystems,asintheapplicationofthelawsofphysicstoairplaneandautomobiledesign.However,whentheprinciplesthemselvesareinquestion,asisthecasewiththecomplexbiologicalsystemsofhumanlifeunderstudy,computermodelingaloneisoflittlevalue.6Oneoftheterrifyingeffectsofarrestingtheuseofanimalsinmedicalresearchisthattheimpactwillnotbefeltforyearsorevendecades.Drugstocureinfectionwillremainundiscovered,surgicalanddiagnostictechniqueswillremainundeveloped,andfundamentalbiologicalprocessesthatmighthavebeenunderstoodwillremainmysteries.Thereisthedangerthatquickdecisionsbywell-meaningpoliticianswillcreateresolutiontodiplomaticallysatisfythesmallminorityofloudprotesterswhiletheconsequencesanddamagingimpactofthosedecisionswillnotbeapparentuntillongafter.7Fortunately,mostofusenjoygoodhealth,andtheagonyofwatchingone'schilddiehasbecomearareexperience.Yetourgoodfortuneshouldnotmakeusunappreciative.Protectionfromserioussicknessanddrugstocombatheartdisease,highbloodpressureandstrokeareallbasedonanimalresearch.Mostcomplexsurgicalproceduressuchasheartorhipsurgeryandorgantransplantationsurgerieswereinitiallydevelopedinanimals.Techniquestoreplacedefectivegenes,thecauseofsomuchdisease,aswellasthedevelopmentofsyntheticorgansarepresentlyundergoinganimalstudies.Thesestudies,andanysubsequentadvances,willeffectivelyendifanimalresearchisseverelyrestricted.8InAmericatoday,deathhasbecomeaneventisolatedfromourdailyexistence.Asadoctorwhohaswatchedmanychildrendieandseentheirparents'infinitegrief,Iamparticularlyangeredbyanyminuteexpressionofcaringforthesufferingofcreaturesandsolittleforsickanddyinghumanbeings.Peoplearetooprotectedfromtherealityofhumanlifeanddeathandwhatitmeans.9Makenomistake,however.Iwouldneveradvocateneedlesscrueltreatmentofanimals.Theanimalrightsmovementhasmadeacontributioninmakingusmoreawareofanimals'needsandtheneedtosearchharderforsuitablealternatives.Butifthemoreradicalmembersofthismovementaresuccessfulinthreateningfurtherresearch,theireffortswillbringaboutatragedythatwillcostmanylives.Hencetherealquestioniswhetheranuncaringmajoritycanbearousedtoprotectitsfutureagainstaloud,butmisdirected,minority.