Yet another good argument against animal rights
Animal rights activists often claim that animal research is unnecessary or not reasonable (e.g., PETA’s FAQ or their website devoted to the issue).
Today’s Times has an article about (it’s in the business section, reflecting the various contradictions about a for-profit economy and medical need) that opens:
Chopped pig pancreas may not sound appetizing. But most cystic fibrosis patients eat a refined version of it each breakfast, lunch and dinner — five large capsules a meal — to supply enzymes their bodies do not produce. The pills are life-sustaining for most of the nearly 30,000 people in the United States with cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease that attacks the lungs and digestive tract.
The article then discusses efforts to develop animal-free alternatives (failures so far) as well as various business aspects of the issue.
But for me, the most important point is that if PETA et al had their way, these 30,000 people would just be told to crawl off and die. Animals Rights uber alles.