The Foundation for Biomedical Research, like many other organisations whose exploitation of animals is based on financial interests, recently published this poster in the USA. FBR and their ilk think they’re smart; but, fortunately, they’re not. In the case of FBR, the one piece of capital they have more than any other is the emotional one to scare people into believing that the argument in favour of animal research is simply one of your child will die unless we experiment with this rat and kill her. Of course, nothing is this simplistic. And why does it always have to be an “either / or”? What’s so wrong with trying to save both? There’s only a competition between humans and animals if we believe there is one. It’s the same hierarchical thinking which justifies men more important than woman and whites more so than non-whites.
For a really thoughtful commentary on the FBR poster and its impact, I recommend reading Anthony Bellotti’s commentary at the Humane Research Council.
