Help end the terror

In the last few months I have had the distinct pleasure of exchanging via twitter with folks that work in other animal use industries and most agree that animal rights activists are barking at anything that involves the use of animals. More disturbingly is the fact that because they want 'change' these activities according to them have got to stop. The tactics remain the same, harassment, lobbying to change laws, social media campaigns, petitions, use of celebrities and last not but least increasing use of  'nudity', often female that is. Another nail often hit upon is guilt: '' if you truly love animals, you must adopt a vegan diet and life style''.  They sound as if they are the only ones that love animals or care for them, which is far from true. 

I, on the other hand, see a lot of advantages to society and to people in the use of animals. Such as in understanding a new disease - Middle East Respiratory Syndrome MERS - where the use of macaques helps pave the way.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1215691

Or as in farming and breeding. Live animal shows too are on the radar of extremists. Take SeaWorld for example. If it weren't for them I don't think I'd ever seen such magnificent animals up close. They are doing a great job of bringing us closer to the animals and they do support conservation efforts. Farmers on the other hand ensure dairy, meat, poultry, fruits and veggies are part of my daily staple. As is the case for millions of us. It is only normal that I take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work and their contributions to our lives. Since we are in February that means I thank farmers and growers in Florida, California, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, China and the list goes on. The latest craze involves going after horse carriages in New York city. The summit of animal cruelty is now opposed by DeBlasio the city's latest major. Talk about a disconnect, or is it about real estate and speculation? Care and compassion for animals is a sure bet for politicians, an easy way for grabbing votes.

  
As I said there are plenty of actions taking place and social media are pulling people together. Petitions are being signed to trigger change. Who verifies the identity, the age or location of those signing petitions? In the end it comes down to how many have signed and that is evidence of the rightfulness of the cause. A short circuit or a quick fuse to get politicians to act? And who says that petitions are science?  Read the post by D. Gorski as he unravels the arguments of animal activists.
What a great read!

Tides are turning, Scientists are willing to speak about what they do, how and why. As does Cindy Buckmaster here in this article. The bullies now get to taste some of their own medicine as researchers get organized and tell activists enough is enough! Don't forget to join researchers and their families February 15,
even if you use animals in another way or industry. Because it matters to all of us!  Help end the terror.