Here in the US, it is mostly the left that complains (with some justice) that the right is impeding the march of science. (My po st about UC admissions was intended as a comment on political correctness rather than on creationism, which most folks seem to have missed.) At least US social conservatives are trying to save human lives (even if those lives have not yet been born). This week's Economist reminds us that elsewhere, such as in Great Britain, it is the left that is trying to impede science - and with some success - through an animal rights campaign that can only be described as eco- terrorism:
AROUND 30 years ago, the Hall family diversified from dairy and sheep farming into breeding guinea pigs for use in research laboratories. Six years ago, they became the target of animal rights activists. They have been abandoned by frightened suppliers and employees and lost their entire dairy herd, which was slaughtered when their tormentors made it impossible for the milk to be collected. The nadir came last year, when activists stole the body of Gladys Hammond, mother-in-law of one of the Hall brothers, from its grave in the churchyard at Yoxall in Staffordshire.
This week, the family gave up its struggle, saying that by the end of 2005 they would stop breeding guinea pigs at Darley Oaks Farm. They hope this will at last lead to the return of Mrs Hammond's remains.
As for me, I will always come down on the side of people (even if they haven't been born yet). It's clear that animal research can help improve the quality of human life:
One disease under study is cystic fibrosis, which is caused by one of around 200 defects on a single gene. It has no satisfactory treatment, and sufferers cannot expect to live much past 30. Researchers can now create mice with the same genetic defects and test potential treatments on them, or study the progress of the disease. This research could not be carried out on tissue cultures, as the disease affects several organs, and nor could it be done on humans?at least, not without killing them to study the results.
Eco-terrorists are at work here, but our problems don't seem to be as severe as those in the UK. I can't help but wonder, however, how long it will be before this particular brand of terrorism arrives in full force here.
