Jiya Kohar Week 5: You're a Liar, Uncle Sam
(Content warning: This post has distressing discussions of real animal abuse, cruelty, and testing)
In a metallic, windowless lab, a helpless rabbit is restrained on a cold, metal table. In the name of science, her eyelids are clipped up to prevent them from closing, and a chemical is placed into her eyes. These chemicals are known to cause intense burning, bleeding, and pain. Why? Well rabbits are small and gentle, so they’re easy to handle…and they lack tear ducts, meaning they don't produce enough tears to wash out the chemicals, so reactions stay visible for longer.
In a Virginia Beach lawn, for military training, a live goat is used as a stand in for wounded soldiers. Instructors cut off limbs, stab, and dismember him while joking and filming the “drills.” His moans and cries are audibly heard in the background because the instructors couldn’t be bothered to properly apply anesthetic.
When both these cases came out to the general public, there was obvious outrage. People were shocked and horrified, and the public called for these practices to end. However, what people fail to understand is that incidents like these are a daily occurrence and even fully government funded! While they were protesting to save rabbits and beagles, thousands more were being abused in different ways all over the United States.
The entire reason monstrosities like these are able to happen is because they’re heavily hidden from the public and done in the name of improving science and medicine for humans, even though the claim is blatantly false.
A staggering 90% of drugs that are found to be safe in animal trials fail to be effective in human testing, and there really is no justification for the military training incident. Despite there being a public cry to end this funded animal abuse, and the fact that there is a plethora of more effective, non-living alternatives for animal testing and training, this type of animal cruelty has been around for a long time, and will continue to be for a long time.
Why?
America is built on language that constantly excuses, and even promotes, cruelty. Words like necessary, progress, and scientific assign positive connotations to the abuse. This doesn’t just apply to animal testing; it’s been done for a lot of major acts of violence. It’s much easier to buy into a lie and ignore the truth than to see what’s really happening, especially when the truth is so hard to stomach. People can cry over a video of a beagle passing away peacefully, but ignore the ones that are burned or blinded in silence every day.
Language has historically been weaponized to falsely excuse or hide violence and wrongdoing in America. But language and truth often don’t coexist, and quite frankly, I don’t think the mutilated animals really care for the predispositions of language.
Image Citation
In a metallic, windowless lab, a helpless rabbit is restrained on a cold, metal table. In the name of science, her eyelids are clipped up to prevent them from closing, and a chemical is placed into her eyes. These chemicals are known to cause intense burning, bleeding, and pain. Why? Well rabbits are small and gentle, so they’re easy to handle…and they lack tear ducts, meaning they don't produce enough tears to wash out the chemicals, so reactions stay visible for longer.
In a Virginia Beach lawn, for military training, a live goat is used as a stand in for wounded soldiers. Instructors cut off limbs, stab, and dismember him while joking and filming the “drills.” His moans and cries are audibly heard in the background because the instructors couldn’t be bothered to properly apply anesthetic.
When both these cases came out to the general public, there was obvious outrage. People were shocked and horrified, and the public called for these practices to end. However, what people fail to understand is that incidents like these are a daily occurrence and even fully government funded! While they were protesting to save rabbits and beagles, thousands more were being abused in different ways all over the United States.
The entire reason monstrosities like these are able to happen is because they’re heavily hidden from the public and done in the name of improving science and medicine for humans, even though the claim is blatantly false.
A staggering 90% of drugs that are found to be safe in animal trials fail to be effective in human testing, and there really is no justification for the military training incident. Despite there being a public cry to end this funded animal abuse, and the fact that there is a plethora of more effective, non-living alternatives for animal testing and training, this type of animal cruelty has been around for a long time, and will continue to be for a long time.
Why?
America is built on language that constantly excuses, and even promotes, cruelty. Words like necessary, progress, and scientific assign positive connotations to the abuse. This doesn’t just apply to animal testing; it’s been done for a lot of major acts of violence. It’s much easier to buy into a lie and ignore the truth than to see what’s really happening, especially when the truth is so hard to stomach. People can cry over a video of a beagle passing away peacefully, but ignore the ones that are burned or blinded in silence every day.
Language has historically been weaponized to falsely excuse or hide violence and wrongdoing in America. But language and truth often don’t coexist, and quite frankly, I don’t think the mutilated animals really care for the predispositions of language.
Every time I read one of your blogs I am completely moved by your style of writing and your way of thinking. I agree that animal testing has become a major issue in America especially because of large companies. Since the beginning of America’s rising economy the government has taken a hands-off approach in order to satisfy the upper class. Before animals there were humans who were being exploited in order for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. The solution came from years of uprisings, controversy, and government policy which sparked change. Similarly, in order to counter the “major acts of violence” being done upon innocent animals, humans have the responsibility to speak up and vocalize these injustices. Large businesses will continue to sway public opinion by changing their “language” and approach to this inequality. Though as you said "[unjust] language and truth” cannot continue side by side. Humans have created this social structure in which we are superior to other species, but this does not give us the right to abuse and harm them. In order to continue in a morally correct society, we must understand that nature is not at our disposal and humans are not entitled to resources that they can abuse.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree with your blog. Animals are being mistreated continuously in America and organizations like our government and other companies use animals for daily testing. However, I disagree slightly on your interpretation of the statistic on how “90% of drugs” that are safe on animals fail to “be effective in human testing”. This type of animal testing has to be done because how else can we test drugs to see if they are effective? We cannot simply move straight to testing on humans without at least verifying it works on animals. The language of America clearly is built on, like you said, “constant excuses” because they are simply easier to use than doing the morally right thing. Overall, I think we can summarize language as a double edged sword where people use it to “weaponize” or it can be used to clearly communicate with others; but America sadly chooses the former too often.
ReplyDeleteThis blog reminded me of the long lasting conflict between vegans and meat eaters. Eating meat is tastes pretty good in my opinion and millions of people can agree on that too however when we mock vegans who do not want to eat meat that is very hypocritical. Millions of chickens are slaughtered every couple seconds. Baby chickens are grinded into mince alive and people still mock their choices. However, when they see a dog getting killed or eaten, suddenly they are the "bad guys". They supported the same institution that supported mass murder yet they could not face truth when it was presented in a different form.
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