Letters to the Editor

Animal research is problematic

To the Daily:

The media has always depicted animal researchers as demigods who work miracles and non-animal research supporters as extremists who put animal lives above human lives. This is because arguments against animal research are consistently censored by politics and by the funding dollars involved. I, too, had been socialized into believing that animal research, as it is applied to human biomedical research, is a necessary means of saving human lives, when in fact it is a medical and scientific charade that has restricted the advancement of medicine.

Regardless of what your moral or ethical feelings toward animals are, animal research has been counter-productive in more ways than not. Animal models used in experimentation are unreliable. Dr. Christopher Anderegg, a Yale graduate in medicine and biology as well as a former animal researcher describes animal research as "fraudulent," and suggests that animals are "physiologically, biochemically, anatomically, histologically incomparable to the human being." In addition, the laboratory settings under which these animals are studied are artificial, thereby creating confounding variables that in turn skew the results of the experiments, as well as undermine extrapolation of findings to humans. An animal model of a human disease artificially produced in a laboratory cannot compare to a naturally and spontaneously occurring disease in a human.

The second reason I disagree with animal research is because it has become a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry. Animal research is often mandated by federal legislation and perpetuated by private companies to protect themselves from possible lawsuits. Universities receive millions of dollars annually in direct grants for animal research. Many institutions depend on this money for administrative costs as well as overhead costs that are supposedly related to this research. The redundancy of tests and the non-sharing of knowledge between researchers are financed with our tax dollars. The University received over $1.8 million to addict primates to drugs such as PCP, codeine and morphine. As the government wastes money on this useless experimentation, approximately 100,000 victims of substance abuse go untreated because of the inadequate funding of treatment programs.

It is most logical to stop disease through prevention rather than counterproductive experiments on animals. There are tests more relevant to human health, such as cell, organ and tissue culture experiments, or human clinical studies. For more information, contact the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington at (202) 686-2210.

As Gandhi said: "Vivisection is the blackest of all black crimes that man is at present committing against God and his fair creation."

Tiiu Ruben

School of Art

Society needs to evaluate drinking laws

To the Daily:

While the Daily's Nov. 12 editorial "Crackdown" is bound to fall on sympathetic ears, its argument is completely backwards. The Daily contends that 75 citations is meant to be an AAPD "publicity stunt" showing that it is controlling the problem. Far from it - it actually illustrates what little control law enforcement has over underage drinking.

No one believes that 75 tickets are going to change a pervasive culture and stop underage drinking. What the tickets do instead is illustrate to society at large that underage drinking is a pervasive behavior. The decision needs to be in the hands of society, not the microcosm of the University student body, whether to be more outraged by an unfair law or blatant disregard for that law. Either the law changes or it is more vigorously enforced.

Then there is this issue of parent notification. If students believe they are entitled to drink underage when the law forbids it, then they should stand up and be counted. If they are really right, then any condemnation or penalties should not matter. If students think the law is unfair, don't hide in anonymity, hoping it will change and that in the meantime you won't get caught. Between the ages of 18 and 21, you are a part of the democratic process. Convince the parents you are so afraid of that an 18- to 21-year-old should be allowed to drink alcohol. Don't just hide it from them.

So Daily, stop coming down on the police that we, as a society, have put out there to enforce the laws that we give them. Stop promoting a mindset where responsible adults should be able to do as they please - as long as no one finds out. Instead, encourage students to take responsibility for their actions and continue the Daily's tradition of activism for positive change.

Curt West

Medical School

Reckless riding is dangerous to pedestrians

To the Daily:

As I walked into work at the Graduate Library recently, two incidents occurred in which I was nearly hit by bicycles. This is not the first time that this sort of thing has taken place. Indeed, this pattern has continued for some time now. Further, my experience is that the trend is in the direction of a worsening problem. I believe that I am not the only one for whom this bicycle traffic is a problem. I see many pedestrians who are accosted by these two-wheel maniacs daily. The bicycle riders routinely ride too fast in areas of high foot traffic (namely the Diag) and many of them cut walkers off at very close quarters.

To allow this to go on is to encourage accidents and injuries that could otherwise be avoided. Additionally, it does not help toward saving the University money on its employee health care policies. I come here to work and I do a good job. I think it is only fair that the University put some reasonable rules in place to curtail the perils of walking down the side walk on University property. I would advocate the enforced ban of bike riding on sidewalks with heavy traffic, if not more encompassing rules. I understand that some bike riders are careful. There are too many that are not, however. My desire is to see this problem solved.

Joseph Pratt

University staff

Volunteers are 'lame'

To the Daily:

I cannot think of anything quite so lame as volunteering to help police bust underage drinking at parties.

Alex DeMots

University alumnus

Letter mentioned alumnus' name

To the Daily:

I was amused when I read a letter to the Daily that included my name ("An open letter to letter writers," 11/13/98). Let the record show that while I find my friend, Mark West, to be an amusing albeit slightly unstable individual, I find his comments a wee bit troubling and wish not to be affiliated with them.

You see, I like feminists and political extremists (if they are on the left) that he derides, and I think ignoring those who spread hateful messages is a poor way to address intolerance. On the other issues: Student government builds resumes for silly people; I have no opinion on the annoying or not-annoying qualities of East Coasters; I dislike the the term "Greek" system; I could pass thermodynamics in my sleep; and I don't give a rat's patootey if Michigan beats Ohio State. Thank you, and Mark, please don't respond to the Daily on this one.

Dean Bakopoulos

University alumnus

11-24-98