This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
THE ANIMAL RESEARCH WAR
edited by P. Michael Conn and James V. Parker, 199 pp., Palgrave MacMillan, 2008, $35
When I was in third grade, our class heard a presentation on biomedical research. At the end of the class, I asked the teacher, “Why do we have to do research on animals?” She politely replied, “Well, would you rather they try out a new drug on your grandmother?” I said, “No.” She said, “Well, most people agree with you on that.” Ever since that day, I have understood the role of animals in research. Not everyone agrees with me on this. Unfortunately, some of the individuals who disagree utilize threats and even terrorism to emphasize those views. That is the topic of The Animal Research War by Drs. P. Michael Conn and James V. Parker. I will outline the facts contained in it, which were eye-opening for me, and demonstrate the gravity of the issues.
The authors draw upon their own personal experiences as targets of animal rightist attacks, and discuss similar activities that have occurred around the country and elsewhere in the world. The referencing is detailed, allowing the reader to confirm their sources. The authors start with a series of definitions important to the subsequent context of the book, followed by descriptions of several animal rights activists, as they evolved from benign activities to increasingly aggressive tactics. The philosophical tenets of early authors opposed to animal research are then critiqued, including one of the earliest activist authors who proposed that we should only use animals for research if we would also be ready to use “marginal infants”—those who are …
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence
NOTE: All authors' disclosures must be entered and current in our database before comments can be posted. Enter and update disclosures at http://submit.neurology.org. Exception: replies to comments concerning an article you originally authored do not require updated disclosures.
- Stay timely. Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- 200 words maximum.
- 5 references maximum. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- 5 authors maximum. Exception: replies can include all original authors of the article.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.