Of Mice and Me

These past few weeks, I've quite literally come face to face with animal experimentation in science. I didn't see much of it the first few months I was working in labs but for some reason, mice bred for experimentation and I have recently seemed to cross paths numerous times. Obviously, this troubles me quite a bit. I've been a vegetarian for 3 years now - a lifestyle change I made deliberately out of concern for animal rights - and any confrontation with or knowledge of animal cruelty deeply saddens and upsets me.

I know the argument is that the research being conducted on these animals could potentially save millions of human lives someday, but isn't it sad and bizarre that the emphasis is solely on human lives? Can anyone honestly say that mice bred without immune systems, implanted with tumors, crammed in a cage, and then later killed are living cruelty-free lives? I'm not challenging the significant scientific advancements that have come with the "aid" of animal research, but rather a society that doesn't seem to respect or even consider the lives of any other creatures as valuable as its own. I find it hard to believe that a society as technologically and scientifically advanced as ours must continue to rely on animals for experimentation.

I've struggled recently with the hypocrisy of my working in research while supposedly championing animal rights. However, I have no long term commitment to research beyond this year and I know in my heart that I have a life-long commitment to the respect of and fight for animal lives.