Realists celebrate the human/animal bond. Much of the quality of our lives depends on this relationship.Public health is important. We would not have clean public water nor much commercial food for ourselves or for the animals we care for, without the use of the animal components in laboratory testing media. In the laboratory we prepare tests using media which helps to differentiate the different types of microorganisms, based on what we are looking for. Here's one page showing a type of media used for testing samples for coliforms.Products cleared for public health standards must pass minimum requirements imposed via technology used in public safety. Restaurants (even "vegan" ones), canneries and more must be able to pass public health requirements with clean standards. Produce such as lettuce, tomatoes, legumes, some nut products, pet foods, as well as lemon festooned drinks (see video) have recently been in the news--for they were contaminated with bacteria that did not meet passing levels. This contamination cannot be determined by use of a coin toss. Coliforms are natural occurring. They are everywhere. On doorknobs, the skins of grapes or on the surfaces of any coinage in your pockets.Here's an interesting dichotomy. Vegans actively seek consumables such as vitamins, foods and clothing that are not dependent on animal sources or which somehow fit their individual definition of "cruelty free". White sugar and over the counter pregnancy testing involve animal media, and are therefore not vegan. This viewpoint seems rather selective as the same vegan sips from a glass of water or can of soda, or uses public water in their bathing and cooking. Veganism clearly does not exist in reality. Vegans may mean well but tend to languish in scientific denial. I prefer the term, vegetarian. It is certainly more honest. I have vegetarian friends and family members and I do enjoy vegetarian dishes. This commentary only seeks to address the fact that selective denial as practiced by vegans should not be part of our policy making and political processes which influence the balance of good that we (including "vegans") all enjoy because of technology. Imagine if public water and food safety testing ceased.Using this dichotomy... This denial of reality is used by Animal Rights political groups to condone their activities. These political groups and including Animal Rights Terrorists selectively make targets out of attention getting issues which they feel will not compromise the faith and following of their support groups. In other words, keep the ignorance there, use bad "science", but use this source of ignorant energy to attack others.
Divide, and conquer. What a shame. Imagine what we could accomplish by working together for the goals of human and animal welfare.That H2O from the faucet or a plastic bottle; those frozen snow peas, cans of mixed vegetables and Wayne Pacelle's jar of 'vegan' peanut butter are clean foods because of animal products. Vegan irony? Or simple Reality? You'd probably be hard pressed to find a vegan that processes their own sewage using vegan technology and no coliform testing to produce potable water.There's probably no question that it is good for businesses to find niches to support. Sellers of vegan goods are only doing what is right for them, for business and our economy by appealing to this population. Remember, when people wanted to use 'cholesterol free' vegetable oils, companies knew that putting the 'cholesterol free' label onto these veggie oils could make the difference between making a sale, and not. So much technology! Why do we need animal testing when we can simulate some things? The answer lies in the complicated realities of unique cellular systems, epigenetics, genome and more. It is not possible to program computers for scenarios when we have insufficient data upon which to base predictions. "Soybeans and Livestock blog" recently used the following list of charities to remind all, just how much we rely on animal testing and animal media. The charities below are purportedly working to help improve some aspects of life. I'm not making recommendations. Even charities need checks and balances. If you support reality and research, please consider signing the petition at Americans for Medical Progress and sharing balanced knowlege to discourage ignorance and discourage support for organizations that play on the ignorance of the masses.*Charities on the People For the Ethical Treament of Animals (PETA) “Do Test” (on animals) List:
AIDS/HIV
1. American Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR)
2. Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
3. Pediatric AIDS Foundation
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
4. Alzheimer’s Association
5. Alzheimer’s Disease Research
ARTHRITIS
6. Arthritis Foundation
BIRTH DEFECTS
7. March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
8. Muscular Dystrophy Association
9. Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children
10. Shriners International Headquarters
11. The Smile Train
12. United Cerebral Palsy
BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED
13. Foundation Fighting Blindness
14. Massachusetts Lions Eye Research Fund
15. Research to Prevent Blindness
BLOOD
16. American Red Cross
17. Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation, Inc
18. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America
19. National Hemophilia Foundation
BURNS
20. Shriners Burn Institute/ Shriners International Headquarters
CANCER
21. American Cancer Society
22. American Institute for Cancer Research,
23. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
24. Cancer Research Foundation of America
25. Children’s Cancer Research Fund
26. City of Hope
27. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
28. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
29. G & P Foundation for Cancer Research
30. The Jimmy Fund
31. John Wayne Cancer Institute
32. Lance Armstrong Foundation,
33. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America
34. Lombardi Cancer Center
35. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
36. National Cancer Research Center
37. National Foundation for Cancer Research
38. Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research/Lombardi Cancer Research Center,
39. The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund
40. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
41. Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
42. The V Foundation for Cancer Research
CHILDREN
43. Boys Town National Research Hospital
44. Children’s Cancer Research Fund
45. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation
46. Children’s National Medical Center
47. Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
48. The Jimmy Fund
49 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF),
50. Pediatric AIDS Foundation
51. Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children/ Shriners International Headquarters,
52. The Smile Train
53. Society for Pediatric Pathology
54. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
55. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Alliance
DEAF/HEARING-IMPAIRED
56. Boys Town National Research Hospital
57. Deafness Research Foundation
DIABETES
58. American Diabetes Association,
59. Joslin Diabetes Center
60. Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International
ELDERLY
61. American Federation for Aging Research,
EMOTIONAL/BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS
62. National Alliance for Research of Schizophrenia and Depression
63. National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
EPILEPSY
64. Epilepsy Foundation of America
HEART
65. American Heart Association
66. National Heart Foundation
KIDNEY
67. Kidney Foundation of Canada
68. National Kidney Foundation
LUNG
69. American Lung Association
MISCELLANEOUS
70. Alliance for Lupus Research
71. American Brain Tumor Association
72. American Digestive Health Foundation
73. American Health Assistance Foundation
74. American Liver Foundation
75. American Tinnitus Association,
76. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association (ALS)
77. BNI Foundation,
78. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America
79. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
80. Endometriosis Association
81. Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy
82. Huntington’s Disease Society of America
83. Lupus Foundation of America
84. National Multiple Sclerosis Society
85. Project A.L.S
PARALYSIS
86. American Paralysis Foundation
87. Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
88. Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association
89. Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
90. Paralyzed Veterans of America
PARKINSON’S DISEASE
91. American Parkinson Disease Association
92. Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
93. National Parkinson Foundation
94. Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Inc.,
STROKE
95. National Stroke Association
VETERANS:
96. Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association/Paralyzed Veterans of America
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