Guest guest Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Primate experimentation in the US is horrendously cruel and absolutely unnecessary. Worst of all, it is on the rise. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has dramatically increased its funding of primate experiments, and statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveal that primate experimentation in the U.S. has reached an all time high. At a time when we know more than ever about our close relationship to non-human primates, this information is troubling, to say the least. Experimentation on primates is neither humane nor scientifically accurate. During typical experiments primates are often deprived of food or water; electrodes are forced into their brains; they are confined to restraint chairs; devices such as restraint bars and recording cylinders are literally bolted into their skulls. And that's just a fraction of their suffering. Primates in laboratories also suffer tremendously from the psychological torture of being confined to barren, steel cages – most for their entire lives – only to be used as tools for experiments ... stripped of their freedom to live without fear and pain by those who have no right to take that away from them. We don't have to sit by and let this happen. September 1, 2006 marks International Primate Day – a day where we remember the lives of the countless primates who suffer day in and day out in our nation's laboratories. September 1 is a day to let them know that we hear their cries and are not going to turn a deaf ear to them any longer. It is a day to take a stand against cruelty. What You Can Do • Contact your representative or U.S. congressperson by visiting www.house.gov/writerep and politely ask them to introduce the following motion. Motion: That this House welcomes International Primate Day on 1st September 2006 organized by Animal Defenders International; expresses its deep concern that the United States is the world’s largest user of laboratory monkeys; highlights that the use of non-human primates is an unreliable predictor of likely human effects, as the disastrous TGN1412 has shown; is alarmed by the fact that the very existence of many primate species is threatened by the laboratory and pet trades as well as the use of primates for entertainment; calls on the federal government to push for a ban on primates in experiments; and further asks the federal government to support the Berlin Declaration calling for an end to primate experiments, which has been signed by over 85 organizations worldwide. • Print and distribute this information to family and friends. • Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper in order to bring the issue of primate experimentation to the forefront in your community. • Help us gather signatures for the Berlin Declaration from local schools, businesses, councilmembers and other organizations. A copy of the Berlin Declaration signature sheet will be mailed to you upon request by calling 1-800-978-ADII (2344) or emailing usa • Get involved with ADI's campaign to fight primate abuse. You can order materials, including leaflets and postcards, by contacting us at 1-800-978-ADII (2344) or by sending an email to usa For more information about International Primate Day, please visit www.ad-international.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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