Introduction/Thesis Statement:
It is amazing how often animals are used in the area of research for medicinal purposes or labeling of products. Over the course of time the use of animals in research has been the subject of much controversy. Some believe that it is completely inhumane to use animals for this purpose and others stand hard on the absolute necessity of their use. Lack of education in the field of research could certainly be a main cause of the reasoning behind the latter idea. Areas of medicine are advancing greatly through technology and knowledge of diseases and are finding it harder and harder to keep up with the great need for new drugs to cure or treat of many health issues today. Lack of education in the field of research could certainly be a main cause of the reasoning behind the latter idea. Many medicines and vaccines created have provided substantial proof that there is and always will be a benefit to using animals for medicinal research.
Area of Support 1:
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are an organization extremely well known for strongly dis-agreeing the use of animals in research.
Area of Support 2:
The National Institute of Health (NIH) is a government regulated organization who funds millions and millions of dollars to aid research being done with animals every year.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that products be tested in animals prior to being placed on the market for use.


Area of Support 3:
Animals are used for many different types of testing, for instance the toxicology and safety evaluations performed for the use of products by consumers. Many people are unaware of how extensive the use of animals is. Chances are ½ of the things consumed orally have been tested on /by animals prior to being allowed to be sold here in the United States. Every day use items such as cosmetics, household cleaners, liquid gardening materials like pest and herbicides, the chemicals in plastics of children’s toys have also been tested for labeling .
Area of Support 4:

CONCLUSION:

In order to make a difference in the advancement of medicine or to promote the safety of the products we use in our every day lives I find it necessary to promote the use of animals in research to help make our world a healthier and safer place for our children to eat, live and play.
With out the knowledge we have obtained through this important resource we may be killing ourselves and our future with out it .

A Mask on the face of death

A Mask on The Face of Death: Richard Selzer
I thought that this piece was interesting because of the topic but a little confusing about what exactly Selzer was doing in Haiti. It was obvious to me that he was collecting information from reliable sources about the aids epidemic there interviewing the prostitutes and folks in the Aids clinic , but I never got the feeling he was trying to educate the people there about transmission and protection. even in the earliest years of the discovery of the disease we knew how to prevent some of the spreading, and as a doctor I felt he could have done more for the reader and interviewees to educate them.

Unspeakable Conversations

Unspeakable conversations; Harriet McBride Johnson
I think this is my favorite piece so far. First of all it was current with a very challenging issue as the topic . I found it extremely difficult to side with either the author or the professor she is challenging through out the piece it is a great example of the they say I say theory of writing leading the reader to absolutely see both sides of a very effective argument. Johnson never really displays any sort of play on ones sympathy despite her extreme handicap unlike Grealy does with Mirrors. One of the few readings so far that actually made me look deeper into my own feelings about the piece and its meaning.

What did you do in the war Grandma? : Zoe Tracy Hardy
I really enjoyed reading this piece, I felt it had a nice well scripted account of her experience of the plant where she worked and the comradely she experienced with the other "riveters " she was working with. The hope that she was working on something that would finally end the war was obviously satisfying and was demonstrated in the dialog. I could totally relate to her dilemma after she realized that she had a hand in creating the instrument of destruction that ultimately killed thousands of people. I also think her thoughts of betrayal from the company not telling her and the others what they were working on around the clock was noted , but not shared by all.

Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki: William L. Lawrence
The Author here does a nice job of describing the hours before the bombing but at the same time I found it a little slow.
Lawrence describes the bomb as having an explosive energy equiling 20-40 thousand pounds of TNTa thing of beauty a "gadget" which is not at all dangerous by its self to handle in the beginning, and later goes on to say how it will annihalate an entire city and kill hundreds of thousands of people. A little contradictory I would say.
During the flight before the actuall bombing aapproximately 12 hours he gives a feeling of calmness not only during the stormy flight but right up until the actual release . Maybe this feeling is generated by the fact the the crew members are hopefull the this will be the "trick" that ends the war.
Lawrence describes the evelution of the monster of destruction as it is some kind of beautifully colored flowering mushroom. I find it diffucult to see the beauty of any of it.

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Beauty: When the other dancer is the self - by alice walker
This piece was nicely transitioned in that Alice walker brings you from a young age of 2 or so and shows how her self image and confidence are both beautiful and strong to an 8 yearold who has been injured creating what she sees as a physical defect for many years not unlike Lucy Grealy she is also ridiculed by her appearance and takes that as part of her personality. Until she has a surgery to change her appearance she dosent continue her life as confidently as she did prior to the "accident" .
After the surgical correction she becomes positive and is accepting of her Beauty inside and out . Her Daughter seeing a world in her eye and not a deformity just raises that confidence. I truly liked this story better because walker comes to terms with her appearance and goes through life happily where as I dont think that Gearly ever did and ultimately caused her demise.