iDebate 300 words, Animal Experiment is Necessary! don't protest against it please

Whenever biologists use animals for experiment, some animal protection organizations, such as Humane Society or PETA, protests in front of National Assembly and laboratories. However, as I’m trying to major in biology, I think this kind of demo is useless, and even giving sinister effects to them. Especially the animals used in biology experiments (rather than psychology or physics) are getting more sympathy, and even some people are strongly against it. But, the animal experiment is necessary and it should be continued without any brakes by animal protecting groups.

All of them, who are protesting it, are earning benefits from the experiment. Headache pills like Tylenol, ointments, digestive medicines are made by animal experiments. Everyday life, they take those pills after heavy drinking and overeating. Everyday life they are using these ointments to their kids or themselves. Why? Aren’t they against the animal experiment? They are earning benefits every time whenever the new medicine came out from the experiment. They are actually getting benefits, so they really should not protest it.

The organizations think that the experiment is only for humans. However, the result of experiments can be adapted to both humans and animals. Therefore their insistences that ‘the animal experiment is egoism of humans’ can’t be true. Sure, we (including scientists) feel sympathy to the sacrificed animals. Sure, it is problem that some animals should be sacrificed for other animals. However, it’s for all-all the creatures. Otherwise I think that protesting to animal experiment is egoism-just caring about few animals. Those people should think about it. Which is more important: the aids for all animals and humans those are suffering from diseases or physical problems, or very very few animals those are sacrificed in laboratory? Plus, the experiment is also helpful to preserve endangered animals. Now, who are more egocentric?

Finally, there are 3Rs that can prevent abuse of animal experiments. 3R is Reduction, Refinement, and Replacement. By reduction, we can use the least number of animals for experiment. By Refinement scientists are trying their best to help animals not be suffer from pain. By Replacement, if we are able to, we find other ways that doesn’t use animals.

Run for my dream

No.24 is me. The last one among applicants.

It was the day, 24^th of October, 2010. It was the last day of interview for the KMLA 16^th waver selecting draft. Traditionally, male applicants of KMLA have to run 4 kilometers in 30 minutes and female applicants have to run same distance in 35 minutes. The ‘running’ starts after the interview. With the sound of ‘bang’ from the PE teacher’s gun, every applicants starts running, and each program assistants have to watch their applicants’ running.

Before the 24^th of October, I was concerned about that ‘marathon’. Other students must be concerned about the interview itself, and they were actually preparing for it. However, as I haven’t exercised for more than a year, I was afraid of not being able to finish the running in given time. And I had 6 days before my interview. I ran and ran every night. Even during the practice, I wasn’t able to finish my race in 30 minutes. My best record was 43 minutes.

My last interview was about my major. I wasn’t in a good mood because of Dr. Han and Dr. Na. They asked some university level questions to me, and of course, I couldn’t answer to them. I went out their room in bad mood, and I realized that I met the most difficult task of KMLA newbie draft; the race. While I was changing my clothes, I thought, ‘hey, I might be the one who will be the leftover of the race… damn. It’s not my day. Well. Let’s try my best!’

My father always said to me; ‘keep your pace, don’t follow others.’ I was reminding myself before I began to run.

BANG!

The sound of gunpowder’s explosion hit my ear. I started to run. However, most boys were running out in enormous speed, and I was running among girls. Well, of course I thought it is humiliating, so I started to move my legs faster.

Of course, I was exhausted after a lap; the 3^rd lap.

‘Oh, man. I’m doomed. Why did you use all of your energy in your very first lap, you idiot’

My body started to decrease his speed himself. I was having hard time to go left laps. According to my father, he took that picture when I started to decrease my speed. After taking photo, he yelled to me. “Run! You idiot! You can do it!”

At the very last lap, I wasn’t able to run anymore. My heart bumps irregularly and my leg didn’t have power anymore. At the time, the senior, Han Jinwoo from 14^th waver, the PA of me, started to run with me. It was so, so sorry and thankful for him. However, I was time outed; I came in in 34 minutes and 40 seconds.

With these episodes, also with the fact that I’m in KMLA, this photo reminds me of my life in my hometown and that extreme situation I met during the race. I think I’m not running as hard as that time. I’ll run harder than that, and will succeed my dream of University.