November 12

by Perry Obedinski

Peter Singer, philosopher
and anti-vivisectionist came
to Douglas College Oct. 28
and spoke on Animal Liber-
ation.

Singer was prevented from
speaking at UBC because of
the possibility of violence
from opposers of anti-vive-
sectionism. Richard Sikora,
co-ordinator of Singer’s
visit said that there was a
good deal of resistance to
his appointment. In January
anti-vivisectionists set fire
to UBC's animal care centre
and other facilities were
vandalized with spray paint.
UBC uses 20,000 animals
per year for research,

Singer said that most an-
imal experiments have no-
thing to do with saving
human lives. The animals
are used to test commercial
products such as cosmetics
and shampoos.

The Draize test involves
dripping destructive con-
centrates into rabbits’ eyes
also injected, force-fed, and
implanted with chemicals
and mechanical devices.
»Young, experimenters are
accused of being sentimen-
tal when working with an-
imals

Brian Davies, philosophy
instructer at Douglas Col-
lege said, ‘‘Singer’s speech
was very Clear. It’s impor-
tant that we tie the consid-
erations of animals to our
general notion of justice.’’

Singer is a professor ot
Philosophy at Monash Uni-
versity in Australia. He was
formerly Radcliffe Lecturer
at University College at
Oxford and Senior Lecturer
at La Trobe University.

 

(ANTI-VIVISECTIONIST

_ Singer visits Douglas

The Other Press

Page 7

 

~ No animal lib at UBC

VANCOUVER (CUP)- Ad-
ministration opposition to a
renowned Australian anti-
vivisectionist has limited his
speaking engagements at
the University of British
Columbia, a philosophy pro-
fessor said there October
Bas

Opposition to speeches by
philosopher Peter Singer
came from people connect-
ed with animal experimen-
tation at UBC, because of
the ‘‘possibility of incite-
ment to violence,’’ said
Richard Sikora, co-ordinator
of Singers’s visit.

‘‘There was a good deal of
resistence to his appoint-
ment from those connected
in one way or another with
animal
Sikora said.

Singer is best known for
his anti-vivsectionist views

experimentation,”’

and his book, Animal Lib-
eration. ‘‘People connected
with animal experimenta-
tion prefered not to have
Peter Singer come,’’ he
said. Ee

‘The administration felt it
would be undesirable for
him to talk about animals,’’
he said.

Peter Jones, of the UBC
Alumni Association, denied
the allegations.

‘There was no pressure
put on us by the univer-
sity,’’said Jones. He denied
that concern about possible
violence prevented Singer
from speakng at the the
Institute lecture. ‘‘Many

things were discussed, that
was not a major factor.’’
Arsonists set fire to UBCs
animal care centre in Jan-
uary, and last October anti-
vivisectionist vandals spray

Its special taste
made it famous.

painted signs and damaged
two vans.

Neither of the Cecil and
Ida Green lectures Singer
will give concern. animal
rights, which. Singér des-
cribed as ‘‘the subject on

which I am in reality best
know, and the subject that
has occupied most of my
energies as an individual.’’
Twenty thousand animals!
are used for experimental
purposes each year at UBC.

Unjustified pain Pain

VANCOUVER (CUP)- Many
experiments using live an-
imals are painful and per-
formed for totally unjust-
ified reasons, an Australian
philosopher and animal lib-
ation promoter charged Oct-
ober 21.

‘The fact is that not all or
even most animal exper-
ments have to do with
saving human lives,’’ Peter
Singer told more than 100
students at the University
of British Columbia.

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
   
 
     
   
      

 

These experiments are us-
ually performed for comm-
ercial rather than medical
testing, said Singer. Drop-
ping substances into the
eyes of rabbits to test hair
shampoos and lethal dose
tests in which 50 per cent
of the animals die are two
examples Singer cited.
Singer claimed such exper-
iments violate basic moral
principles. ‘‘The principle
of equal consideration of
interests says that where
you have like interests bet-
‘ween humans and animals
su should give them equal
onsideration,’’ he said.
Singer added that animals
should be granted protect-
ive rights, experiments
should_be better controlled,
and humans should aban-
don using animals for food.
‘‘We should boycott these
forms (of obtaining food),
and if possible become veg-
etarian.’’ Vegetarianism is
not -due to wrongness in
killing animals, but itis due
to the pain they suffer.”’
But hé added there is a
«finite boundary to what
an be conscious of pain.
Singer said he believes in
_hoice on abortion because
he fetus and. éven the
«w-born child cannot be
onscious.

 

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