Sorry, but I could not sign such a petition, either.
 
Firstly, as MC pointed out, MF does not do the testing that bothers you.
They simply sell the animals to research facilities - just as they sell
them to pet stores.  And, while animal testing seems sad on the outside,
think of the following.
 
Secondly, gthere are very strict rules governing how research animals
are treated in a laboratory setting.  Do some researchers *not* follow
those rules?  Yes - but they get caught eventually.  When I was studying
Psychology in college, I was personally involved in animal research, as
head research assistant to the Psych dept, working in tandem w/ the Bio
dept, both of whom were conducting & publishing the research.  We were
required to follow the same strict guidelines that commercial & medical
research facilities have to follow.  Failure to do so would have caused
our certification to *do* any sort of animal research to be yanked, not
only by the American Psychological Association, but by the body who
accredits our school.  That's an awful lot to risk.
 
Thirdly,were it not for animal medical research, we would not have
aspirin; various chemotherapies for cancer treatment; the various forms
of insulin used to treat diabetes; high blood pressure medications;
cholesterol control medications; the advanced beta-interferon injectiable
medications to treat multiple sclerosis (which I have & use); meds for
osteo & rheumatoid arthritis (ditto); medicines to treat epilepsy,
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, HIV, & etc.  ad nausium.  And that's just the
*human* side of medicine.  How would veterinarians learn to do an adrenal
surgery to save the lives of one of our beloved pets, if they hadn't had
a chance to learn it by doing it as a student?  How could they develop
tests to detect adrenal problems, heart problems, insulinomas, lymphomas,
etc, & the treatments used to control them, if they hadn't had a chance
to learn it in college?
 
W/out *responsible* animal testing, I'm convinced the medical treatments
offered today wouldn't be much different than those available back in the
1700's.  Meaning that a lot of people who are alive today, due to their
reliance on some medication, would be dead.
 
Some may call animal testing "a necessary evil".  I don't see it as
"evil" at all, as long as the rules are followed regarding the proper
treatment of those animals who are helping humans *&* other animals live
longer, healthier lives.
 
The only other alternative would be testing on human subjects, & I'm sure
more people would be against that than they would be against animal
testing.
 
No, I could not sign such a petition.  While your heart may be in the
right place in regards to your feelings about not allowing animals to
suffer, animals who are treated according to the rules are not suffering
*at all*.  They are given the same dignity as our personal pets, &
definitely more dignity than all the abused & neglected animals we
see/hear/read about every day - the ones who, if they are lucky, are
the ones who are glutting our over-crowded shelters.
 
Just my opinion, so please, no flames ~
 
Lin, Ariel, Oberon, Max, Puck, & Ivan
[Posted in FML issue 5352]