Most of us in this room have probably not suffered from a debilitating illness or a life-threatening disease. But maybe you know of someone who has. Has either of your parents or grandparents been diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or some other illness? Has someone you know had surgery, chemotherapy, or a drug treatment? Both of my grandmothers died from cancer; my grandfather had heart disease; my great-uncle suffered from Parkinson's disease for 20 years and participated in all kinds of experimental treatments. My 16-year-old brother has a friend who is currently undergoing a bone-marrow transplant in Boston for leukemia. And I'm sure all of you are aware that Michael J. Fox and Mohammed Ali suffer from Parkinson's disease and that Christopher Reeves is paralyzed with a spinal cord injury.
             No matter where we live or who we are, illness and disease affect us all. In order to develop cures and treatments for the illnesses and diseases that exist in our world, scientists conduct research and experiments. This research is presently under attack because these experiments involve the use of many different animals. Today, animal-rights groups want to ban the use of animals in scientific testing. They claim that animal experimentation and the killing of animals for research is unethical, cruel, and unnecessary. One of the most influential animal-rights groups is PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Their motto is "Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment." But what if one of their children developed a rare disease or a life-threatening illness? Wouldn't they want the best medical treatment and the latest techniques? Do they realize that it is only because of animal research, experimentation, and testing that we have treatments and cures for many of the illnesses and diseases that afflict us?
             The primary question in this debate over...