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Tuesday, April 07, 2009

“People are not pigs”

WASHINGTON — Military researchers have dressed live pigs in body armor and strapped them into Humvee simulators that were then blown up with explosives to study the link between roadside bomb blasts and brain injury.

For an 11-month period that ended in December, researchers subjected pigs and rats to about 200 blasts, according to Pentagon documents and interviews. The explosions have ranged in intensity, wounding some of the pigs and killing others. Roadside bombs are the top killer of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On the “pro” side:

“If use of animal subjects in testing results in our ability to save lives or prevent injury to our troops, we’re confident this is the right thing to do,” Walker said. Pigs without body armor died from blasts within 24 to 48 hours, while those with armor survived “significantly higher blasts,” she said.

On the “con” side:

Blasting pigs raises “red flags,” said Martin Stephens, vice president for animal research issues at the Humane Society of the United States.

“This is a worthy goal, trying to prevent soldiers from being injured by roadside bombs,” Stephens said. “I think the relevance of this is highly questionable. People are not pigs.”

Exactly.  Which is why they test body armor on pigs rather people. And it’s not so much a “red flag” as it is a “fine red mist.”

 

(6) Comments
Posted by Wendy at 1620 hrs
Military

  1. As long as the bacon is still salvageable, I’d call it a win-win.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 07, 2009 at 1839 hrs


  2. Why waste perfectly good (and innocent) pigs when we have serial killers/murderers available?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 07, 2009 at 2009 hrs


  3. It’s not uncommon for the guys from MythBusters to use pigs in simulations in place of human beings.

    Posted by Josh Schroeder on April 07, 2009 at 2100 hrs


  4. I agree with Sam. We could now help solve the problem of what to do with the terrorist swine at Gitmo.
    A win-win situation, we use them as targets, they leave Gitmo and meet Allah!

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 07, 2009 at 2134 hrs


  5. It’s not uncommon for the guys from MythBusters to use pigs in simulations in place of human beings.

    Military researchers have dressed live pigs in body armor and strapped them into Humvee simulators that were then blown up with explosives to study the link between roadside bomb blasts and brain injury.

    I have never seen Adam or Jamie use live pigs in any simulation.  Dead pigs, sure.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 07, 2009 at 2231 hrs


  6. Mr Parker, I’m not sure what part of your basic humanity is missing or why you are the way you are but your suggestion is vile and revolting.  May your God have mercy on your stained soul.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 08, 2009 at 0915 hrs


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