The Evil Monkey has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and is currently enjoying a bit of time off while waiting to hear about a new position. Come join this wayward neuroscientist as he struggles to find a career and get his life back in order. He is still not sure why he wrote this paragraph in the third person.
Abel broke the news on Scienceblogs, where he's been following the events at UCLA for a while now, and Orac has the details on why it matters. UCLA has taken the initiative to protect its researchers and hopefully kicked off a nationwide-- or maybe even global-- campaign to protect scientists and the public from the idiocy of animal rights extremists. Consider this a legal "counter offensive" on behalf of academia, if you will.
Personally, I'm happy as a pig in it's own feces. It's time somebody stood up to these so-called animal rights activists who can't seem to comprehend that people are animals, and doing stupid shit like setting fire to houses and labs not only makes these activists a bunch of hypocrites, but also endangers everyday nonscience folks. So does threatening people with pipe bombs, dousing their labs in acid, sending them arsenic-tainted razor blades in the mail, or envelopes of suspicious powder. These are all things that have happened to my colleagues, over and above the nuisances like picketing at their homes and labs, overt threats, or flooding their basements.
It ain't rocket surgery. It's called collateral damage. If you're dumb enough to think that you'll change people's minds by accidentally poisoning their mailman, just remember where the term "going postal" came from. Then start watching your own back around bell towers, because sometimes irony just isn't subtle.
Comments
You know, if we scientists were really such dangerous, depraved people, why do they feel safe harassing us? Personally I would be rather nervous about drawing the attention of someone I believed to be a homicidal maniac without morals or inhibitions.
Maybe we're just not playing this angle right. If the legal attempt by UCLA doesn't work, maybe we should try inspiring FEAR in the blighters! (:
Posted by: Frederick Ross | February 21, 2008 4:33 PM
As a USC Trojan, loathe though I must, I congratulate UCLA for standing up to the nutjobs. Well done Bruins, fight on for science.
Posted by: Phil | February 21, 2008 6:33 PM
I am UCLA fan too. :)
Posted by: Dizi | February 22, 2008 3:16 AM
As to UCLA, two words: about time.
As to the animal rights extremists, two other words:
Fuck 'em.
Look: like most other people, I'm concerned about animal abuse and find things like dogfighting and other bloodsports involving animals disgusting. That being said, legitimate scientific research is necessary (particularly regarding medical research that could potentially save lives), and I'm really, really quite unconcerned about the POV of anyone who'd gladly blow up other members of their own species without realizing the brutal irony of such an act.
Posted by: Chris Krolczyk | February 23, 2008 3:06 PM
Then start watching your own back around bell towers, because sometimes irony just isn't subtle.
LOL! A very interesting way of putting it! I think your wise warning is the same as, you reap what you sow, what goes around comes around and a few others! But I like the way you put it!
Dave Briggs :~)
Posted by: Dave Briggs | February 27, 2008 10:09 AM
Those anti-animal testing goons should volunteer as lab rats.
That would ensure that they practice what they preach, and it would help remove some anti-science goons from the gene pool.
Posted by: Evolved | February 28, 2008 2:09 AM