Download KINTZ (procon.org) ANIMAL TESTING An estimated 26 million

KINTZ (procon.org)
ANIMAL TESTING
An estimated 26 million animals are used every year in the United States for scientific and commercial testing. [2]
Animals are used to develop medical treatments, determine the toxicity of medications, check the safety of products
destined for human use, and other biomedical, commercial, and health care uses. Research on living animals has been
practiced since at least 500 BC.
Proponents of animal testing say that it has enabled the development of numerous life-saving treatments for both
humans and animals, that there is no alternative method for researching a complete living organism, and that strict
regulations prevent the mistreatment of animals in laboratories.
Opponents of animal testing say that it is cruel and inhumane to experiment on animals, that alternative methods
available to researchers can replace animal testing, and that animals are so different from human beings that research
on animals often yields irrelevant results.
DEATH PENALTY
1,188 people were executed in the US from 1977 through 2009, primarily by means of lethal injection. Most death
penalty cases involve the execution of murderers although capital punishment can also be applied for treason,
espionage, and other crimes.
Proponents of the death penalty say it is an important tool for preserving law and order, deters crime, and costs less
than life imprisonment. They argue that retribution or "an eye for an eye" honors the victim, helps console grieving
families, and ensures that the perpetrators of heinous crimes never have an opportunity to cause future tragedy.
Opponents of capital punishment say it has no deterrent effect on crime, wrongly gives governments the power to take
human life, and perpetuates social injustices by disproportionately targeting people of color (racist) and people who
cannot afford good attorneys (classist). They say lifetime jail sentences are a more severe and less expensive
punishment than death.
DRUG USE IN SPORTS
Proponents of accepting performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in sports argue that their harmful health effects have
been overstated, that health risks are an athlete’s decision to make, that using drugs is part of the evolution of sports
much like improved training techniques and new technologies, and that efforts to keep athletes from using PEDs are
overzealous, unproductive, unfairly administered, and bound to fail.
Opponents argue that PEDs are harmful and potentially fatal, and that athletes who use them are cheaters who gain an
unfair advantage, violate the spirit of competition, and send the wrong message to children. They say PED users unfairly
diminish the historic achievements of clean athletes, and that efforts to stop PED use in sports should remain strong.
GUN CONTROL
The United States has 88.8 guns per 100 people, or about 270,000,000 guns, which is the highest total and per capita
number in the world. 22% of Americans own one or more guns (35% of men and 12% of women). America's pervasive
gun culture stems in part from its colonial history, revolutionary roots, frontier expansion, and the Second Amendment,
which states: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and
bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Proponents of more gun control laws state that the Second Amendment was intended for militias; that gun violence
would be reduced; that gun restrictions have always existed; and that a majority of Americans, including gun owners,
support new gun restrictions.
Opponents say that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to own guns; that guns are needed for selfdefense from threats ranging from local criminals to foreign invaders; and that gun ownership deters crime rather than
causes more crime.
RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE
47.9 million people in the United States (15.4% of the US population) did not have health insurance in 2012 according to
the US Census Bureau. [1] The United States and Mexico are the only countries of the 34 members of the Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that do not have universal health care. [37]
Proponents of the right to health care say that no one in the richest nation on earth should go without health care. They
argue that a right to health care would stop medical bankruptcies, improve public health, reduce overall health care
spending, help small businesses, and that health care should be an essential government service.
Opponents argue that a right to health care amounts to socialism and that it should be an individual's responsibility, not
the government's role, to secure health care. They say that government provision of health care would decrease the
quality and availability of health care, and would lead to larger government debt and deficits.
SCHOOL UNIFORMS
Traditionally favored by private and parochial institutions, school uniforms are being adopted by US public schools in
increasing numbers. Almost one in five US public schools required students to wear uniforms during the 2011-2012
school year, up from one in eight in 2003-2004. Mandatory uniform policies in public schools are found more commonly
in high-poverty areas. [23] [46]
Proponents say that school uniforms make schools safer for students, create a "level playing field" that reduces
socioeconomic disparities, and encourage children to focus on their studies rather than their clothes.
Opponents say school uniforms infringe upon students' right to express their individuality, have no positive effect on
behavior and academic achievement, and emphasize the socioeconomic disparities they are intended to disguise.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
74% of American adults online use social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest,
as of Jan. 2014, up from 26% in 2008. [26] [174] On social media sites like these, users may develop biographical profiles,
communicate with friends and strangers, do research, and share thoughts, photos, music, links, and more.
Proponents of social networking sites say that the online communities promote increased interaction with friends and
family; offer teachers, librarians, and students valuable access to educational support and materials; facilitate social and
political change; and disseminate useful information rapidly.
Opponents of social networking say that the sites prevent face-to-face communication; waste time on frivolous activity;
alter children’s brains and behavior making them more prone to ADHD; expose users to predators like pedophiles and
burglars; and spread false and potentially dangerous information.
STANDARDIZED TESTS
Standardized tests have been a part of American education since the mid-1800s. Their use skyrocketed after 2002's No
Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandated annual testing in all 50 states. US students slipped from 18th in the world in
math in 2000 to 31st place in 2009, with a similar decline in science and no change in reading. [95] [145] [144] Failures in the
education system have been blamed on rising poverty levels, teacher quality, tenure policies, and increasingly on the
pervasive use of standardized tests.
Proponents argue that standardized tests are a fair and objective measure of student ability, that they ensure teachers
and schools are accountable to taxpayers, and that the most relevant constituents – parents and students – approve of
testing.
Opponents say the tests are neither fair nor objective, that their use promotes a narrow curriculum and drill-like
"teaching to the test," and that excessive testing undermines America's ability to produce innovators and critical
thinkers.