Vivisectors Stick Together, Like Poo

I was asked by a friend to comment on UCLA Chancellor Gene Block's email in which he defended and promoted David Jentsch's own promotion of anything-goes animal experimentation.

November 3, 2014

To the Campus Community:

Last week, the Daily Bruin published an important and compelling column by a member of our faculty, psychology and psychiatry professor David Jentsch. In it, Professor Jentsch rightfully encourages our students to use their knowledge and skills for the betterment of our world, which includes engaging in important scientific research.

For many years, Professor Jentsch has conducted essential research aimed at understanding brain chemistry in order to treat the root causes of addiction, a disease that destroys lives and families. This work has required responsible animal research.

I think it’s important that everyone take the time to read this column. As someone who has continued his lifesaving work despite being a target of violence and harassment by animal rights activists for many years, Professor Jentsch offers a critical and unique voice on this subject. Unfortunately, he has not been the only faculty member targeted by activists. Several of our other faculty members who engage in animal research have been similarly targeted and yet have bravely persevered despite these shameless tactics. Our campus has worked through the legal system and with law enforcement to protect our researchers, and I want to use this occasion to make it clear that all members of the UCLA community who contribute to scientific and medical progress continue to have our support, respect and admiration.

Please always remember that animal research is closely monitored and subject to multiple stringent federal laws and university regulations. As Professor Jentsch writes, “Be a proud scientist… I stand with you.” As UCLA’s chancellor, I stand with him and all those who are dedicated to improving health and saving lives.

Sincerely,
Gene D. Block
Chancellor

Block and Jentsch are members, brothers in arms, of the de facto anything-goes animal experimentation cabal. Block's gushing support of Jentsch is self-serving. Block is a vivisector. [Consequences of exposure to light at night on the pancreatic islet circadian clock and function in rats. Qian J, Block GD, Colwell CS, Matveyenko AV. Diabetes. 2013.]

I suspect that many top executives (I'm not sure of what word to use there. Chancellors, vice chancellors, deans, assistant deans, directors of centers, etc.) at larger universities are vetted with regard to their feelings about the use of animals because of the very large financial risk should someone with a genuine concern for animals be put in a position that might give them some power to intervene. Vivisectors are well represented in the ranks of the top executives.

At every step of the system, vivisectors are in control. Put another way, the people with the largest financial interest in the support and propagation of animal experimentation are in direct control of divvying out large monetary awards to people using animals, who in turn play the role of overseeing the use of the animals. The NIH leadership is dominated by vivisectors. Nowhere along the decision-making chain, from the agency director all the way down to the lab technician manhandling a monkey, does anyone with a genuine concern for animals have a chance to influence the decisions being made concerning them.

Block misleads his readers (a terribly unethical thing to do for someone who claims to be an educator.) Neither Jentsch's nor Block's own experiments are lifesaving, or even a little beneficial to anyone but those cashing their white coat welfare checks. Their research is about as essential as Joseph Mengele's was. Block misleads his readers again when he intones on cue, that vivisection is "closely monitored and subject to multiple stringent federal laws and university regulations." There were laws that regulated slavery and protected slaves as well; I guess no one should have been concerned about the slaves.

I've previously written about Jentsch and his cruelties. See:

Pro-Test September 12, 2009.

Dario L. Ringach and J. David Jentsch October 1, 2009.

Professors London and Jentsch trying to fool the public (again) September 23, 2011.

And of course, don't miss this candid demonstration of the UCLA vivisectors' love for their fellow humans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiECGuXixmQ