Army to shoot pigs for medical drill
No, it never occurred to us that shooting live pigs was a part of the war on terror ... but what do we know. The Associated Press reports:
HONOLULU--The Army says it's critical to saving the lives of wounded soldiers. Animal-rights activists call the training cruel and outdated.
Despite opposition by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Army proceeded to shoot live pigs and treat their gunshot wounds in a medical trauma exercise Friday at Schofield Barracks for soldiers headed to Iraq.
Maj. Derrick Cheng, spokesman for the 25th Infantry Division, said the training was conducted as scheduled under a U.S. Department of Agriculture license and the careful supervision of veterinarians and a military Animal Care and Use Committee. "It's to teach Army personnel how to manage critically injured patients within the first few hours of their injury," Cheng said.
The soldiers are learning emergency lifesaving skills needed on the battlefield when there are no medics, doctors or facility nearby, he said.
PETA, however, said there are more advanced and humane options available, including high-tech human simulators. In a letter, PETA urged the Army to end all use of animals, "as the overwhelming majority of North American medical schools have already done."
The military killing innocent pigs for war games is unpardondable. I'm Catholic and I hate to sound religious. However, God created humans and the animal kingdom and declared everything is innately good. The massacre of these hapless pigs is intrinsically evil !
Posted by: Brien Comerford | July 18, 2008 at 09:41 PM
I dont think its a bad thing to shoot a pig in order to save a soldiers life. Sure its just for medical practice but its better to be safe then sorry, a lot of medical advances have been done just because of the use of animals.
Posted by: almiux | July 30, 2008 at 07:17 PM
A pig is just a pig, when a soliers life is involved testing on pigs shoul be ok. I'm sure United States Veterans would agree a life of a soldier fighting for their country is worth more then something that is just served for breakfast.
Posted by: sky | July 30, 2008 at 07:23 PM
what has peta done for our country or our soldiers?
NOTHING
So why woul they make such a big deal about pigs that were actually under the supervision of veterenarians.
Posted by: Silvia | July 30, 2008 at 07:31 PM