People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
October 2011
In a huge victory for vervet monkeys, U.S. military officials have
confirmed that the Army is ending cruel and archaic monthly training
exercises at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in which monkeys are poisoned with
a drug overdose that makes them suffer from violent seizures in a crude
demonstration of the effects of nerve-agent exposure.
Instead of abusing terrified monkeys, Aberdeen—the only Army base in the
country that uses animals for this training—will now use human patient
simulators, just as every other military facility already does. The move
follows months of vigorous campaigning by PETA.
PETA's campaign against the barbaric chemical casualty training exercises
included a series of protests this week outside the annual meeting of the
Association of the United States Army. Supporters of this effort included
veterans, physicians, active service members, and actor Woody Harrelson, who
sent a letter on PETA's behalf to Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno.
Many others have also been protesting at Army recruitment centers, flooding
the offices of Army officials with e-mails and phone calls, and even
gathering outside the homes of Army officials affiliated with the monkey
lab. One PETA member even disrupted a speaking event last week by Aberdeen's
commanding general, Nick Justice.
Please send an e-mail to Maj. Gen. Nick Justice
to thank him for this compassionate decision and ask that he ensure that the
transition to simulators be made immediately.
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