While SPEAK arrogantly compare themselves to the Tiananmen Square protesters and the seizure of their leaflets by police to censorship of those events by the Chinese government, a quiet and peaceful revolution is underway in Oxfordshire. Tigger first blogged here about Pro-Test and its founder a couple of weeks ago.

Now, with just a few days to go until what promises to be a major pro-research rally in Oxford, the founder of Pro-Test describes how the group came to be formed on an ordinary day out with friends in Oxford last month. It’s worth reading for his good humour in the face of the in-your-face abuse and insults that seem to be the stock-in-trade of ‘peaceful’ animal rights activists.

He starts:

"From a reasonably early age, I’ve felt that science and knowledge are the most important things humanity possesses, and indeed what defines humanity as a species, and separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. My view is that humans are the dominant race on this planet and, not for any spiritual reasons, but pragmatically, we therefore have a right to use lower life forms for our benefit. I’m not talking about using animals simply for our amusement, and I’m not suggesting that animal welfare isn’t an issue, but what I do believe is that if an animal can be used to save a human, or even significantly improve human quality of life, then that’s entirely justifiable.”
Laurie a.k.a. Sqrrl101

No SPEAK-style grandiosity for Laurie. He concludes by placing medical research and benefits for patients squarely at the centre of the debate where it should be:

"receiving e-mails of support from people with life-threatening diseases thanking me for fighting for their right to treatment has been great."