the ice bucket challenge and the people complaining about it

Over the last few weeks , I have seen a lot of posts on face book saying that the ice bucket challenge is wrong for the following reasons . A) ALSA tests on animals , B) It is not a significant enough disease to warrant all the donations and publicity , C) ALSA only spends 7%-20% of the money on actual research and D) people should not waste water when people in Africa and other third world places do not have access to clean water or have to walk miles to get it . Here is my response to all those points



A) Testing on animals
In principle I am against testing on animals , especially since many biologists say that even with animals that share similar DNA the effects of different drugs can vary considerably . I am a meat eater and I wear clothing made from animal skin such as leather . However I am also of the belief that animal skin/fur used in clothes should be from an animal that either died of natural causes or was killed for food and the rest of its carcass gets used . However the only alternatives that I can see to testing on animals are

1) Testing on criminals . We apparently cannot do this because human rights activists think criminals , even those who rape and molest and murder , have the same human rights as the rest of us that don't and to suggest over wise results in accusations of been a Nazi , despite the lack of racism or belief in the superiority of a single type of human . Now I think child molesters and rapists do not deserve to be treated the same as the rest of us but as with the death penalty , I can see the possibility of getting it wrong and testing on an innocent man/woman . So this is a no no

2) Testing on volunteers . The problem with this is that the charities and pharmaceutical companies wont do this because either the scientists involved don’t like it when their victims scream or the company is worried about been sued when the experimental treatment makes the subject go insane , their condition worse or turns them into the hulk

3) Testing on paid subjects . The same reasons as above plus the companies and charities don’t want to add to the cost by actually playing people



B) ALS is not as important as other diseases such as heart disease or cancer
This is an easy accusation to make if you do not suffer from ALS . But tot hose poor sods who do suffer from it , or any other medical condition that impacts on their ability to lead a full and normal life , nothing is more important . If my heart was healthy but I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s , then I know which charities would be getting my money . In the end it is up to the donor whom they choose to donate too and not the masses on social network sites who think they have the moral high ground with whom to donate too



C ) ALSA only spends 7%-20% of the money on actual research .
OK I can understand this one and not donating because they don't spend all the money on actual research may seem valid but before you say sod off , check to see what the money does go on. Equipment , premises and staff salaries are all important if the charity is to keep going . Not everyone who works for a charity will be a volunteer , especially the scientists with the degrees and doctorates who conduct the research .



D ) people should not waste water when people in Africa and other third world places do not have access to clean water or have to walk miles to get it
I live in a country with an abundance of water but no matter how much of it I try and save , none of it will see a child in Africa unless it is through the natural process of evaporation and precipitation . What will do it is donating to water aid . The logic of not doing something because some one else somewhere else can't is ridiculous . I drive to work every day to do a job on a reasonable wage but going by this because molly in the Sudan has to walk miles to do a job in a sweat shop on stupidly small money , I should refuse any pay rise and walk myself , despite having a working car . Should I stop eating as much because some poor sod in Africa is starving , should I stop watering the garden because some poor bugger in Africa is living in a desert because of a drought . Of course not . Should I donate to charities that help these poor people if I am concerned . Yes of course , should I contact my MP and try and get the government to do something . Yes I should . Should I punch the self righteous arsehole killjoys who want people to do only what they think should be done . Maybe

The beautiful thing about life in the United kingdom is that a whole lot of crap that affects other parts of the world does not affect us . Another beautiful thing is that we can choose whom to donate too and why . So inform people by all means but stop telling me who I should be donating to and what I should be doing . Just for the record I wont be dumping a bucket of ice water on myself and I won't be donating to ALSA . Not because of people in Africa without water and not because I disprove of the charity . I wont be donating because I have other charities that deal with diseases and issues that have affected family members and I prefer to give what little money I have to them and I wont be pouring ice on myself because it Bloody cold .