I want medical experiments on animals stopped. They don't do

The words of Sam Simon—“I want medical experiments on animals stopped. They don't do anything, and they don't work.”—resound like a trumpet blast against cruelty disguised as progress. They are not merely a statement of opinion, but a challenge to centuries of practice, a cry for compassion over tradition, and a reminder that true advancement in science must never come at the cost of mercy. To declare such words is to stand against the tide of powerful institutions and entrenched habits, and to call upon humanity to seek higher, nobler paths toward healing.

The ancients taught that the measure of a civilization is not in its monuments or wealth, but in how it treats the most vulnerable. In Simon’s call, we hear this ancient law revived: that to inflict suffering upon creatures who cannot defend themselves is to betray the very soul of humanity. Medical experiments on animals have long been justified as necessary, yet Simon challenges this, claiming they yield little truth and much unnecessary suffering. His words strip away the veil of excuse and demand that humanity face its cruelty with honesty.

Consider the story of Claude Bernard, the 19th-century French physiologist known as the father of experimental medicine. While his contributions to science were celebrated, he was also infamous for his brutal experiments on animals, often performed without anesthetic. His own wife, horrified by his practices, became a vocal advocate for animal welfare. Here we see the eternal conflict: the pursuit of knowledge against the call of compassion. Simon’s words, spoken in our own time, echo the resistance that has always existed: voices reminding us that knowledge without mercy corrupts itself.

Simon also challenges the very efficacy of such experiments, declaring, “They don’t work.” He points toward a truth now recognized by many scientists—that animals are not perfect models for human bodies, and that countless drugs and treatments proven “safe” in animals have failed disastrously in humans. In this, his words are not merely moral but practical: cruelty is not only unjust but often futile. He calls us to redirect our efforts toward humane and effective alternatives—cell cultures, computer modeling, and human-based research. Thus, his vision is not only one of ending suffering, but of advancing science along truer, more fruitful lines.

There is a heroism in such a stance. For to oppose animal experimentation is to stand against powerful industries, entrenched methods, and the inertia of centuries. Yet Sam Simon, co-creator of The Simpsons and philanthropist, spent his later years devoting his fortune and voice to animal welfare. Like the sages of old who used their influence to shield the weak, Simon used his power to uplift those without voice—the animals, the silent companions of humanity who share our world but cannot plead their cause.

The lesson for us is deep and enduring: progress without compassion is not progress at all. We must question traditions that cause suffering, even when they wear the mask of necessity. We must be brave enough to admit when old methods no longer serve truth, and we must be compassionate enough to seek alternatives that honor life in all its forms. Simon’s words remind us that the path of wisdom is not only about what works, but about what is right.

Practical action lies open before us. Support research that develops alternatives to animal testing. Educate yourself on the realities of animal experimentation and lend your voice to movements that seek compassion in science. Choose products and medicines that are cruelty-free, and encourage others to do the same. And in your own life, live with reverence toward all living beings, recognizing that their suffering is not beneath notice, but a reflection of our shared existence.

So let the words of Sam Simon echo across the generations: end the experiments that do not work, and end the suffering that does not heal. For true medicine is not born of cruelty but of wisdom, not from blood but from compassion. Let us be the generation that weds progress with mercy, science with kindness, so that our children may inherit a world where healing no longer demands the price of pain inflicted upon the innocent.