I think that it could be justified if it were the only end to the means. If we

I think that it could be justified if it were the only end to the means. If we could not safely experiment on humans or human cells, I think that experimenting on animals could be justified. We as humans cannot justify giving human life to test medicines that could possibly kill or seriously harm the person involved. The closest we can get to human experimentation sometimes is animal experimentation and I feel that if it is the only option, it is morally ok but not encouraged. I do not think animals should be made out to suffer just because we can make them but only out of necessity. We use animals for food so experimenting is arguably not far off from that standpoint.
2) I do think that this action violates the “Golden Rule” if we agree that it applies across species lines. I would not want someone to experiment on me and let me suffer therefore it violates this rule. I cannot say that this violation makes it totally immoral as in my eyes it would be more immoral to let people die from an illness that can be cured if allowed to be tested. It is in more of a morally grey area for me personally and it could be taken to either side. I think it is more circumstancial, we should only do it if we have to not because we want to.
3) I think it mainly violates the moral values of respect particularly for other lives. By experimenting on these animals and impacting their value of life, we are disrespecting their whole being. We also lose the value of kindess as torturing and inflecting pain on another is anything but kind. We do not feel compassion for them either as researchers inflict this pain on them without any reprecussions, they just become a statistic. This action unforutanely violates many of our morally important values.
4) I do not think it is necessarily specieist or as moally bad as racism. Animals are not built on the same intellectual level as humans and are for the most part, put on this earth for us to use for our benefit. I do not know if I believe that animals could experience a concept like racism. Animals know no better than what they are given and mostly at our disposal. I think they should be respected regardless of this viewpoint but not to the rights standard of humans.
5) I do believe that it violates the rights of animals to not be used in a minimal manner. I have always believed that if animals are to be used/killed for our benefit, they should be used in every way possible as their life is not a waste. In my eyes, this value is also abused by trophy hunters that kill big game for the head or trophy just to dispose of the body. Every animals deserved to be respected and valued as a life, just in different scales than humans.