Imagine that a more evolved human-like life form comes to our planet from space. They have a society that has advanced far beyond ours, but they still suffer from terrible diseases. They see us as a primitive life form, but remarkably, we share 90% of their genome, making us excellent research subjects. They begin taking away our family members to live the rest of their lives in solitary confinement to be inflicted with disease, then killed, then autopsied and incinerated to benefit their species. After many decades, they begin to see that, although we are much more primitive than they are, we are a form of intelligent life with thoughts and feelings that should be allowed to live free. They stop their research and send a representative to us to express their regret and sorrow for what they have done.

That is what We Are Sorry is about. It places you, the viewer, in the position of the research animal. You will then have to ask yourself whether animal research is acceptable if you are the animal.

The defenders of animal research say that it has benefited us, especially in areas of treating or curing terrible diseases. I do not deny that animal research has greatly benefited our species, but is it right for us to take animals, imprison them in tiny cages, mutilate them, inflict disease on them, cause them to suffer, kill them, cut them up, examine them and then incinerate them because we want less disease for us? We would not think of using abandoned children, the mentally ill or even convicted murders as research subjects against their will, because it is wrong. We only use humans as research subjects when they provide reasoned and informed consent, knowing the risks involved. Animals have no such protection. They are raised in bleak laboratory conditions, never experiencing a normal day with sun, moon and stars, for the sole purpose of being inflicted with procedures too terrible for humans.

Mice share 90% of their genome with humans, and chimpanzees share 94%. Because of this close genetic similarity, we must assume that research animals experience the world in a way similar to ours. They are not mere automatons without feelings. In our society, we do not believe that the end justifies the means. No matter how noble the goal of eliminating human diseases, it is wrong to do research on animals as a means to that end.