Why Test on Animals When We Have Prisons Full Of Pedophiles?

I mentioned in my first post that I'd be posting about psychology and whatnot.  Another thing I'm a very big advocate of is rational thought.  Thinking before you react, essentially.  There has been an image floating around Facebook for a few days, and I think it requires some serious consideration, crappy grammar the least of my issues.  

Before any meaningful discussion on this image can take place, I think people need to understand a thing or two about pedophilia.  Pedophilia is a sexual attraction to prepubescent individuals by a person who must be at least 16 years of age and at least five years older than the victim.  According to the DSM-IV-TR, the sexual activity is, in the mind of the pedophile, educational or enjoyable for the child. (p. 571).  More on this later.  A person who is attracted to, say, a 14 year old, well-developed female is not a pedophile, but rather a hebephile.  This is a major distinction, in my mind, because after puberty, the human body is generally capable of reproduction.  A pedophile is a person who is sexually interested in those who are not yet capable of having children.  

But, many of you may be saying, "Well, so what!? How can a person hurt an innocent child!?  They must be monsters!" In fact, on the comment section, on man has this to say: 

"Give me a ball bat and a room full of child molesters'. Ya know, I never have claimed to be a badass, In my heart I believe that I could murder.  You cant stop something that powerful.  You would have to shoot me.  Anyways, moving on."

This is where my earlier comment about rationality needs be particularly stressed.  This is a person advocating taking someone's life based on what he does not understand.  This is the kind of person you are if you posted this picture.  "But they're still monsters!" you might say.  Maybe some are.  But the difference is in the thought process of a "monster" and a pedophile.  According to a former professor of clinical psychology at the university I attend, pedophiles have a completely different worldview.  You may see it as sick and disgusting, and I agree.  Having sex with a child is definitely immoral.  But how can I say that these people shouldn't be tortured? Because, you see, pedophilia is highly treatable.  Yes.  I have evidence, some of it is cited above.  But consider this:  A person who engages in pedophilia is not necessarily inherently evil.  They're doing morally wrong, but they do not understand that it is wrong.  As I said earlier, the pedophile might think it's enjoyable for the child or, consider the wild idea that maybe the child actually does.  Do these things make it less wrong? Of course not.  But, and let me be very, very clear here: Being a pedophile is not the same as being a rapist.  

A rapist is one who enjoys inflicting pain, dominance, etc.  I argue that a majority rapists are also psychopathic and/or people with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).  As evidence, I present the fact that in the diagnostic criteria for ASPD, one criterion is "forced someone into sexual activity."  Pedophiles can be rapists, yes.  But that's not what we're talking about in the topic picture.  The picture does not say "pedophiles' who rape."  Pedophilia is a nonviolent crime, until it is force. Nonviolent pedophiles have basically the same chance of reoffending as other nonviolent criminals, which means they can be treated.  Will the perverse thoughts stop? Maybe, maybe not.  Does the behavior?  Usually.  With rapists, however, the chance that he or she will reoffend is considerably higher, meaning that a rapist is much less likely to be rehabilitated in prison and therapy.

Now that we've empirically established that pedophiles are not necessarily incurable monsters, how can people, in good conscience, advocate cruel testing, torture, etc.?  My knee-jerk reaction is that people who favor such things are, in fact, as despicable as the pedophiles they hate.  After consideration, and using my rational thought, it makes more sense to me that they are just simply misinformed.  There are books, tv shows, movies, etc. that depict pedophiles as being incurably sick and twisted; think Steve Buscemi's character in Con Air.  This is, obviously not the case; pedophiles can be taught proper behavior, so let's stop the "torture the pedophiles!" crap.  Torture is wrong, regardless of who is being tortured.  I'm still grey area on the death penalty, but what I can say for sure is that criminals who commit crimes that have been empirically shown will be committed by the same person again should be locked up permanently.  They do not have the right to mingle among those of us who try to live day-by-day.  But why torture them?  That takes time, and sometimes resources.  If they choose to be tested on, then by all means.  Why not instead train them in a skill, and let them work within the walls of a prison?  Why not let them benefit society?  Some might argue that this would count as slavery, and I'm not trying to say slavery is cool; it's not, but there are alternatives to torture.

You people should be ashamed of yourselves if you still think all pedophiles should be tortured.  

***Pardon any errors, I'm writing a blog, not a paper.***