Last week Dr. Thrasher came into class and discussed his new book, “The Viral Underclass.” I thought Dr. Thrasher raised many interesting perspectives that I had not previously considered. For example, though I learned about the Atlantic Slave Trade during my previous schooling, I never thought of it from a public health perspective. The Atlantic Slave Trade did contribute heavily to the spread of diseases in an unprecedented way, all in the name of profit.

There were other points, like speciesism, which I had never heard of before. I can’t say I fully agree with his logic. In my eyes, human beings are and will always be superior to all other lifeforms on this Earth and deserve priority over those other living beings. However, his point was valid to the extent that we can redefine our relationship with animals to make the world safer and healthier.