A weary high school student stands, scalpel in hand, over
the corpse of a creature who once breathed and felt emotions such as joy
and sadness. The student is then instructed to dissect the remains of this
creature. As the scalpel is lowered to the flesh, the little, if any,
knowledge gained from this experience is overtaken by the insurmountable
loss of something far greater: the human conscience.
The violent and outdated method of teaching science
through animal dissections in high schools and universities is not just
wrong; it's absurd. Dissection attempts to advance an individual's
knowledge at the expense of human character. It desensitizes youth and for
some, may cause lasting emotional damage. It discourages education, and it
is disrespectful towards individuals who have deeply held religious and
moral beliefs of nonviolence towards animals.
The Humane Society of the United States estimates that
twelve million animals are dissected each year in high schools across the
US. Frogs, fetal pigs, and cats are among the most common animals
dissected. Many ethical issues are being raised concerning the businesses
which supply dissected animals. Some animals are inhumanely raised at
breeding facilities while others are caught in the wild or are stolen
companion animals.
Life is life. All living creatures experience the same
emotions. All creatures have the capabilities to feel happiness as well as
suffering. Dissection desensitizes students to the sanctity of all life.
It devalues non-human forms of life and teaches violence. We live in a
world where we have seen the effects teaching violence has had, and we
should therefore make the connection and put forth a greater effort to
instill in today's youth lessons in kindness. In an interview with the
news program Dateline before his death, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer
stated, "In 9th grade, in biology class, we had the usual dissection of
fetal pigs, and I took the remains of that [pig] home and kept the
skeleton of it, and I just started branching out to dogs, cats." To some,
cutting up an animal may give the dissector a feeling of excitement and
power which can lead to a deeper fascination with killing, as was the case
with Jeffrey Dahmer.
In the past few years, students have begun to speak up and
take stands against dissection. Ten states currently have laws stating
that a student has the right to an alternative assignment in any K-12
dissection. Even U.S. medical schools are making progress. According to
the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 85 of 126 U.S. medical
schools have discontinued the practice of using animals for training
doctors and all except two medical schools in the United States offer
their students non-animal alternatives.
This past school year, I was faced with participating in a
dissection of a fetal pig in my biology class. I refused to participate in
the dissection and sacrifice my belief that all animals have rights and
was therefore offered no other option but to drop the class halfway
through the semester. Why are students who value life being turned away
from education? Why should those with the courage to speak up for their
beliefs be punished?
Animal dissection is an unnecessary practice because of
computer simulations and other alternatives that are presently available.
It is crucial that the absurdity of dissection be realized so that both
human and non-human animal rights are no longer impinged upon.
What essence of an individual gives his or her life value?
I believe that one can be most strongly defined by his or her conscience
and ethical beliefs.
In conclusion, I refer back to the words of someone who
also stood up for his conscience, Martin Luther King, Jr., "There comes a
time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political,
nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him that it
is right."
For additional resources on Animal Dissection, laws in
your state, or how to stand up and implement a student choice policy at
your school, please view the following websites:
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
www.pcrm.org
InterNICHE
http://www.interniche.org/
National Anti-Vivisection Society
www.navs.org
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