Oh, The Joy of Biology Class
I will be the first to say that I love biology. I love studying the various aspects of life and gaining a greater understanding of it. I love how biology tends to be a more hands on science, with lots of use of microscopes and labs. However, there is one thing and one thing only that truly makes me cringe whenever I think of biology; dissection.
Honestly, I understand that not everyone has the same ethical views of animals. There is nothing that can be done to change that, I've accepted it. One thing I will not accept however, is compromising my own personal morals to satisfy someone else. Starting Monday, my biology class is going on a bit of a "dissecting spree" as part of our ecology unit.
I understand that certain people feel this is a learning experience, I'm sure it is. I, however, don't agree with it, and I don't think a school should legally be allowed to obligate students to perform actions they feel are unethical. I'm not opposed to dissection because I think it's "gross" or something fickle like that, it truly, morally offends me. I don't think humans have the right to breed animals in labs, deprive them of their natural environment and make their only purpose in life to die. That's cruel to me.
I can learn the same material from a book. All year, we've learned things from pictures, diagrams and books. It works, having visual aids is nice of course, but I don't think they should cost another organism it's life. Not to mention that the majority of high school students will not even have a biology related career. This is a useless assignment.
I'm refusing to do my dissection. As of now, I have a 4.0 grade point average for this year. I have a 98% in my biology class. If I don't do these dissections, that will go down to around a 70%, assuming I do everything else in class perfectly. I would be willing to do any alternative assignment my teacher offered me, no matter how difficult or time consuming, but she won't provide me with one. I believe shes trying to scare me into dissecting.
It won't work. I'm not going to do something I'm so opposed to. I'm not going to do something I feel is inhumane and unethical. I'm not going to do something that offends me just for a science grade. I have respect for all living things. I work at an animal shelter, I don't eat animals, and I don't wear them. Why should I have to dissect them?
Honestly, I understand that not everyone has the same ethical views of animals. There is nothing that can be done to change that, I've accepted it. One thing I will not accept however, is compromising my own personal morals to satisfy someone else. Starting Monday, my biology class is going on a bit of a "dissecting spree" as part of our ecology unit.
I understand that certain people feel this is a learning experience, I'm sure it is. I, however, don't agree with it, and I don't think a school should legally be allowed to obligate students to perform actions they feel are unethical. I'm not opposed to dissection because I think it's "gross" or something fickle like that, it truly, morally offends me. I don't think humans have the right to breed animals in labs, deprive them of their natural environment and make their only purpose in life to die. That's cruel to me.
I can learn the same material from a book. All year, we've learned things from pictures, diagrams and books. It works, having visual aids is nice of course, but I don't think they should cost another organism it's life. Not to mention that the majority of high school students will not even have a biology related career. This is a useless assignment.
I'm refusing to do my dissection. As of now, I have a 4.0 grade point average for this year. I have a 98% in my biology class. If I don't do these dissections, that will go down to around a 70%, assuming I do everything else in class perfectly. I would be willing to do any alternative assignment my teacher offered me, no matter how difficult or time consuming, but she won't provide me with one. I believe shes trying to scare me into dissecting.
It won't work. I'm not going to do something I'm so opposed to. I'm not going to do something I feel is inhumane and unethical. I'm not going to do something that offends me just for a science grade. I have respect for all living things. I work at an animal shelter, I don't eat animals, and I don't wear them. Why should I have to dissect them?
probably to late for this advice but all academic programmes have a back up in the case of unforseen circumstance such as a i child not being able to attend school due to emotional or physical distress, you can argue to your teacher that as a vegan and humanitarian having to perform a dissection will casue emotional distress and you should be able to opt for the written paper alternative, if she continues to refuse, then maybe set up a meeting with her, yourself and the head of biology or year, allowing for an arbitration (sp). Its all about putting the right amount of pressure on the teaching body with scaring them into a corner, you don't want to get the reputation of a fussy student even if your right.
NeoSteph, April 14th, 2008 at 09:08:09am
I agree. -nod- That's not fair that the animals just die, for people to "learn". I've never cut open an animal in my life, and I think I'm doing just fine without it.
-hugs- I'd refuse as well.
Tulve, February 21st, 2008 at 07:26:08pm
Check to see if the animals you are dissecting have died of old age, diseases, or anything like that. In some schools they only accept animals who have died from natural causes. If not, then don't do it, you should not be obliged to do something you truly believe is wrong.
=\ I have a big problem with dissecting as well.. another biology class in my school had to dissect fetus pigs. I saw the little things with their tongues sticking out, and their little bodies all cut open.. it was horrible.
Hello, My Name Is Asshole, February 21st, 2008 at 04:55:56pm
We have the right whether to sit out or not and I do. I agree fully with you here and your teacher is being harsh, in my opinion.
I don't believe children should be forced to cut up an animal that was dead from the moment it was born. It had no life because they bred it to die.
It's wrong.
Mike Dirnt., February 21st, 2008 at 03:41:47pm
I agree with you there. The worst thing I had to dissect was a cat. :O I didn't actually do anything I just sat near my group and got a good grade for faking it entirely.
Sunshine., February 21st, 2008 at 10:32:14am
We only dissected organs from animals used in the meat trade, so while it was still dead animals, it was 'waste' rather than a whole new trade. We looked at lungs, hearts and eyeballs from cows, sheep and pigs. I didn't agree with the whole idea of it, it seemed a pointless exercise in the 21st century when we know everything we could be taught from cutting up these organs anyway.
You shouldn't be forced into something you morally disagree with, especially when it is all in text books. Some people do learn from seeing/touching/doing, but if you don't there's no need for you to do something you so strongly oppose.
girl almighty, February 21st, 2008 at 07:37:16am
o_o You should really talk to someone in your school about this, whether it's your teacher, counselor, administrator, whatever. I'm sure you're not the only one in your school who feels this way. You shouldn't be forced into doing anything against your morals. That shouldn't even be legal.
My school gives you the option of whether or not to participate in dissections. If you don't want to, you would be given an alternate assignment.
asthenia., February 21st, 2008 at 01:35:04am
My biology teacher said that he'd make an exception for me because I'm a vegan and, in his own words "I couldn't even get you to touch the jar of frogs, let alone cut one up". :3
Bone Machine, February 21st, 2008 at 12:08:04am
Omfg, we talked about this earlier. :D
I did good in Biology.
Until it came down to me not participating in the dissection unit, cause Neil ate a rat testicle and threw the second one at me..
O__O
I hate dissecting.
Especially when I heard that someone in our class dissected a pregnant rat.
Poor little ugly rat babies..
:[
captain america, February 20th, 2008 at 10:47:20pm
Kurtni, thank you for typing this. It seems like more and more people where I live seem to giggle over these matters as if killing something is just a big joke to them. It's disgusting.
Obviously this teacher of yours has something up her ass, at least at the moment, as far as I am aware of from reading this. That's like telling somebody who is Christian to study and practice Satanism.
Kyra, February 20th, 2008 at 09:57:31pm