Written by Grace Brosofsky for the sake of animals
For most people, dissection is accepted as part of a good, hands-on education. However, the much-hidden truth about dissection makes it clear that it should be no part of ethical schooling. This truth is that dissection hurts everyone- animals, the environment, and even the students whom it is supposed to help educate- making it hard to understand why it is considered anything close to "education".
First and foremost, dissection unnecessarily takes the lives of millions of innocent animals every year. The animals sold by science supply companies are not simply gathered after their natural deaths as many students believe. Instead they are bred to be brutally killed, bought from other inhumane industries such as factory and fur farming, or taken by "bunchers" who seize strays, animals being given free-of-cost to people offering a "good home", and sometimes even pets that are taken illegally without payment. Supply companies have been revealed to treat animals with revolting cruelty under the cover of their claims to "enrich the educational experience" with their products. One large American supply seller was shown to have forced formaldehyde into living cats- the same animals that serve as beloved and often pampered companions to many American families. In Mexico, homeless children were paid one dollar for every cat they collected, and the gathered animals were then crammed together into a sack and drowned to be purchased by American businesses such as Southwestern Scientific. These are only a few of the numerous cases of cruelty that show the truth behind cutting for education. It is clear that the lives of innocent animals of many kinds being destroyed should be no part of humane education.
Furthermore, dissection has been shown to negatively affect the very people who are supposed to benefit from it- students. The formaldehyde and formaldehyde-based substances used to preserve dead animals being dissected can cause numerous health problems. Included among these are lung, throat, and nasal cancer, all which most strive to avoid. Undoubtedly, students should not be made to participate in an activity that could potentially make them at a greater risk for diseases that could take their lives. People have also had mental illnesses and violence partially induced by dissecting. When students are taught to cut dead animals into pieces, they are subtly taught to think of life as less and less valuable and become cold to what they are doing. For example, Jeffrey Dahmer, an infamous murderer, admitted that academic dissection was what prompted him to be attracted to killing and mutilation. Few can argue that education should not involve making students more inclined to murder.
Lastly, schools today try to teach environmental consciousness but at the same time are harming our planet through dissection. The killing of the most-often dissected animals- frogs- causes the ecosystem to become off-balanced, and insects grow to be a significant issue. When insects increase in number because of the decrease of frogs, insect-carried diseases become more prominent, food supplies become damaged, and more toxic insecticides are used. Furthermore, the discarding of toxin-covered dead animals can also inflict environmental problems. The toxic chemicals released can kill wild animals and make our land, water, and food all more polluted. Why dissect when doing so hurts everyone? The answer is that there is no reason for dissection, especially when there are effective and cost-efficient alternatives such as computer-simulated dissections and life-like models. The truth is clear- we need to stop making an activity that so greatly harms animals, students, and the environment "education". Make a difference and take a stand against this inhumane practice by signing this petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopdissection/.
Information Source: http://www.peta2.com/COLLEGE/c-lowdown.asp.
