Guest guest Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 hi there, I faced this issue when I was in high school as well. I live in (sometimes) narrow-minded North Carolina and one day in biology class our teacher brought out a box of dead baby pigs. I told the teacher I refused, and she sent me to our guidance counselor. She must have misunderstood my straight-forward complaint, because the next day I was in a different class, this one was only going to dissect frogs. This was 13 years ago, but I finally was allowed to complete the Test question of the " lab " without ever cutting open anyone. It did, however take till the end of the year for my (very supportive) mom to get the teacher to not count the lab against me (as a 0 it lowered my grade) Thankfully I didn't grow up to be a surgeon, because I still don't know much about the insides of animals. I am a mom of 3 (9, 3, 2) and I know all about the outsides and how to treat ALL life with respect. In all the instances were I've had to stand up for my values and ethics I have found that eventually someone has to bend; so just stay firm, rational and unbendable and soon they'll just want to get rid of you BTW: No allergies in this house and we LOVE tofurky almost as much as pumpkin pie. Good luck to everyone fighting the battle, Jodi P.S. Hi to all my friends I haven't talked to in a while. My best friend (in another state) just had a baby and there were some complications. I just got back from a month and a half of no email in Texas Good to see you all again. HAPPY THANKSGIVING! cristene bailey [maibee23] Sunday, November 21, 2004 10:49 AM Re: HELP!!!! I have to say something in reply to this post. something that I am not proud of. I am currently training to become a reg. vet tech. in my bio classes we did disection. at first I was terribly opposed to it. when I made my beliefs known they made it known to me that I could dissect or get out! so of course- I did the dissection. I hate to admit it but it made ALL of the difference. I now understand the body and it's parts better than if I didn't do the dissecting. I hate to admit it, though and feel terribly guilty. but I know it helped me and made me that much better and more educated in my field. but I agree- for students in high school-who won't actually be doing surgery, or at least I hope not, a video would do. cristene This practice should be stopped. Animals should not be raised for the purpose of dissection in a science class, when a video would teach the same thing. The video could then be distributed to all public schools. The problems is that the companies raising animals for this purpose would go out of business. awwww! If your son's science teacher does not want to compromise, then I would allow my child call in sick for the day. I have 3 children, my son 18, daughter 10, and baby 8 months, so I will be facing this issue as well. I do understand the purpose of dissection for those special people in training to be veterinarians....but for the rest of us...wouldn't a mere video do? Adela sdw1255<sdw1255 wrote: Yesterday, my 14-year-old son Greg, came home from school VERY upset. It seems that they are to do dissection of animals in his science class, I think a fetal sheep. I have just written an email to his science teacher to request an alternative learning activity for him, and expressing my complete support of his unwillingness to engage in that activity. I've explained that he's a vegetarian, that he is willing to do an alternative lesson, and that his aversion is consistent with his ethics, and his choices on a daily basis in his life. I'm hoping it won't get any more difficult than this, and that when I hear back, it will be a positive response. But I want to be prepared if it isn't. I wonder if anybody with kids in public schools have faced this issue? Or if anyone knows of other resources I might consult in case I have to advocate more strongly? Any advice or direction to other resources would be most helpful. Thank you! Susie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 In High School also in NC I was exempt from disection. I think it was a decision on my teacher's part rather than a state-wide protection. My teacher chose to automatically exempt vegetarians from having to do disection. Everyone else had to do it. My college biology course was a different story. I had a hard-nosed professor who forced his students to skin a frog to study muscles. I dropped out of the biology class and changed my major after that. It was a horrible experience. Renee --- Jodi <me4u wrote: > > hi there, > > I faced this issue when I was in high school as > well. I live in (sometimes) > narrow-minded North Carolina and one day in biology > class our teacher > brought out a box of dead baby pigs. I told the > teacher I refused, and she > sent me to our guidance counselor. She must have > misunderstood my > straight-forward complaint, because the next day I > was in a different class, > this one was only going to dissect frogs. This was > 13 years ago, but I > finally was allowed to complete the Test question of > the " lab " without ever > cutting open anyone. It did, however take till the > end of the year for my > (very supportive) mom to get the teacher to not > count the lab against me (as > a 0 it lowered my grade) Thankfully I didn't grow up > to be a surgeon, > because I still don't know much about the insides of > animals. I am a mom of > 3 (9, 3, 2) and I know all about the outsides and > how to treat ALL life with > respect. > > In all the instances were I've had to stand up for > my values and ethics I > have found that eventually someone has to bend; so > just stay firm, rational > and unbendable and soon they'll just want to get rid > of you > > BTW: No allergies in this house and we LOVE tofurky > almost as much as > pumpkin pie. > > Good luck to everyone fighting the battle, > > Jodi > > P.S. Hi to all my friends I haven't talked to in a > while. My best friend (in > another state) just had a baby and there were some > complications. I just got > back from a month and a half of no email in Texas > Good to see you all > again. > > > HAPPY THANKSGIVING! > > cristene bailey [maibee23] > Sunday, November 21, 2004 10:49 AM > > Re: HELP!!!! > > > > I have to say something in reply to this post. > something that I am not > proud of. I am currently training to become a reg. > vet tech. in my bio > classes we did disection. at first I was terribly > opposed to it. when I made > my beliefs known they made it known to me that I > could dissect or get out! > so of course- I did the dissection. I hate to admit > it but it made ALL of > the difference. I now understand the body and it's > parts better than if I > didn't do the dissecting. I hate to admit it, though > and feel terribly > guilty. but I know it helped me and made me that > much better and more > educated in my field. but I agree- for students in > high school-who won't > actually be doing surgery, or at least I hope not, a > video would do. > cristene > This practice should be stopped. Animals should > not be raised for the > purpose of dissection in a science class, when a > video would teach the same > thing. The video could then be distributed to all > public schools. The > problems is that the companies raising animals for > this purpose would go out > of business. awwww! > > If your son's science teacher does not want to > compromise, then I would > allow my child call in sick for the day. > > I have 3 children, my son 18, daughter 10, and > baby 8 months, so I will > be facing this issue as well. > > I do understand the purpose of dissection for > those special people in > training to be veterinarians....but for the rest of > us...wouldn't a mere > video do? > > Adela > > > sdw1255<sdw1255 wrote: > > Yesterday, my 14-year-old son Greg, came home > from school VERY upset. It > seems that they are to do dissection of animals > in his science class, I > think a > fetal sheep. I have just written an email to his > science teacher to > request an > alternative learning activity for him, and > expressing my complete > support of > his unwillingness to engage in that activity. > > I've explained that he's a vegetarian, that he > is willing to do an > alternative lesson, and that his aversion is > consistent with his ethics, > and his choices > on a daily basis in his life. I'm hoping it > won't get any more difficult > than > this, and that when I hear back, it will be a > positive response. > > But I want to be prepared if it isn't. I wonder > if anybody with kids in > public schools have faced this issue? Or if > anyone knows of other > resources I might > consult in case I have to advocate more > strongly? > > Any advice or direction to other resources would > be most helpful. > > Thank you! > Susie > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] For more information about vegetarianism, please > visit the VRG website > at http://www.vrg.org<http://www.vrg.org/> and for > materials especially > useful for families go to > http://www.vrg.org/family.This<http://www.vrg.org/family.This> > is a > discussion list and is not intended to provide > personal medical advice. > Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified > health professional. > > edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained > from a qualified health > professional. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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