Letter to Instructor (adapt to fit your situation)
Date
Name of Instructor
Department Name
School Name
Address
Dear ______:
I am enrolled in [name of class]. I have just learned that all students are required to participate in an assignment involving dissection. I will be unable to participate in the dissection because of my sincerely held religious and moral beliefs about the sanctity of all life.
Accordingly, I respectfully request that you provide me with an alternative that will not involve my direct or indirect participation in the dissection of any animal that has been killed for the purpose of a classroom dissection or at a slaughterhouse.
I would appreciate hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
[Your Name]
Click here to download and customize this letter. Present it to your instructor, or leave it in his or her mailbox on campus.
Letter to the Editor of Your Local Paper (adapt for your situation)
Date
Letters to the Editor
Name of Newspaper
Address
Dear Editor:
Animal dissection, which was first used in classrooms in the early part of the last century, is still being used in some [Name of School] classes. In recent years, dissection has been increasingly scrutinized. Experts have reevaluated the educational worth and morality of cutting up animals just to “see how they work.”
Compassionate students want to study biology without dissecting animals. Sophisticated computer simulations, videodiscs, and models have been developed to meet the needs of these students. All the studies of this issue show that students who use alternatives perform as well or better than students who use dissection.
Biology is the study of life and should teach respect for life, not devalue it by treating living beings as disposable objects. By using humane teaching methods, instructors can teach science and ethics simultaneously.
Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
[Your Name]
[Your Daytime Phone Number]
Click here to download and customize this letter. Then check local and school newspapers for info on where to submit letters to the editor.
