Dissecting a fetal pig while being vegetarian and pro-choice?

Question

Alright, I'm going to start this question out by saying that I am a vegetarian and I am pro-choice.

Well in my Biology class we are going to dissect a fetal pig and I don't want to because I consider it animal cruelty even if they were put to death peacefully. My issue is if I am pro-choice then shouldnt I be alright with the dissection since it is still a fetus?

I'm kind of confused with my own beliefs right now, so if anyone understands my issue and has some sort of reply it would be great!

Answer 1

You were not the parent, and the parent wasnt given consent, so I dont think you should.

Answer 2

I don't see what being pro-choice has to do with it. It seems like you would be against dissecting any animal, fetus or not, am I right? Just cause someone is pro-choice doesn't mean they support cruelty to animals who don't have a choice. I suppose I could only see where this belief would come into play is if you were dissecting human fetuses. In which case, someone who is pro choice might be okay with it. I'm not sure, I'd still be grossed out, but I guess I wouldn't have a moral objection.

If you don't want to do the dissection, talk to your teacher about your options. This came up twice for me when I was in school (frogs though). The first time, I (and the other kids who didn't want to do it), were allowed to do observations of live chickens and chicks the school kept in the courtyard. We had to fill out the same worksheet and report, but got to play with the baby chickens instead. The second time was in high school, and since we were in groups of 5 to each frog, I was the notekeeper for my group. I tried not to look, but it's a bit like a car accident. It was gross. Anyway, talk to your teacher and see what you can work out.

Answer 3

It goes against your conscience for a reason.
Standfast to your beliefs. I am pro-choice too
but would never dissect. I don't think it's my
place to dictate to a woman what to do with
her body. Nor is it any other man's place.
It's also not my place to mutilate or dissect
anything outside of my own body.
I think that Dennis Kucinich is a spokesman
for us both. He's a pro-choice vegan who wants
to make resources, funds, and viable options
available to women in distress so that the number
of terminated pregnancies can be reduced.
I like this better than a blanketed policy that
robs women of a right to choose and allows
many children to grow up in poverty and suffering.

But I'll shut up here and not go on. This really isn't
the place to defend such a postion.

Answer 4

We had to dissect a fetal pig in Anatomy, mind you this was HUMAN anatomy. I never really got why we would dissect an animal in that class.

This is kind of a grey area for me. I took Zoology where we dissected a variety of animals. It was a learning experience for me though because I hope to become a Vet one day.

I couldn't bring myself to do the fetal pig though, I sat out for that one.

Answer 5

Yeah I'm the same as you! Vegetarian and pro-choice.
Biology is one of my favorite classes and next year I'm signed up for AP Biology AND anatomy and physiology. Both require dissection.
I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it. I'm trying not to think about it.
I want to be a doctor or vet when I grow up, so I'm probably going to have to dissect anyways : [

Answer 6

It all depends on how you feel about it and not what people dictate to you is right or wrong...

Seek your options and find out if you can do something else instead to make up that grade. You won't ever know until you consult your professor and tell them about your beliefs and how being a vegan puts you in an uncomfortable situation when it comes to cutting open the baby pig. But considering you're in school and the grade is important... :-(

Answer 7

[peeking my head over the garden fence from neighbouring Cooking & Recipes]

Aren't you looking at the death element to the exclusion of the purpose?

If you're going to have to make a moral judgement here, it's in the end going to have to be about whether you subscribe to the purpose of the dissection. The death element is already a fait accompli, and you have already stated that your fundamental position is rooted in choice. In that case, *your* choice can surely only be centred around 'can I see an element of the greater good?' in this dissection (which can and must include your further education towards the greater good of your studies overall). If not, then your course is reasonably straight forward. Your pro-choice stance does not exclude yourself: you, too, therefore can make a decisive choice.

If, on balance, you can see nothing redemptive in the dissection vs your fundamental beliefs, then the choice is equally simple: you'd have to reject the proposition to dissect?

A pensive, empathetic carnivore's thoughts... :-/

Answer 8

This pig is already dead, and not at your hands. I want to point out to you that medicine and humanity have made wonderful strides in preventing and treating illnesses over the past decades, and none of this would be possible without intimate knowledge of the biology of living things. I know it seems terrible, but there is something greater at play here than this fetal pig. If you were in need of an operation, you owuldn't want a doctor who was never inside of hte actual thing, would you? I'm not saying you're going to be a doctor (probably not), but I just want to point out there are valid reasons for performing dissections.

Answer 9

The pig who was going to give birth to the little baby pig didn't have a choice, now did she?

You are Pro-Choice, not pro-force.
Also, just because someone is pro-choice, does not mean she thinks it should be a huge practice, let alone a huge business.

Good luck and stand strong.
:)

Answer 10

Pretend to be Hindu, and maybe they'll let you dissect a fetal dog instead.

Answer 11

They cant force you to do it, if it goes against your beliefs. I refused long ago in school, which didnt cause any problem, my choice was respected and I was given homework instead.
I'm pro-life so to me it's all the same, fetus or a born animal. But I dont know what to suggest in your case. In my opinion it is still animal cruelty. I mean, where do you think they got that pig's fetus from? It still supports the idea of factory farming, slaughter and using animals for human benefit.