ANSWERS:

Danica, age 19: Yes, it is. Meat is already dead, but that doesn't mean it makes it a better idea to eat it. Dissection is a cruel and unneccesary practice. And they are dead FOR dissection; they didn't just find a frog on the side of the road and plop it onto your desk. You can learn everything you need to know about the innards of a frog or mouse or pig, etc. by looking on the Internet or in a textbook. And that is always an option in biology class.

Angie, age 17: It doesn't matter if the animal is dead already, because it teaches students that it is okay to cut up animals. Many sick and twisted serial killers started out as fans of dissection and moved on to killing stray cats to cut up.

Laura, age 16: The way they get these animals is suspicious, and the chemicals used to preserve them can harm the environment. Kids can sometimes develop a morbid fascination with animal abuse ... I mean, it's rare, but I've seen it happen due to dissection. If you want to see an animal's innards, contact local veterinarians who usually will professionally dissect (for youth groups, Pony Club, etc.) animals in front of several people; you'll learn more and the animal will have been donated. Consider asking your school to consider using a professional veterinary dissection ... it's cheaper in the long run, more educational and a lot more ethical.

The other advantage is that veterinarians often use larger animals like cows, horses or pigs, so it'll be easier to learn (also more interesting ... ever held a horse's gut or pancreas)? I'd say the Pony Club is your best bet - most regions have them and host leg dissections. Oh, and if it's for school (especially if it's a frog, cat, or fetal pig) a google.com websearch of "____ dissection" usually yields a couple of results. So there are always alternatives.

Liz, age 22: In my opinion, yes, it is. An animal had to die NEEDLESSLY so that preteens and highschool kids can cut them open? Animals are animals. If you wouldn't do it to your pet, why would you do it to another animal? The way these animals are taken and killed is also cruel, in my opinion. To learn more, visit Animalearn.org.

Matthew, age 26: Dissection is indeed very bad. In a perfect world, they would find animals that died naturally and use them for dissection, but the truth is that these animals are raised and killed for the purpose of dissection. By taking part in dissection, you are contributing to the demand, and those companies that produce the animals for dissection will continue to raise and kill them. Hope this helps.