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Dad introduced butchering animals to me at age 7-8 and I ws helping him no big deal .
My son took right to cleaning fish he loved fishing .
Kids need to know where their food comes from.
It's completely different at the university and college level. I simply don't think small children should be watching that. I bet some have nightmares. In highschool we dissected frogs, fetal pigs and snakes, etc and that was fine but elementary school age kids? I don't think so. Also it appears these were fresh as there are pictures of kids holding their noses while frozen and preserved animals don't smell except of formaldehyde.
Have you ever pulled the MSDS (material safety data sheets) on formaldehyde? Here is one link, but I don't know the concentration for preserving lab animals: http://avogadro.chem.iastate.edu/MSDS/formaldehyde.htm. I would think that nightmares could be healthier. Actually I had witnessed one woman almost die from formaldehyde exposure. Some people are more sensitive than others.
So it was an educational program that the people knew they were attending. It's not as if they just started hacking it open as unassuming tots passed by.
Reading the headline I thought it was good idea. They should definitely practice dissection on the lion before they move on to the children.
It would be even better biology lesson - wouldn't it? I mean when the barriers are removed for children at the young age, when that creature they awe at in the Zoo is cut up in front of them in order to demonstrate to them, that's what we are all made of - these red bloody organs and not much else; wouldn't that be interesting to see the difference firsthand - between the organs of the lion/giraffe and human organs? Just a more advanced lesson of biology, nothing else.
When RUSSIANS are protesting this kind of stuff - you know things are going terribly wrong I think.
How do you think our veterinarians learn? Many have dissected cats. I don't know if our schools still do it? But in the 1970s and 80's I saw many skids of cats, brought in from Mexico, shipped to our colleges and universities. I worked on a freight dock back then. They came six in a bag and marked as to what sex. I forget how many on a skid; but it was probably over fifty. We did not have the stomach to euthanize and then dissect; so we relied on another country for our supplies.
Possibly Denmark is simply training the veterinarians of the future?
I'm sure not only veterinarians but real doctors are trained on animals while dissecting them.
We need doctors, we need veterinarians and we need farmers that know how to raise and butcher animals.
These people have their call, which usually come later in life; hats off to them for doing what they are doing. This kind of activities require first hand experience, and once these people hear their call, (which is usually more mature decision,) indeed they need to learn their trade inside and out.
But the world needs poets and gentle souls as well; so introducing children at early age to "practical side" of life might bring quite adverse reaction as well. To some it might be an unnecessary shock, to some it might cause pain, and to some - a free ticket to kill and dissect someone else's cat behind the neighbor's garage. Hey, it's all about biology - isn't it?
I recall having to hang a deer in the basement because it was -25 outside in the garage. I had concerns that my daughter, who was 7 at the time, might be traumatized by the gutted critter hanging there to unthaw.
Was I ever surprised when I came home the next day, and her and 3-4 neighborhood girls were down there playing with their dolls, about 6 feet from bambi. No trauma at all, in fact, they had some questions which I answered about the biology of the deer.
My daughter's biggest question was if she could help skin it.
This was in an urban area, where I was the only parent who hunted. Today? My daughter would not think of going hunting but she does understand why others do.
Kids are not as 'grossed out' and sensitive as we all worry about. Keeping it real works wonders.
SOME kids. The ones you happen to know.
But others might react quite differently.
Why not? I bet they grow up thinking their steak comes from the grocery store... on a Styrofoam platter wrapped in plastic.
It is VERY educational.
Is it?
So in order to be "educational" - children can't just hear about it, they need to SEE it for themselves? But why? What for?
You know, forensic investigators don't need to study their stuff while practicing all kind of crimes. Although it might be "VERY educational."
Location: In a little house on the prairie - literally
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Quote:
Originally Posted by erasure
Is it?
So in order to be "educational" - children can't just hear about it, they need to SEE it for themselves? But why? What for?
You know, forensic investigators don't need to study their stuff while practicing all kind of crimes. Although it might be "VERY educational."
Guess you have never been in a high school biology class, or a university one.
Why oh why do we want to keep reality from children?
Let me tell you another real story. As I said, we lived in an urban area where my kids grew up. I had a cabin out in the woods, and one day, my daughter asked if the neighbors daughter could come along. I was a bit concerned again, because we did rural stuff, like going fishing and shooting guns. I told her I would talk to her friends dad, as I wanted to tell him what the situation was, and if he was OK if his daughter could also shoot the .22 at targets, just like my kids. I didn't want the little girl to feel like an outsider, but I also wanted her parents to know what might occur out there.
He and his wife were OK with it, as they knew me.
We went fishing, and my rule with my kids was, you catch it, you clean it. The little girl was told the same thing, but I told her I would show her how.
Well we got a number of pike, with her catching two. A very excited 9 year old. I showed her with the first one, and when I sliced open the belly, I noticed the stomach was extended.
I told her, and my kids, that this was unusual, and I would open it up. Inside was a fair sized perch, but what was even more unusual, the perch and a minnow in ITS mouth. All the kids got to see the entire food chain there, which was fascinating too them.
As we drove home, a road kill porcupine laid on the side of the road. My 7 year old son wanted me to stopped, as he wanted to get some quills for show and tell. We did, and the little neighbor girl wanted to go see it also. I again was concerned about traumatizing her, as who knew what condition the road kill was in? I told her it might not be pretty, an to come back if she was grossed out. Well, she barely got to the road kill, and came running back. Again, I was concerned.
She came up to my window and said.... "Mr. XYZ, can I borrow your knife?"
"Why?", I asked, relieved that she was OK.
"I want to cut the porcupine open and see its stomach and see what it ate.", was her reply!!!!
I just about choked laughing, and had to explain to her, that perhaps that was not the best idea.
So, kids do not get traumatized as much as you think, and their natural curiosity can become wonderful educational moments.
Don't pre-judge.
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I mean when the barriers are removed for children at the young age, when that creature they awe at in the Zoo is cut up in front of them in order to demonstrate to them, that's what we are all made of - these red bloody organs and not much else; wouldn't that be interesting to see the difference firsthand - between the organs of the lion/giraffe and human organs? Just a more advanced lesson of biology, nothing else. 
