Witnessing Autopsies

I was appalled and angered to read that an anti-gang program was being developed by the coroner’s office that would require gang members to witness a slain gang member’s post-mortem examination (Jan. 24) and that this is to be funded by $50,000 appropriated by the Board of Supervisors.

As a psychologist I know that a traumatic experience such as witnessing a post-mortem examination will not teach a young adult how to respect and value another life. At best it will teach them to further objectify human life and numb them further from their feelings of compassion and concern for others. At worst it could result in a post-traumatic stress syndrome, which they may already be suffering from, as a result of having to survive their childhood in an unpredictable, violent environment.

The article suggests that if these young adults were to learn, intervention needs to occur when they are younger. This is true. The early intervention needs to be good early child care, education and health care. If these young adults were valued early on they would have learned to value and respect others. To expose them as young adults to post-mortem examinations where a human is so dehumanized will teach them to further dehumanize people and serve to further harden their hearts. Is this what we want to teach?

REBECCA ROJAS

Whittier