Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
New York Court to Decide if Chimps Are People Too
A US court has never been asked to consider the question "Who is a person?" in the same way that a New York appeals court will have to answer it in a case that started today.
This case is the first of its kind and raises the issue of whether high-order animals — non-human primates, dolphins, elephants, and orcas — are people and entitled to certain rights as people.
Tommy the chimpanzee, 26, is at the center of the case. He is owned by a human and spends his days watching television in upstate New York, where disagreements have arisen about his living conditions
. https://news.vice.com/article/new-york-court-to-decide-if-chimps-are-people-too?utm_source=vicenewstwitter
This case is the first of its kind and raises the issue of whether high-order animals — non-human primates, dolphins, elephants, and orcas — are people and entitled to certain rights as people.
Tommy the chimpanzee, 26, is at the center of the case. He is owned by a human and spends his days watching television in upstate New York, where disagreements have arisen about his living conditions
I know at first look this may tempt people to make light of the issue, but consider this, further down the article:
The Nonhuman Rights Project's lawsuits are rooted in genetic, cognitive, physiological, evolutionary, and taxonomic evidence that the plaintiffs are autonomous, self-aware, self-determining, and able to choose how to live their lives, as provided by some of the world's greatest working primatologists," the organization said in a statement.
Dr. Alasdair Cochrane, an animal rights expert at the University of Sheffield, UK, told the London Evening Standard that he sees the divide that separates human rights and animal rights shrinking.
"As the advanced powers of other animals, such as chimpanzees, becomes better understood, it is little surprise that the legal wall that divides humans from other animals is being chipped away. It is my view that it is just a matter of time until it crumbles," he said.
Dr. Alasdair Cochrane, an animal rights expert at the University of Sheffield, UK, told the London Evening Standard that he sees the divide that separates human rights and animal rights shrinking.
"As the advanced powers of other animals, such as chimpanzees, becomes better understood, it is little surprise that the legal wall that divides humans from other animals is being chipped away. It is my view that it is just a matter of time until it crumbles," he said.
38 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
the rules in my house...All shrimps R His....
