|
|
Post by franko on Jun 21, 2006 8:55:10 GMT -5
Spanish MPs push for apes' rights Spanish Socialist MPs hope to persuade parliament to back a landmark project seeking human-like rights for apes such as chimpanzees and orang-utans.
Campaigners say the intelligence and self-awareness shown by apes mean they deserve rights to life, freedom and protection from torture.
Parliament's support would not be law, but would mean a commitment to the work of the NGO, the Great Ape Project.
The proposal has raised eyebrows and opposition in many areas.
One Spanish archbishop described the idea as ridiculous.
But for conservationists and Green MPs behind the proposal, it is a serious issue.
Green MP Francisco Garrido, who proposed the motion, says these creatures "so close to humans" have until now been considered as "mere objects or play things".
"The great apes have been tortured, mistreated, enslaved and murdered," he says on his website. "The habitats where their live have been wiped out and, according to the UN, they are in serious danger of extinction."
His colleague, Green MP David Hammerstein, told the BBC's World Today programme: "They show a degree of intelligence and awareness and, indeed, self-awareness.
"Their social and emotional needs are at the same level as handicapped people, small children, elderly, mentally impaired people - and they all have rights."
He insisted that they were not asking that the apes be given "legal or human rights".
"What we are talking about is very basic legal protection of rights which will guarantee each chimpanzee, bonobo or orang-utan the opportunity to live out his or her life according to his or her best interest," he said.
But Professor Steve Jones, of London University, says the idea is an "overstatement of what science, what biology can tell you".
"As most people know, chimpanzees share about 98% of our DNA, but bananas share about 50% of our DNA and we are not 98% chimpanzee or 50% banana, we are entirely human and unique in that respect," he said.
"It is simply a mistake to use an entirely human construct, which is rights, and apply it to an animal, which is not human. Rights come with responsibility and I've never seen a chimp being fined for stealing a plate of bananas."
Archbishop of Pamplona and Tudela Fernando Sebastian said he could not believe it was even being proposed.
"We don't give rights to some people - such as unborn children, human embryos, and we are going to give them to apes," he said.
But Peter Singer, founder of the Great Ape Project says it need not stop with apes.
"I do think it is possible that we might want to extend this to other animals, perhaps progressively, perhaps as we discover more about elephants and dolphins," he told the BBC.
"Or maybe even more familiar animals like dogs or pigs, we might think that we owe them more in terms of moral status than we are currently inclined to give them." BBC NewsSinger also said " I do think it is possible that we might want to extend this to other animals... perhaps as we discover more about elephants and dolphins." Interesting world we live in . . . |
|
|
|
Post by Toronthab on Jun 21, 2006 15:00:30 GMT -5
Ha ha ha ha ha.
I also have the emotional and social skills of a retarded adult human.
In De Anima, Aristotle described the types of souls according to their powers, nutritive and reproductive for plants, the former plus sensate and imaging power for the animate, an the previous plus inellect and free will, for humans.
Though I've never met a monkey I didn't like, it is the free will and intellectual gifts that are at the root of our ideas about human rights.
the will and intellect are held (except by materialists) to be spirituial or non-material, hence the idea in the west of our souls living past death.
Having free wills is also the idea in the west behind us being subjects, not objects.
This idea of the spiritual which is the basis for human rights and responsibilities also underlies the human moral code.
To me, the arguments for free will and therefore a non-material nature to the human mind, are compelling. That's part why I find atheistic materialism and philosophically-challenged scientists like Stephen Hawkings, he of a "Brief History of Time", kinda dumb, just like his wife said about his philosophizing which he does with a similar competence to anybody you might meet on the street, and whose conclusions are just as uninformed and unreliable. As she pointed out, he doesn't know any more than you or me about this stuff.
Of course, if I am right then I am free to do so. If I am not, then of course I had no choice at all but to thnk like this, so either way, I'm fine!! ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by Cranky on Jun 21, 2006 20:20:48 GMT -5
Spanish MPs push for apes' rights Spanish Socialist MPs hope to persuade parliament to back a landmark project seeking human-like rights for apes such as chimpanzees and orang-utans.
Campaigners say the intelligence and self-awareness shown by apes mean they deserve rights to life, freedom and protection from torture.
Parliament's support would not be law, but would mean a commitment to the work of the NGO, the Great Ape Project.
The proposal has raised eyebrows and opposition in many areas.
One Spanish archbishop described the idea as ridiculous.
But for conservationists and Green MPs behind the proposal, it is a serious issue.
Green MP Francisco Garrido, who proposed the motion, says these creatures "so close to humans" have until now been considered as "mere objects or play things".
"The great apes have been tortured, mistreated, enslaved and murdered," he says on his website. "The habitats where their live have been wiped out and, according to the UN, they are in serious danger of extinction."
His colleague, Green MP David Hammerstein, told the BBC's World Today programme: "They show a degree of intelligence and awareness and, indeed, self-awareness.
"Their social and emotional needs are at the same level as handicapped people, small children, elderly, mentally impaired people - and they all have rights."
He insisted that they were not asking that the apes be given "legal or human rights".
"What we are talking about is very basic legal protection of rights which will guarantee each chimpanzee, bonobo or orang-utan the opportunity to live out his or her life according to his or her best interest," he said.
But Professor Steve Jones, of London University, says the idea is an "overstatement of what science, what biology can tell you".
"As most people know, chimpanzees share about 98% of our DNA, but bananas share about 50% of our DNA and we are not 98% chimpanzee or 50% banana, we are entirely human and unique in that respect," he said.
"It is simply a mistake to use an entirely human construct, which is rights, and apply it to an animal, which is not human. Rights come with responsibility and I've never seen a chimp being fined for stealing a plate of bananas."
Archbishop of Pamplona and Tudela Fernando Sebastian said he could not believe it was even being proposed.
"We don't give rights to some people - such as unborn children, human embryos, and we are going to give them to apes," he said.
But Peter Singer, founder of the Great Ape Project says it need not stop with apes.
"I do think it is possible that we might want to extend this to other animals, perhaps progressively, perhaps as we discover more about elephants and dolphins," he told the BBC.
"Or maybe even more familiar animals like dogs or pigs, we might think that we owe them more in terms of moral status than we are currently inclined to give them." BBC NewsSinger also said " I do think it is possible that we might want to extend this to other animals... perhaps as we discover more about elephants and dolphins." Interesting world we live in . . . Yeah...and the teamsters are going to organize them...... Instead of worrying about "ape rights" maybe these people should worry about endless human misery..genocides.....slave labour.....human trafficking..... It never ceases to amaze me how many trivial pursuits overfed Europeans and Americans can come up with. |
|
|
|
Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 21, 2006 20:39:30 GMT -5
Apes pushing for Spanish MP's rights.
Quote: "They may not be as smart as us chimpanzees, but they deserve rights too."
|
|
|
|
Post by Toronthab on Jun 21, 2006 22:03:37 GMT -5
Apes pushing for Spanish MP's rights. Quote: "They may not be as smart as us chimpanzees, but they deserve rights too." Heh heh heh |
|
|
|
Post by MC Habber on Jun 21, 2006 23:34:53 GMT -5
Though I've never met a monkey I didn't like, it is the free will and intellectual gifts that are at the root of our ideas about human rights. Gorilla's don't have free will? |
|
|
|
Post by Toronthab on Jun 22, 2006 22:33:18 GMT -5
Though I've never met a monkey I didn't like, it is the free will and intellectual gifts that are at the root of our ideas about human rights. Gorilla's don't have free will? They had to pay for it.  |
|
