Spain’s Parliament could soon be making history for the animal rights cause. A parliamentary committee recently passed resolutions that would extend some basic human rights to the great apes. If passed next year, the law would give chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos and orangutans the right to life, freedom from arbitrary captivity and protection from torture, which would include preventing them from being used in harmful scientific testing. They could also no longer be used in circuses, for television commercials or for films, though they would still be kept in zoos (under revised, improved conditions). This law would be monumental, and is expected to pass, which is very exciting!
We share almost 99% of our genetic makeup with chimpanzees. They are similar to us in so many ways:
Their mental capabilities surpass those of many humans – children or the mentally handicapped, for example – and yet so many people still feel that they do not deserve some of our most basic rights. I don’t understand it. What are humans so afraid of? Why are so many humans determined to put nonhuman animals into an “other” category – a “they’re not like us” mentality? So what if they are like us?! What is the problem with that?
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that certain minority groups, women, and children were considered property. How long will it take us to realize that just as that mentality was misguided, so is this idea that nonhuman animals can be used by humans in whatever way we deem appropriate or acceptable?
Kudos to Spain for taking the lead on this. I will be following its progress and hope that it does indeed pass next year and the movement can gain some momentum from it!
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Thanks to Please Do Not Tap on the Glass for writing about this & inspiring me!
Good post! Thanks. I owe it all to DawnWatch, really. She missed the elephant story, so I might send her a note about it.
s.
Why do we think people are so reluctant, even fearful, about giving basic rights to non-human animals? IMO it’s because it somehow lessens their own importance in the world. I mean, really, how many human animals do you know who feel the only life worth respecting is a human life?
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Hey, sorry to flood your blog with my posts, but yesterday I read some of the reader’s comments on the McPaper story about Spain’s possible resolution. I read through a couple of screens worth and they were largely negative comments. I mean really ignorant and totally negative about the possibility of apes getting basic rights. It seemed that any positive comment I could make would be drowned out by the obvious right-wing, speciesist nutjobs posting there. Ugh.
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It’s weird (but good) that this has come out of Spain. Spain’s not exactly known for its dedication to animal rights.
Not only are apes used for horrible experiments but the worst ones are proved to not help sceince all that much. It is time to address this, thanks for bringing this to all our attention!:)
Great blog BTW!
NOTHONEY – I think you’re right about people not wanting their status to be lessened. As if giving rights to certain beings takes yours away or something? And I love comments, don’t worry about “flooding”.
SPRITE – I know! When will they do something about bull-fighting for crying out loud??
ULLA – Thanks! And yeah, as an example, most of the HIV studies on chimps are completely useless–yet we keep doing them!