Bad News for Animal Activists - Chimps Aren't Humans

[AllieBaba]

Except of course, they can never be returned to the wild because the other chimps tear them to pieces and then eat the pieces.

 

[jillian]

LOL.

Chimps have the mental capacity to understand language and communication. But they don't have the desire to do it. That's the main thing that makes us intelligent - our desire to communicate and share ideas with one another. Without that, we'd just be some random animal walking around with a big brain that died with us and never continued on.

They were also the most disgusting animals my husband worked with. They were the only ones that were violent for fun. They threw feces... just nasty creatures. Could be because they're only something like 1 gene away from humans.

 

[AllieBaba]

Monkey throw feces, too. Llamas spit on people. But without malice.

But chimps actually murder each other, and will kill their own babies. They go on raids to kill other chimps and jaguars.

Anyway, blech.

 

[mattskramer]

But chimps actually murder each other, and will kill their own babies. They go on raids to kill other chimps and jaguars.

I’m not equating humans with chimps, but don’t you realize that humans and human gangs have done so too – rather recently. Just something to think about.

 

[mattskramer]

Dogs are not humans either but does that mean that they do not have rights – does that mean that we can abuse them. I like “animal rights” debates too. It is just another example of where there are shades of gray. Some people might say that animals should all have the same rights to life as people have. I would ask them if they had ever bathed or stepped on an ant or swatted a misquoto. Other people would say that no animal has rights. Then I would ask if I may torture my pet dog or cat by doing the must painful things to it that I can imagine. What about beastiality – if animals have no rights. Animals do not have rights but in a relatively civilized society such as ours, some things are just wrong – wouldn’t you agree?

 

[AllieBaba]

Singer thinks beastiality is just another way of expressing our (fully reciprocated) love for animals.

The whole thing about rights is that they are human. Human rights. We should, because we are strong and good, be good to those animals and weak people in our care and custody.

But that doesn't mean the animals actually have "rights". To have rights they would have to be human, and participate fully in human society.

They come close, but they just aren't quite there.

And in providing animals with rights, we lessen the importance of human rights.

 

[Psychoblues]

What universe are you living in, B'80?

Declining rewards? What make believe world are you living in? Have you seen the things companies are offering employees these days? Matching 401ks, on-site day care, membership to health clubs, tuition reimbursement, health insureance, paid time off, just to name a few.

Those are all benefits mostly earned during the Clinton Administration and have all been in rapid decline post the bush appointment. Maybe we need to re-examine those observations? Huh?