Will they, or should they, ever gain the rights they deserve? What is your opinion?

I thought I'd step up and get the ball rolling on these Forums, as I think the discussions could become quite interesting.

Basically, I'm a first year vet student, so I'm obviously going to be biased, but I was wondering what everyone's opinions were on this matter? Ever since I was a wee girl, I've been absolutely fascinated and mesmerised by the group of animals known as "The Great Apes" - chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and of course, humans.
I've decided that once I've qualified, and maybe after a few years of general surgery, I will dedicate my life to studying their behaviour and how they communicate with one another.
I don't want you to perceive me as some sort of bizarre, deranged PETA activist, because I'm not. All animals should be entitled to basic rights. But I also believe that, of all the animals in the world which deserve equal or almost equal rights to humans, the rest of the Great Apes should be at the top of the list and our first priority. Watching them live and work is incredible - they are so human it is scary. Just look at this video from BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7922120.stm

Yet, they have virtually no rights. They can be killed for bush meat, they can be subjected to the most incredibly horrific scientific experiments - guinea pigs for drugs and brain surgery - and on top of all this, they can have their rainforest homes ripped from under them. There is pretty much nothing to protect them from the sheer selfishness of humans and their lack of consideration for anything which isn't 100% human. Apparently, being 95-99% human isn't good enough.
Many of you will strongly disagree with me here, but I, personally, do not think it is fair that a healthy, intelligent chimpanzee has less rights than a human in a terminally-ill, vegetable-like state.

What gives us, as humans, the right to treat an animal as a lesser being, simply because they cannot communicate effectively with us, or because they don't wear clothes, and watch t.v., or create nuclear bombs? Look at that chimp in the video making that termite fishing rod. He does it with such ease, such competency, that he manages to create a functional tool from a simple branch in less time than it would take us to go out and buy/find a fishing rod to catch some fish.

I have plenty more opinions on this matter and on many others, but just want to get this Forum moving a bit more first!!!

Emma

P.S. Honestly, I'm not an "Out in the Streets Pissing Everyone Off", tree-hugging vegan activist for animal rights! Mainly because I don't think that protesting in the streets is the way to solve all of life's problems or the way to get things done right. This is just my own personal opinion, and was wondering if anyone else shared it.
Please be nice! I just want to get some good discussions on here!

I was at the zoo in Berlin about a year back, and while it is overall great as far as zoos go, the ape house was the saddest thing I've ever seen. They've upgraded it since, but at the time, the orangutangs and other apes were housed in very sterile enclosures with uncomfortable-looking tiles and few places to hide from the visitors walking by and snapping photographs (with flashes right into their eyes I might add). There were swings, but they looked more like an after-thought.

So yes, I'm all for giving more rights to apes, or any animals for that matter. But at the same time, I can't bring myself to condemn animal testing completely, because I know that in many cases, there is simply no viable alternative.

It's a very thorny issue, because it's all about boundaries and where you draw the line. Do you do it at animals that share 95% of our DNA? 80%? 75%? Or maybe self-aware animals? Animals that recognise themselves in a mirror? I don't think there is an easy answer to the question.

Will they? Not sure, but I don't think so. I doubt an ideal world will ever exist.

Should they? Obviously. The clue is in the question: "the rights they deserve" basically means the same as "rights they should have"

The question at hand is "what are the rights they deserve?"



First of all, I don't consider 99% human DNA to be the same as 99% "human".

I also don't think that genetic similarity to humans should be the basis for what rights animals have.



Nothing "gives" us the right to do anything. We aren't given the right to free speech any more than we're given the right to kill cows.

Human rights (and in fact, animal rights) are all decided by humans. So in short, humans give humans the right.

The whole idea of rights are just a human invention, and human society is primarily built around benefiting and protecting humans, not animals.

If we're saying that being genetically similar to humans, or being "intelligent" is a reason to give an animal rights, then clearly we're saying that humans do have some right to decide on the value of animals. You can't say that and not have it go both ways though, as it's seperating humans from the issue:

If we can say that chimps are of more "worth" than (for example) mice and should have greater rights for their intelligence, then equally we can say that humans are of more "worth" than chimps and should have greater rights than them.

Also, just because something is done, doesn't mean anyone thinks its a "right".

My thoughts:

I don't think that animals should be treated cruely, but when it's of a reasonable advantage to humans without it being a ridiculous atrocity, I think it can be justified.

I disagree with some acts against animals, but not the majority.

Things like massive habitat destruction, and species extinction should definitely be prevented. Although my reason for this is sorf of selfish, in that I think it makes it a better world to have rainforests etc, and a variety of beautiful animals, and I'd like people in the future to be able to appreciate these places and animals.