WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

Alex Prager for The New York Times. Animatronic chimpanzee: AnimatedFX. Location: Diane Markoff’s DC Stages, Los Angeles. Props: Colin Roddick. Stylist: Callan Stokes.

Should a Chimp Be Able to Sue Its Owner? By CHARLES SIEBERT NYT Magazine • April 23, 2014

In  the  U.S.  there  are  many  laws  on  the  books  to  protect  animals  from  abuse.  But  a  group  of  lawyers  is  trying  to  take  animal  rights  a  huge  step  further.  Led  by  long=me  animal  advocate  Steven  Wise,  the  non-­‐human  rights  project  filed  a  lawsuit  recently  on  behalf  of  a  chimpanzee  named  Tommy.  Ci=ng  evidence  of  the  cogni=ve  sophis=ca=on  of  chimps  and  other  species,  the  group  ul=mately  seeks  personhood  status  for  animals.  A  number  of  leading  primatologists  are  among  those  who  support  the  effort.  But  there  is  also  enormous  opposi=on  –  on  legal,  moral  and  prac=cal  grounds.  Diane  and  her  guests  discuss  the  fight  for  legal  rights  for  animals.    Guests  included  Steven  Wise  lawyer  and  president  of  the  Nonhuman  Rights  Project;  author  of  "RaQling  the  Cage:  Toward  Legal  Rights  for  Animals."  Charles  Siebert  poet,  journalist,  essayist  and  contribu=ng  writer  for  The  New  York  Times  magazine.  Robert  Destro  professor  of  law  and  director  of  the  Interdisciplinary  Program  in  Law  &  Religion,  Columbus  School  of  Law,  at  The  Catholic  University  of  America.  Alan  Di4rich  president  of  the  MassachuseQs  Society  for  Medical  Research.    hQp://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-­‐04-­‐28/fight-­‐legal-­‐rights-­‐animals        

The  Diane  Rehms  Show  

STEVEN WISE: YES, RESEARCH SHOULD STOP ON CHIMPANZEES IMMEDIATELY, AS I SPEAK. IT IS GROTESQUE, IT IS IMMORAL. I THINK THAT THE DOCTOR MAY WANT TO THINK WHAT HIS GRANDCHILDREN ARE GOING TO THINK OF HIM AND WHAT HIS PLACE IN HISTORY IS. HE'S ON THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY. HE'S STILL ADVOCATING AS -- AND I DEBATED HIS PREDECESSORS 30 YEARS AGO. AND I HEAR THE SAME ARGUMENTS. AND HE'S STILL ADVOCATING ENSLAVING AND BRUTALIZING AND TERRIBLY EXPLOITING BEINGS THAT ARE EXTRAORDINARILY AS COMPLICATED AND COGNITIVELY COMPLEX AND AUTONOMOUS AND SELF-DETERMINED AS ARE CHIMPANZEES. THEY'RE PLACED IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.

THE FIGHT FOR LEGAL RIGHTS FOR ANIMALS

Jayne Mackta | Monday, April 28th | View on The Diane Rehm Show

Mr. Wise confounds this serious and sophisticated discussion with emotional blackmail peppered with the careful choice of inflammatory language. It weakens his case.

THE FIGHT FOR LEGAL RIGHTS FOR ANIMALS

Jayne Mackta | Monday, April 28th | View on The Diane Rehm Show

Mr. Wise confounds this serious and sophisticated discussion with emotional blackmail peppered with the careful choice of inflammatory language. It weakens his case.

The_Truth_Seeker replied | Monday, April 28th | View on The Diane Rehm Show

You are probably neither a scientist, nor a lawyer, so what do you actually "know" about any of this topic?

288 additional comments | View the full discussion on The Diane Rehm Show

Retweet  if  you  say  NO  to  animal  tes=ng.  �#Animalrights    

   Amazing  Pics  �@AmazingPicx  11:39  PM  -­‐  19  Feb  2014    5,831  RETWEETS    661  FAVORITES  

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