Do Chimps Have Human Rights? This Lawsuit Says Yes Read more
I read online that a New York based law firm is trying to extend human rights to chimpanzee’s. This i found intrinsically fascinating, what would that mean for society if our own rights were not limited to the human race? If the court rules that chimpanzee’s do have human rights it would mean many changes. It would mean that they can’t be bought or sold, and therefore they cannot be owned. They cannot be held captive in zoo’s against their will. They cannot be tested on in science labs against their will.
So with that being said, what effects will this have upon the global human society, that essentially the rights derived therein are extended to other species? I feel like this brings a situation similar to District 9 to light. This is because it places a situation wherein humanity has its position for the dominant species put in theoretical contestation. This will be because with the extension of human rights to chimpanzee’s you are therefore stating that there are no differences between humans and chimpanzee’s. This is because of the exact universal rights that are extended to both species. This places humanity in a situation that it is no longer the dominant species, because then technically on paper chimpanzee’s are equal to humans. Consequently humanity will have to share its position as the dominant species in terms of rights.
How would we go around treating chimpanzee’s as humans? I personally cannot even start to imagine a world where animals have the same rights as man. Not in a negative sense either, it’s just that this has never occurred in any culture in past and present. As such we have no basis to explain as to how society would react. I personally think that society would not react well. Just say, that in times of economic crisis, such as today, the government was spending money on providing shelter from the chimps during winter, while the homeless were still on the street. It would create a situation of anger and jealousy. That just because they are not human, society still assumes that they are inferior, regardless of legislative changes in the country.
However i do consider this to be a positive evolution for mankind. I think the days of ignorance on the sake of humanity have long gone. We have become the dominant species on earth many many years ago. With power also comes responsibility. We have to be responsible towards the other animals that we co-inhibit this earth with. We have assumed control over this earth. We have dictated which animals live where, we have dictated where nature rules, and where humanity is in power. As such we have to hold responsibility over those we claim to rule and care over.
Humanity has a lot to live up to. I feel that we still live as if we cannot or should not be held accountable for what happens in the world. It is time to change this and assume responsibility.