Do apes ahve "human" rights?

[Guest Warwick Green]

Spain could soon become the first country in the world to give chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and other great apes some of the fundamental rights granted to human beings under a law being proposed by members of the ruling Socialist coalition.

The law would eliminate the concept of "ownership" for great apes, instead placing them under the "moral guardianship" of the state, much as is the case for children in care, the severely handicapped and those in comas, said the MP behind the project, Francisco Garrido....

The law would also make it a criminal offence to mistreat or kill a great ape, except in cases of self-defence or medical euthanasia....

The Roman Catholic Church has expressed concerns about his resolution.

The Archbishop of Pamplona and Tudela, Fernando Sebastian, has said that only a "ridiculous or distorted society" could propose such a law.

"We don't give rights to some people - such as unborn children, human embryos, and we are going to give them to apes," the archbishop said....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...MC-new_10062006

[Charles Anthony]

"The Archbishop of Pamplona and Tudela, Fernando Sebastian, has said that only a "ridiculous or distorted society" could propose such a law."

I agree.

The article continues to quote Amnesty International:

"saying that humans have yet to see their rights fully guaranteed. A senior member of the Spanish opposition Partido Popular, Arturo Esteban, called the proposal an "act of moral poverty"."

It is not just a religious issue for some people but an issue of priorities.

CAVEAT: I actually see nothing wrong with the law EXCEPT that I think it is more important to respect human rights first.

[PocketRocket]

I have somewhat mixed feelings on this issue.

If we are descended from apes, in issue which has still not been conclusively settled, then do we owe it to our genetic forebears to give them a bit more protection than we do other animals???

Secondly, considering that many species of ape show advanced intelligence levels (for "dumb" animals), should we be nurturing them to some degree???

Check this out.....

http://www.koko.org/

.....old news to many, but basically a lowland gorilla with a vocabulary of several hundred words.

She speaks in sign language, creates "poetry", paints, loves, adores cats, etc.

Is she simply on a lower rung of the ladder when it comes to development of intelligence???