Non human rights group sues to make primate a LEGAL PERSON in New York

[pwaldo]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...AL-PERSON.html

Tommy the chimpanzee may soon become a human, at least in the eyes of the law.

A rights group sued Tommy's owners today, in an attempt to free the 26-year-old primate so that he can live at a sanctuary.

The lawsuit filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project, is petitioning a New York court to grant Tommy 'legal personhood' based on scientific evidence that chimpanzees have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves.

The group will also bring up precedents which granted freedom to slaves before they were emancipated and considered real people.

'Not long ago, people generally agreed that human slaves could not be legal persons, but were simple the property of their owners,' the non-profit's president Steven Wise told USA Today. 'We will assert, based on clear scientific evidence, that it's time to take the next step and recognize that these non-human animals cannot continue to be exploited as the property of their human owners.'

The lawsuit also argues that New York state 'does not limit legal personhood to homo sapiens'. The group plans on bringing up two similar lawsuits to free three other New York state chimps.

[shrewsbury]

so why is he still locked up?

he should be able to get a job, or atleast get on assistance and live in an assistant living facility.

[duane1969]

based on scientific evidence that chimpanzees have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves.

Yesterday I tried to swat a fly and it made it's own decision to dodge my hand rather than die. Guess it is a person too...