Controversy Abounds - Where Do You Stand?
Controversy abounds in the world of non-human primates and human primates. Is it us against them or are we all kindred spirits? The latest in a series of heated debates stems from the newest wave of commercialization of primates, chimpanzees this time. Do we or don't we?
Conflict arises between two vastly different philosophies - one side feels it is perfectly acceptable to "use" any animal in any way a human sees fit, provided the animal is not treated cruelly. The opposing side say, "no way, no how" should any animal, especially those closest to us in nature, be exploited. The list of issues begins: what is cruel and dangerous, what is invasive, what is acceptable and what is not and who decides? The list has no end.
Take a few minutes to go check out the following web site: http://www.tbssuperstation.com/tv/chimpc...
Questions and more questions:
When asked: "are the chimps being treated well, how are they being trained, how many chimps and orangs are used and for how long, how long has the trainer been working with these chimps and chimps in general, what kind of experience does American Humane Association's representatives have when going out to determine if the chimps/orangutans are being abused, etc"
Karen Rosa of the American Humane Association states: "Bob Dunn is a "positive, aware, kind trainer"...the chimps/orangutans are allowed breaks throughout the shoot, that they have play time and breaks throughout, that they are not forced to do any of the shoots - if they are bored or refuse then they are substituted with another animal who is willing to work. She told me they are trained using positive reinforcement." (also): "the producers are very aware of the concern about the use of the chimps/orangutans and they have taken every effort to make sure that the chimps/orangutans are not abused or mistreated during the shoot(s) (or anytime)."
"Regardless of how well these chimpanzees are treated, they have no choice but to act. They cannot be thought of as acting out of their own free will. If this show is popular, it might influence other producers--not all so amenable to "humane treatment"-- to use non-human actors as well.
(and)
"It's bad enough that we humans are entertained by sexist stereotypes, but then at least it is arguable that we make fools of only ourselves. But in this case, we use another species as a butt of the joke.Even if Bob Dunn is a "positive, aware, kind trainer" the basic point is that Bob Dunn has no morally defensible right to "train" chimpanzees at all."
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