From: Smigrodzki, Rafal (SmigrodzkiR@MSX.UPMC.EDU)
Date: Thu Nov 01 2001 - 17:55:42 MST
"William John" <williamweb@hotmail.com> wrote:
What constitutes "human rights"? Since genetically our taxonomic,
cladistic, genetic similarities are so striking to other species
such as chimpanzees and esp. the Bonobo chimps, I think that human
rights must be defined cognitively by rational behavior. The issue of
"animal rights" only reaches a threshold in rare cases such as that of
chimpanzees and dolphins possibly whales that show signs of intelligence,
organized behavior and maybe even a sense of ethics. No other animals
have any right to exist except at our human, transhuman or posthuman
pleasure. This is also found in the concept of sentience as found in
many thoughtful science fiction and in notions such as the Prime
Directive of Star Trek.
This background explains why terrorists need not be actively dehumanized
because they have done that themselves. It is also why their
extermination is no worse than killing a rabid dog in the streets of any
city.
### I agree wholeheartedly
Rafal Smigrodzki, MD-PhD
smigrodzkir@msx.upmc.edu
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