Unlocking the Cage with Steven Wise

Aired Thursday, 15 March 2018, 7:00 PM ET

Unlocking the Cage – Why Shouldn’t Animals Have The Same Rights As
Humans? with Steven Wise

“In December 2013, Animal rights lawyer, Steven Wise, showed the
world how, with a little legal jujitsu, an animal can transition
from a thing without rights, to a person with legal protections. He
filed the first-ever lawsuits demanding personhood rights for
animals, on behalf of four captive chimpanzees in New York State.”
So wrote the director of the Movie, Unlocking the Cage, shown on
HBO earlier this year, which covered Steven Wise‘s first lawsuit in
his groundbreaking crusade, where he takes on the role of defender
for captive chimpanzees who have suffered a number of
traumas.

The Founder and President of the NonHuman Rights Project (NhRP), of
which Jane Goodall is a board member, Steven Wise’s lawsuits have
brought animal personhood to the forefront of the conversation
surrounding our society’s relationship with animals. So, why
shouldn’t animals be protected from abuse in all the same ways that
humans are?

Join Sandie and Steven Wise this week as they discuss:

* Why animals need legal personhood for their own safety
* Tommy and Kiko – the chimpanzee stories behind the
headlines
* Why the distinction of “persons,” not “people,” is
important
* If the courts see corporations as humans, why not chimps?
* Why recognition of nonhuman rights is the best and most lasting
way to change nonhuman animals’ lives for the better
* The mutually reinforcing relationship between nonhuman rights and
human rights
* And more…

About the Guest: Steven Wise

Steven Wise has spent decades fighting to ensure the well-being and
humane treatment of all animals. His lawsuits, and the movie
Unlocking the Cage, herald a monumental shift in our culture as the
public and judicial system show increasing receptiveness to his
impassioned arguments. If successful, Stephen Wise and his team
could forever alter how animals – in and out of captivity – are
regarded and treated.

Website: www.nonhumanrights.org