[[link removed]]

Dear John,

Good news! Reasons to be Cheerful—an editorial project founded by musician and artist David Byrne—has just published a feature story [[link removed]] on the global movement to transform nonhuman animals from legal “things” with no rights to legal “persons” with fundamental rights. The story begins with our historic [[link removed]] fight for Happy’s legal personhood and right to liberty. As Michaela Haas writes:

Expanding the definition of legal personhood is not at all unprecedented. The U.S. has done it many times over, to include slaves, women, children, even corporations. [NhRP President] Steven Wise believes that civil rights for nonhuman animals are the next leap forward in this ongoing expansion of human-level legal protections.

As we wait for a hearing date to be scheduled, you can help raise awareness of and voice your support for our mission by sharing the article and, if you’re on social media, commenting on Reasons to be Cheerful ’s Facebook [[link removed]] , Instagram [[link removed]] , and Twitter [[link removed]] posts.

In other NhRP news:

*
A
retired
South
African
judge,
acclaimed
for
his
human
rights
work
and
hailed
by
Nelson
Mandela
as
“one
of
South
Africa’s
new
heroes,”
has
submitted
an
amicus
curiae
(“friend
of
the
court”)
brief
in
support
of
our
habeas
corpus
petition
on
behalf
of
Happy.
To
learn
about
and
download
the
brief,
read
this
new
blog
post
[[link removed]]
by
NhRP
President
Steven
M.
Wise.

*
In
October
of
1970,
a
baby
orca
was
enduring
the
second
month
of
what
would
become
over
half
a
century
of
imprisonment
in
the
smallest
orca
tank
in
North
America.
There,
“day
in
and
day
out,
she
floats,
she
performs
tricks
for
her
food,
she
attempts
to
escape
the
harassment
of
her
dolphin
tank
mates,
she
calls
out
to
other
orcas
who
cannot
hear
her,
cannot
answer.”
Read
the
third
and
final
part
of
“Why
We
Fight
for
Nonhuman
Rights:
Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut’s
Story”
here
[[link removed]]
,
and
follow
the
work
of
our
friends
at
the
Earth
Law
Center
and
Lummi
Nation
to
learn
more
about
efforts
to
free
Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut
(also
known
as
Lolita),
including
how
you
can
help
[[link removed]]
.

*
“If
we
have
so
much
trouble
acknowledging
human
suffering,
then
doing
so
for
nonhuman
animals
is
even
more
of
a
challenge.”
In
a
new
guest
post
on
our
blog,
practicing
psychologist,
trained
researcher,
and
longtime
NhRP
supporter
Dr.
Peggy
Rothbaum
considers
the
complex
question
of
how
to
change
minds
about
nonhuman
rights.
Read
Dr.
Rothbaum’s
post
here
[[link removed]]
.

Thank you for reading, John, and we hope you have a good rest of the week!

Lauren Choplin
Communications Director, the NhRP

DONATE NOW » [[link removed]]


The Nonhuman Rights Project
5195 NW 112th Terrace
Coral Springs, FL 33076
United States
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