Save great apes — and your tax dollars
Wenka the chimpanzee deserves to live out the remainder of her life in a sanctuary instead of in a laboratory (“Group seeks ape’s release,” Metro, Oct. 1).
The few remaining labs with chimpanzees have been falsely touting the necessity of chimpanzees for research. But one need not look beyond the millions of taxpayer dollars they obtain each year to simply warehouse chimpanzees to understand their true interest: federal dollars at any cost.
During a meeting held this year by the Institute of Medicine, experts confirmed the use of the chimpanzees is not necessary for many areas of research.
Keeping these intelligent and social animals in laboratories is simply not justifiable — ethically, scientifically or financially.
Help move the United States beyond this antiquated practice by contacting your members of Congress and asking them to co-sponsor the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act.
This legislation will give chimpanzees the sanctuary they deserve and save taxpayers millions over the next decade.
Kathleen Conlee, Senior Director, Animal Research Issues, The Humane Society of the United States
Stop warehousing sick people in jails, prisons
Regarding the AJC’s “Hidden shame” series, mentally ill people are incarcerated because no other place will take them.
However, these people are not bad — they are sick, and incarcerating them does not provide healing. Incarceration prevents healing.
Prison Fellowship has long advocated to decriminalize the nondangerous mentally ill. Pat Nolan, vice president of our criminal justice reform arm (Justice Fellowship) recently chaired a meeting of legislators and law enforcement officials to address this problem.
He and this group will work with Gov. Deal and the Legislature to reform Georgia’s laws, so that expensive prison beds are reserved for dangerous criminals.
For information, visit JusticeFellowship.org.
Jim Liske, Chief Executive Officer, Prison Fellowship Ministries
Knox case reminds U.S. judicial system flaws
I am extremely happy that Amanda Knox received justice in Italy. It is certainly a bright spot for Italy’s justice system. As happy as I am for Knox and her family, it saddens me when I think of my own country.
I have always believed that America was first among countries when it came to “justice for all” — yet, I cannot help but believe that if Knox was a black man in the state of Georgia, she would have been executed.
Mack Graham, Douglasville
