Chimpanzee Research Should Be Banned!

Photo from Rock Center website

NBC's Rock Center aired a story last night about Ken (pictured above in his enclosure) and Rosie, two 30-year-old chimpanzees who have lived in captivity their entire lives. During that time, they have undergone various experiments, all in the name of helping humans with their sacrifices. Both have been sedated over 100 times and have never lived in the manner of their lucky relatives who still live in the wild.

The longer I watched this piece, the angrier I got. Texas Biomedical Research Institute allowed Rock Center access to its facility in San Antonio so that it could film the chimpanzees in their environment. Dr. Robert Lanford has conducted experiments on chimps for 27 years and defended that research throughout his interview. At one time, he had the gall to say he would rather see chimps suffer the consequences of failed research than human volunteers. Was that supposed to endear him to the public and make him appear magnanimous? It did exactly the opposite. He came across as arrogant and out-of-tune with modern views on animal research.

The United States is one of only two countries in the world--in the entire world--that still experiments on primates. These animals share 98% of their DNA with humans. That makes them the prime target for animal researchers to use in their studies. Dr. Jane Goodall commented that the research center could, at the very least,  retire Ken and Rosie and allow them to live out the rest of their existence in a sanctuary that would allow them to to roam free. Goodall likened the invasive procedures done in research to torture and their caged environments to prisons. When she spoke about research chimps as powerless, I hope Dr. Lanford was watching. Humans have experienced enough torture and unwanted experimentation in their lives to empathize with chimpanzees on some level. The lessons learned from the past must have escaped Lanford.


Modern science has a plethora of alternatives to animal testing, and I support using other means of research instead of making chimpanzees a science experiment. Are we so unevolved in this country that we must choose actions that summon the Dark Ages? Dr. John VandeBerg, who oversees the research center, proudly stated that the animals are treated humanely and have outdoor facilities in which to live. I was not impressed. Even though the conditions are an improvement over the cramped quarter of previous labs, the chimps still have no choice in the matter.


When VandeBerg defended the decision to keep Ken and Rosie as research animals, in case they might be needed for future experiments, I had an urge to throttle him. He continued by comparing the two aging chimpanzees to library books, saying that the books were not constantly in use but were there when you wanted them. That sealed the deal for me. To compare an intelligent living creature to an inanimate, man-made object reveals exactly the problem with his viewpoint. 

The story included footage of the National Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Shreveport, Louisiana. After working as a behaviorist at the research center for 16 years, Dr. Linda Brent built the sanctuary with funding that came, in part, from the federal government. The chimps, who have been retired from research and sent to "Chimp Haven", as it has been dubbed by locals, live the way that those in the wild do. Brent said that her years in Texas touched her deeply and gave her an appreciation for what intelligent, sensitive creatures chimpanzees are.

Rosie and Ken should be set free immediately! They have suffered enough in the name of science. Dr. Lanford and Dr.VandeBerg should submit to a research study or two and live in a cage for awhile to understand what those animals must feel. Ham on Wry believes that no matter how much the appearance of a lab has changed, its purpose hasn't. It's time for the United States to join the 21st Century and the vast majority of the rest of the world by banning chimpanzee research.

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China Loses World Trade Organization Appeal

China lost its appeal to the World Trade Organization Monday, which ruled that China must halt export taxes on raw materials, a much-heralded decision according to its western trading partners. The United States, European Union and Mexico filed W.T.O.  legal cases in 2009, challenging China's right to restrict exports of materials including bauxite, coke, magnesium, manganese, and zinc.

The Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization, reviewing an earlier decision by a W.T.O. dispute settlement panel, said that the overall effect of China’s export restrictions was harming international trade and those policies must be dropped. The ruling supported a previous finding that export duties, quotas and other policies China imposed to limit the foreign sale of nine raw materials were not justified on environmental or self-sufficiency grounds.


This finding will likely impact moves to impose similar restrictions on the export of a rare earths, a category of 17 elements used in myriad high-tech products. The United States ordered a thorough investigation relating to China's support for its renewable energy industry. China produces in excess of 90 per cent of rare earth minerals. The country that generously loans its pandas to to other countries has acted aggressively to restrict its supply of rare earth minerals.


United States trade representative Ron Kirk made the following statement about the investigation. "The Obama administration will continue to ensure that China and every other country play by the rules so that U.S. workers and companies can compete and succeed on a level playing field."

The European Union touted today's decision as a significant recognition of the interdependence among all World Trade Organization members pertaining to non-discriminatory access to raw material supplies as a fundamental principle underlying the global trading system.

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Gingrich and Romney Stoop to New Low

Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

Here we go again! Gingrich and Romney continue hurling accusations at one another in the fight for Florida's pledged delegates. Florida is a winner-takes-all state, so the stakes are high in this race for the Republican nomination. Ham on Wry expresses its disgust at the over-the-top ads that permeate the airwaves and will whoop for joy after January 31st when the primary election is over. Floridians will have some reprieve until after the August Republican National Convention held in Tampa. Hurrah! I can't wait for the political deluge of drivel that will arrive then.

Okay, boys. Since you've chosen to point out the worst in your opponents, Ham on Wry joins the fray. One of the biggest roadblocks to an effective government occurs in the gridlock of negative actions against opponents, be it in a race for a party nomination or voting on legislation. Gingrich has labeled Romney a liberal, changing his earlier categorization of moderate. Only someone who is entrenched in extremism would think Romney is a liberal. Liberals tend to populate the independent category more than those of Democrat or Republican. Hey, Newt, have you forgotten your record as a member of the House of Representatives? If Romney is a liberal, you would fall into the uber-liberal category. You claim that you'll educate poor people and teach them how to get a job. What held you back over the last 13 years? Perhaps you were too busy capitalizing on your grasp of history, since you claim Freddie Mac hired you as a historian. Right! I'm certain your acceptance had nothing to do with the lucrative compensation.

Romney's campaign has aired an ad that captured archival footage from a 1997 NBC New broadcast in which Tom Brokaw discussed Gingrich's ethics violations and an overwhelming vote to impose a hefty fine. No one can dispute the truth of that claim because it's a matter of public record. However, it was chosen in poor taste and Tom Brokaw said that he feels uncomfortable having part of that broadcast used for political purposes. Romney claims a deep faith and yet resorts to the basest form of campaign tactics. Take the high road, Mitt. You have the Republican machine behind you and don't need to go for the jugular. Remove the ad and get on with it!

I'd like to think that people who want to lead our country during a difficult time nationally and internationally would display more statesmanship and behave like adults rather than junior high boys. My advice--grow up and tell voters what you can do, not what someone else can't!

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Judge Gives Connecticut Killer Death Sentence

AP Photo

Joshua Komisarjevsky, 31, pictured above right, will die for his role in killing a woman and her two daughters during a home invasion that turned in a night of horror unequaled in the suburban area where it occurred. Steven Hayes at the left of the photo teamed up with Komisarjevsky andt tormented  the Petit family at their home in a suburb of New Haven. 


After raping and strangling Jennifer Hawke-Petit, the convicted felons tied 17-year-old Hayley and 11-year-old Michaela to their beds and doused them in gasoline before setting the house ablaze. The girls eventually died of smoke inhalation. Hayes received the death penalty in December of 2010 for committing the crimes with such brutality. Komisarjevsky was convicted of the killings and of sexually assaulting Michaela, but he blamed Hayes for most of the crime.


Dr. William Petit, the only survivor, called that night his own "personal holocaust." When the two intruders entered his home, they beat him with a bat and tied him to a pole in the basement, rendering him incapable of rescuing his family. He spoke of his wife as a wonderful woman and confidante and referred to his children as "jewels."


That crime brought the momentum to abolish the death penalty in Connecticut to a halt and inspired tougher penalties for repeat offenders and burglary. Ham on Wry can offer no wry twist to this story. No excuse can mitigate the level to which Hayes and Komisarjevsky stooped in killing Jennifer Petit and leaving her daughters to dies a slow death with no means of escape. These two will never "rest in peace."

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Sixteen Costa Concordia Passengers Still Missing

Italian Navy Photo Provided to AP

Little time remains for divers to locate the bodies of the 16 people still missing aboard the wreckage of the Costa Concordia. Sixteen deaths have been confirmed  in the disaster, although three people's remains have not been identified to date. The luxury liner grounded January 13, so officials doubt that more survivors will be found after this much time has passed.

On Tuesday, searchers found the body of a woman on the deck. Franco Gabrielli, head of the national civil protection agency, told reporters Wednesday that recovery operations would continue as long as the ship could be safely accessed.  Crews set off more explosions on the ship's third floor deck Wednesday to provide the divers better access. 

Salvage experts made preparations Thursday to set the stage for pumping fuel off the ship, which will begin Saturday. Officials and Giglio residents have concerns that escaping fuel could cause an environmental catastrophe. 

Jerry and Barbara Heil, a Minnesota couple on their dream vacation, are the only American passengers who haven't been found. Two members of the Heil family have flown to Italy to claim the bodies and take them home, once they have been located and identified. They expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the divers who are working in dangerous conditions as they search for all those unaccounted for.

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Republican Candidates Lack Fresh Ideas

Getty Image Chip Somodeville

The two sparring front runners in the Republican nomination process have provided absolutely nothing that could be labeled innovative to move this country forward in the second decade of the 21st century. Instead, they focus on portraying each other and President Obama in a negative light. The word Republican has become synonymous with the word "no".  The President's State of the Union address last night was delivered with optimism and ideas about moving this country in a positive direction. In fact, he included a few ideas that I had suggested in a note to him--ideas that many others had suggested as well, I'm sure. Obama mentioned taxing companies that outsource jobs overseas and rewarding companies that hire and maintain a workforce in this country.

Let's review some facts about where the United States stands today, as compared to what existed when Obama was elected in 2008. The financial meltdown occurred in September 2008, leaving a legacy of economic chaos when Obama took office in 2009. Much of the bailout plan was started under the Bush administration, although the Obama administration provided bailout money to the auto companies after he took office.The financial institutions that received money under Bush continued business as usual and paid large bonuses to executives, despite having borrowed astronomical amounts from taxpayers. I leave it to the reader to draw conclusions, but I place my vote on GM and Chrysler and remind readers that Ford did not take bailout money.

When Obama moved to the White House, al Qaeda was thriving and Osama bin Laden was alive. Today, bin Laden no longer exists and many other al Qaeda leaders have been killed, thus weakening the terrorist organization. During Libya's internal strife in the wake of Arab Spring, Obama chose a measured approach that relied on NATO forces on the ground and did not commit American forces to lead the charge. In January 2009, we still had a huge number of troops in Iraq. Obama ended that in December 2011.

I could wax on with additional information, but I now turn to Romney and Gingrich. Romney worked for the financial establishment, and, as his 2010 taxes show, paid a 13.9% tax rate because much of his income came from investments, which are taxed at a much lower rate than earned income such as many of us pay on our salaries. For particulars, Romney's tax forms can be found online.

Gingrich paid a 31% rate for 2010 income, but that doesn't reflect wealth that he accrued in previous years, and his taxes are a bit involved because of his foundation. Suffice it to say, both candidates are among the 1%. I remind readers that Warren Buffett has repeatedly stated that millionaires should pay a higher tax rate than those earning less than a million, and Patriotic Millionaires group agrees. Most Americans in a similar age bracket to the candidates have not earned $1 million in 10 years, let alone one tax year.

Ham on Wry urges voters to avoid using just one issue to elect a president in 2012. We don't need same ole, same ole mentality when approaching the complexities of modern living and global issues. That admonition applies to Congress  as well. President Obama rightfully chastised them last night for their inaction this session, and voters must remember that at the polls later this year.

Neither  Gingrich and Romney offer inspired leadership.The Republican Party's only hope is an unannounced, dynamic candidate with a track record of accomplishment in the last few years. If the current candidates reflect the best and brightest Republicans have to offer, we're doomed. Gingrich has already failed his leadership test and Romney doesn't appeal to many of the voters looking for a candidate to whom they can relate.

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Republican Presidential Candidates Fail to Impress

Getty Image

Ham on Wry gave up hope that a qualified, knowledgeable Republican candidate would emerge when Jon Huntsman withdrew from the race for the nomination. Monday night's debate did nothing to provide evidence that a trustworthy candidate still exists on the Republican side.

Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney currently vie for the lead in the race. Neither impresses this blogger. Gingrich has demonstrated a character flaw that runs through much of his life. He married both his second and third wives after having affairs with them while he was still married. That doesn't affect his work necessarily, but it does indicate someone who lacks ethics in personal relationships. Maybe many Republicans who enthusiastically cheered him on his tirade at the debate directly prior to the South Carolina primary forgot that he already served as Speaker of the House in the 90's and resigned in disgrace. Fellow Republicans accused him of a failure to lead. Do we really want to revisit that in a time when so much turmoil exists globally? He also seems a bit fuzzy on what he accomplished during his time in Congress and attempts to distance himself from some of the bills he supported as a representative.

Mitt Romney has shown faithfulness and dedication in his personal relationships, but his success as a businessman comes with mixed reviews. The results of his tenure at Bain Capital show that some companies were created and others destroyed in his efforts. He amassed a great deal of wealth during that time, and he's not the only person to run for President who came from wealth. However, his reluctance to release his taxes until recently defies logic. One is left to wonder whether he truly understand the majority of citizens he wants to govern. He often seems ill at ease at the debate podium and appears out of touch with mainstream America. He accomplished some noteworthy aims as governor of Massachusetts, but now disavows some of the legislation he supported during his term in office.

The Republican Party has lots its way during the past quarter century and bears little resemblance to the party that existed several decades ago. It is characterized by intransigence and obstinance with a heavy dose of a "holier than thou" attitude. Candidates chant the mantra of no new taxes without offering a means of producing much-needed revenue to the federal government. The United States Constitution was not written to protect businesses or corporations; it was established to protect its citizens.

Registered voters have a duty to study all available information about candidates and then vote in the election. That requites more than watching political ads on TV or believing forwarded e-mails that attack a candidate without checking the facts purported in the ad. South Carolina evangelical Christian voters chose Newt Gingrich, a man whose infidelity is public knowledge. That directly conflicts with the marriage vows people often recite at their church weddings and illustrates a variance from stated principles.

Rick Santorum and Ron Paul do not have the background serve as global leaders or hold their own on the G-8 or deal directly with the issues in Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, North Korea, and other world hot spots. Do the homework Republicans.

The race for the Republican nomination resembles a wild ride on a roller coaster, and, when it ends, I foresee a no-win outcome.

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