Image: “Let Freedom Be” by Caitlin Brown
(from our daughter Caitlin, my best Father’s Day gift ever!)

Chimpanzees and humans come into creation with almost all the same stuff of life inside us.

We share a lot of other things, too. For instance:

The ability to love and nurture our young; good grooming habits; demonstrating reverent awe at nature’s beauty; a capacity for war and murder; territorialism; expansive joy displayed by and during play; prolonged mourning and sorrow from loss of family members and friends; the use of violent displays and cruelty to establish and maintain power; senses of humor; communication skills; and a facility for fabricating useful tools.

One of the blessings and curses that we share with chimpanzees is that both species are possessed of Memory. We know this about our genetic cousins by observing their behavior.

One thing that we do not know precisely about our cousins is the extent to which they are able to reflect upon their future.

As good as our cousins are with their hands, they can use a hand from us to secure a future worth living.

This is a quote by the Czech artist/activist Václav Havel[1] from his address to the U.S. Congress Feb. 21, 1990[2]:

“The salvation of this human world lies nowhere else than in the human heart, in the human power to reflect, in human meekness and in human responsibility.”

Since we share so much with chimpanzees—our common virtues, our common shame—shouldn’t we think and plan ahead as best we can— on their behalf[3] as well as our own?

What a wonderful responsibility to share!

[1] See: http://vaclavhavel.cz/Index.php?&setln=2

[2] See: http://everything2.com/title/Vaclav+Havel%2527s+address+to+the+US+Congress%252C+21+February+1990

[3] To help, go to: http://www.janegoodall.org/