Joaquin Phoenix Is Calling on Everyone to Go Vegan and End 'Speciesism'
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Vocal animal rights activist and actor Joaquin Phoenix has joined forces with PETA on the 'We Are All Animals' campaign, which aims to encourage people to go vegan and "end speciesism".
According to PETA's website, speciesism is "the belief that some animals’ lives and experiences are inferior to those of humans or other animals simply because they are members of a different species".
PETA says that this belief is similar to other isms – racism and sexism – in that "those with power draw boundaries to justify using or excluding their fellow beings who are less powerful".
“When we look at the world through another animal’s eyes, we see that inside we’re all the same—and that we all deserve to live free from suffering,” said Phoenix.
The Oscar-winning actor has previously revealed that he decided to go vegan at the age of three, after he and his siblings "witnessed fish being killed in a really violent and aggressive way".
"It was just absolutely obvious that that was something we didn't want to participate in and support. To me, it just seems obvious," Phoenix said in an interview with Brut.
"I don't want to cause pain to another living, empathetic creature. I don't want to take its babies away from it, I don't want to force it to be indoors and fattened up just to be slaughtered.
"It's absurd and barbaric and I just don't understand how you could witness that and not be affected by it."
Phoenix says that veganism is now "one of the most important things" in his life, but despite his strong beliefs, he won't force his son, River, to follow his lead.
Speaking to The Sunday Times he said: "Well, certainly I would hope that [he is vegan], but I'm not going to impose my belief on my child. I don't think that's right.
"I'm going to educate him about the reality. I'm not going to indoctrinate him with the idea that McDonald's have a Happy Meal because there's nothing f***ing happy about that meal."
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