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In this exclusive interview, we speak to Ingrid Newkirk (Co-Founder and President of PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). We discuss the relationship of our species with the animal…
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…the question is not can they reason? Or can they talk? …But can they suffer?
— Ingrid NewkirkFounder and President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
This is the most inefficient system you could possibly imagine. It takes 6-10Lbs of grain or fodder to go into an animal and, in turn, yield 1Lb of protein.
— Ingrid NewkirkFounder and President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
You actually see behaviours that show this when people say, 'Oh don't show me that photograph or film, I can't bear to watch that because I love my steak!' When else would we say that? Would you hear people saying, 'oh don't show me those child labour photographs because I love my nighties!' These behaviours are an admission that we know something is wrong.
— Ingrid NewkirkFounder and President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
To me the question is, why are we denying them the obvious rights they should have? They are flesh and blood, they feel pain as we do, they experience joy, they have their own behaviours and their own languages among themselves that they understand and we don't. They have maternal instincts and look after each other as we do… it's not an intellectual thing when a mother protects her child; it's an instinctive behaviour.
— Ingrid NewkirkFounder and President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
I think it's down to what Jeremy Bentham said which is, '…the question is not can they reason? Or can they talk? …But can they suffer?'
— Ingrid NewkirkFounder and President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
To me the question is, why are we denying them the obvious rights they should have? They are flesh and blood, they feel pain as we do, they experience joy, they have their own behaviours and their own languages among themselves that they understand and we don't.
— Ingrid NewkirkFounder and President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
They have maternal instincts and look after each other as we do… it's not an intellectual thing when a mother protects her child; it's an instinctive behaviour. We value all those things in the human being because we are human beings! But that's pretty short sighted and narrow minded.
— Ingrid NewkirkFounder and President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
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