@MyGhastIsFlabbered 👋 no, that wasn’t aimed at you- it was in response to an earlier comment someone made about how we should ‘live and let live’ (which I thought was ironic, given the fact that their dinner specifically involves paying for the death of an animal, rather than ‘letting it live’).
Thank you for all your posts. I ended up losing patience trying to compose a response... it was good to see you had already articulately covered the points I wanted to make (and more).
I have spent years working with murderers in secure psychiatric facilities. I understand the psychology behind acts of cruelty. I understand the complex dissociative capacity of the human mind. But it never ceases to horrify me, when large numbers of ‘normal’ people re-brand unnecessary suffering inflicted on the defenceless, as something other than what it is. Then to add insult to injury, whinge about how vegans make them feel uncomfortable.
As you say, it’s not a phase, it called progress.
The suffragettes didn’t achieve the right for women to vote by quietly and apologetically whispering their views into a kitchen sink. They were ridiculed and punished, put in prison, had their children taken away from them. They were considered dangerously (inconveniently) extreme.
Where are all the pitch forks now? They don’t seem so radical now...
Come to think of it, gay people can get married now- who’s going to sneer at that right? Not so extreme now...
Oh and children... they have rights now. Society used to believe infants had no emotional needs to protect. Sounds ridiculous in retrospect doesn’t it?
It’s very simple... I love the taste of dairy and steak. But it’s unethical. So I don’t eat it.
Shamefully I’m no suffragette- I don’t preach until some asshole corners me into a debate. I just get on with my life, causing as little suffering as possible. THAT is shameful... the fact that most days I leave nasty comments unchallenged and pretend I’m not a vegan.
How many of us could put our hands on our hearts and say we would have stood by the suffragettes? How many of us could honestly say we’d have given up our freedom, our children and our friends? How many of us would have stood up to be counted, even if the majority sneered and rejected us as extreme and entitled?
I’m so grateful that activist exists and speak out for what is right, regardless of whether society is ready to hear it or not. Shame on me for not being a more annoying vegan.
Shame on me for being silent in my day to day life. And shame on those who seek to re-brand empathy as ‘annoying’ and ‘self righteous’.