Monday, January 11, 2010

Boycotting made easy

The struggle to stand firm in the face of temptation isn’t merely one of disciplined decision-making but in finding a reason to be disciplined. Why do something and why NOT do something else? What’s this reasoning based upon? In the prioritising of issues in our own minds we sort out what is the most urgent thing in need of reform, and we have to ask ourselves what am going to do about it.
This question in the mind lies behind our decision to boycott things. It’s a toss up between making a fairly lightweight gesture or making ourselves feel less guilty and going in so hard that we risk not being able to maintain the pitch. We might end up boycotting almost everything in our society, and would this inevitably drive us crazy? How would it be for vegans if we were craving all these ‘prohibited’ goods all the time? People often ask if we are “allowed to eat” certain things. Vegans say back: ”I can eat what I like. It’s my own choice. There’s no authority watching over us. I alone decide if I don’t want to allow myself something”. Vegans stay vegan by tapping into their own sense of purpose and worth in relation to a vision of a future society - in harmony with animals, for starters!

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