What’s going on here?

Saturday 8th January
Vegans can be so irritating, especially those who try to invade the public arena.
The difference between two types of vegan - those who don’t proselytise and those who do. There are good arguments for both types; vegans who speak out in public are sometimes pushy and off-putting while those vegans who don’t speak out are benign and yet seem afraid of confronting people. Outspoken vegans do invaluable work, quiet vegans do too by setting a fine example of silent strength. I think both types are valid, but they’re not mutually exclusive. They can coexist in the one person.
If that part of us, which chooses to go into the public arena, is going to become stronger it must be able to deal with opposition. Including those who just ignore us. When the public shuts off from us they’ve the swagger of rulers - they know they’re in the vast majority. Their opinions are strong because of that. And this is the immutable omnivore mind-set. Nevertheless we press on. As advocating vegans we can expect to turn the obstinate public mind simply be enjoying the game of reaching into the public ear. That’s never NOT intrusive ... but it needn’t be too much so. All we want to do is initiate discussion. We can take a few blows to the head, a few insults and jokes at our expense, just so long as we start discussing ... the pros and cons of animal issues.
It may be all very well for me to say that, but none of it is that easy. To ‘initiate’. As soon as we beg the public’s indulgence (“lend me your ears”) we look pathetic. Apologetic. And we lose them. As soon as we dispensing with any pretence of getting permission, as soon as we bring-on the subject, we almost force them to listen ... but listen they do not. Instead they run. And again we’ve lost them. So, whereto from here? A surprise attack may work, but I doubt it. Humour works sometimes but it gives the impression that it’s a light-hearted subject, which it’s not. The trouble is, already we have a bit of a reputation. Vegans - the ‘new’ evangelists on the block. At best we’re regarded as New Age. It’s almost as if there is something a bit smelly about us and instinctively omnivores run away from that.
At 7.30 on Tuesday there’s a discussion of Animal Rights, I’ve rented the hall, plenty of chairs, free tea and biscuits at half time.
“Avoid, avoid”, it’s enough to turn anyone off - some come, but the event is poorly ‘turned-out’. And it’s the same with a street demonstration. Six people with placards. This is a protest-lion which cannot roar, only purr - it’s all too sad because it’s all too little. The same old faces ‘turn up’ to give support and we get one omnivore kind enough to take a leaflet. Yuk. One creepy event!
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that ‘the event is dead’ - the thrill of being part of a big rebellious family, amongst a big crowd of other vegans, asserting our right to be heard ... it’s no longer realistic. Our brave little protest looks more like huddling together for our own comfort, and that obviously doesn’t inspire anyone from outside. All it does is justify our own existence, it make us feel as though we are ‘doing’ something. It’s an illusion - something happening, someone organised ‘the event’, the lion roaring and the public giving us, at best, a tummy rub. At worst, they pay no attention to us at all.
The one event that is well attended is a food fest. It’s always good for a feed, but as for disseminating ideas ... forget it. However, there will surely come a time when talk itself becomes the main course. It will be the only thing left that can satisfy our gnawing hunger for truth. And that will come about following the interminably long period during which there was rampant manipulation of people’s minds. The order of the day is untruth. Most of us expect lies and are numb to them. Eventually we must tire of that - as discriminating adults, we’ll eventually want to know the facts, so that we can weigh the pros and cons ... before making up our own minds on the vital issues of the day.
That’s the sort of age we are in, an information age, a judge and jury age, where each person comes to their own conclusion without having to struggle through a whole barrage of misinformation or a whole library of books to find what they need to know. Information is the new food. It’s helping us to unravel our own tangled present world. The out-spoken vegan wants to unravel some of this mess, clarify ideas ... and, for heaven’s sake, tell people WHAT IS GOING ON.