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A change in consciousness alters attitude, optimism and
habits, etc, but specifically I hope that that includes altering our awareness
of animal-beings. It predicts a choice as to which way humans will go,
hopefully heading towards becoming a greater species of human.
Without animals having rights (because
of their routine abuse), humans remain animal-dependent. Umbilically dependent,
too hard to move away from Mum’s dinner table, stuck with old food habits and
craving animal-based products. To become food-independent (having a vegan diet)
and leather-independent (shoes especially), we take on the big two changes of
lifestyle. Until that happens, nothing else can much happen.
Freed animals means freed humans,
means freed planet. It’s the ‘bigger picture’, and it represents the growing world
and a world growing-up.
Growth, whether it’s personal (becoming
more conscious of food-plants) or global (the evolutionary growth of a whole
species), it’s always gripping. Everyone is always fascinated to see natural growth
happening. It may be too slow to catch with the naked eye but, noticed in
increments, it is a marvel - perceiving growth, the changing and even
transmuting, is an interest we all share in common. It must be in the nature of
humans, to enjoy seeing something constructive happening. We need to experience
growth as much as we need air to breathe.
One thing that’s growing these
days is animal consciousness, I mean consciousness of them. We’re better
informed now, but beyond being better-informed is the growth of empathy. Animal
activists nurture their own feelings, so that they can be with them, in
their lonely lives.
What can you do when everything that
happens is not unlawful. Our power is private. A private revolution,
this is. We avoid hurting them, avoid using them, move to the plant kingdom, make
peace with our conscience. Thereby, we can stop worrying ourselves to death, about
our complicity with one of the worst wrongdoings. Enough said!
Vegan diets are good for humans
in many ways, for slimming, for aerobic activity, for long-living, for energy,
for mental sharpness, but most importantly, of course, it’s good for ‘the
other’. Moving the emphasis off me and onto something needing help from me. This
isn’t about my convenience but about their inconvenience. We eat less of
the animals and fewer of them get hurt.
If this makes sense, (especially
knowing that plant-based foods are second to none), why hasn’t it happened? Why
aren’t we all into it? The food itself often becomes the draw card for becoming
vegan. We can eat as much as we like and it metabolises perfectly. But to hear
the omnivores speak, you’d think we were a bunch of masochistic
self-denialists.
Once you’re vegan and know what
food you like, then food can be largely forgotten about, as an issue – just
enjoyed. If we look beyond the food, we can see other fundamental attractions
in being vegan. It beneficially softens relationships. A new-food lifestyle,
once established, has a positive effect on relationships, whether with humans
or with animals, unless you’re surrounded by a pack of meat-screamers. By
switching over to being vegan, suddenly there’s an entirely new source of
motivational energy. There’s a glimmer of hope, that we might have a future.
This ‘bigger picture’ gives us something to live for. Our partners, spouses,
siblings, friends, parents, amongst the people we know, we all want to aim at
something we can feel proud of - just by having one positive relationship, that
in itself affects everything we do. Now, one step forward, consider our human
relationship with a ‘sub-species’.
How we see enslaved animals
determines if we are going to become plant-eaters. If we can make the
transition, the world has a future. By calling for animals to be freed, our own
human-to-human relationships will improve, and feed into a greater and broader empathy.
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