The pleasure-heads

1514: 

Those who make a living out of animals aren’t likely to recognise the need for animals to be protected by 'rights'.  But for the general consumer, they're simply held by food preferences.  It's amongst these that exist some hope.  From these, the Animal Rights Movement potentially finds support.

If the hard-hearted animal abusers hate the influence of the Animal Rights movement, it’s because of the potential threat to their livelihoods.  They’re not only committed meat-eaters themselves but they earn their living from the Industry.  Animals are a matter of economic concern not a challenge to ethics - it’s bank accounts before moral accountability, pragmatics before ideals.

People who are more sympathetic to the liberation of animals, despite having a foot in both camps, are the ones we'd be trying to persuade, suggesting to them that they boycott what the other lot sell.  Change might come about very slowly, but the tide is turning towards compassion for animals and for better quality nutrition.  A more informed, more sophisticated customer is emerging, who is more discriminating and less attracted to what’s on offer because it all seems to looking dodgy.  

Vegan principle and talk of animals having rights is not good for the Animal Industry, but it’s not only that customers are becoming more conscious of health and compassion, it’s that they’re getting weary of taking things on face value and using attractive-looking animal products that might not be what they appear to be.  Today, as never before, we seek pleasure, but it’s a ‘Seconds-World’ pleasure.  It’s as if we’re squeezing the last life out of the animal-machine, knowing it can’t last much longer, probably realising the time to change is fast approaching.  There's a growing realisation that ill-health is worsening, and that the horror-stories about animal-exploitation aren’t going to go away.  And if we don’t change for ethical reasons then surely economic and ecological factors will eventually force us to change anyway.

While vegans are mindful of what they eat, the omnivores still consume their favourite foods, regardless; we speak firmly about cruelty and ill-health; they firmly disregard what we say because they prefer the foods and clothing and shoes that they're used to.

We might not be able to change that, but we can still direct our message to where it might take best effect.  Our place is with those without vested interests, who’re more likely to listen to what we have to say, who’ll still think their food tastes good, but be more open to the suggestion that other equally interesting tastes and textures exist in plant-based foods.  On that basis alone they may be willing to listen, and shop around and try new things.

         

It’s perhaps the first time in history that the ethical dimension to shopping is being so seriously considered.  And when people realise, to their amazement, that non-animal foods are okay to eat, or are in fact better to eat, they're more likely to be open to eating ‘vegan’ all the time.