1696:
Edited by CJ Tointon
We can't necessarily
trust what we've been taught. It's not that teachers and parents are liars;
it's just that they don't always know the truth and they don't want to
be seen as fallible or ill-informed.
Every major issue
(particularly issues which impact on our private lives) needs to be reassessed.
We need to run them past our own instincts, our own consciences.
If we ever get to the point where we are sure (as vegans are about NOT
EXPLOITING ANIMALS) we can then apply our sureness to our daily lives. Once
we're doing this, we're in a position to pass on our new-found truth to others
as a set of precepts which they can test out for themselves. I suppose we all
pass on what we believe in, hoping that others will see our logic and hopefully
become enthusiastic about what we are saying. In passing information on,
however, we have to compete with other disciplines, each of which is vying for
the public ear.
It's much easier to
pass on an over-simplistic principle (don't eat animals - it's bad for your
health) than expound fundamental principles (don't eat animals - it's
unethical). If we are talking about the more difficult-to-accept principles;
then we need to be particularly inspiring and informative. And if that needs
some technique, some research and some self-confidence, it also needs us to not
sound too full of ourselves. Above all, we can't afford to have any dodgy
habits, double standards or obvious vulnerabilities ourselves. We have to be
squeaky clean, especially if we're trying to convince people to give up habits
of a lifetime - namely, the use of animals to enhance one's lifestyle.
Because 'Animal
Rights' is a rather foreign concept to most people; those of us who aspire to
be advocates for animals need to have useful facts at hand for those who want
them (like how to prepare meals every day without using animal products). We
also need to know how to 'hold back' so as not to overwhelm people with too much
information - especially those who are less willing to listen! We need to let
them know the essentials without going on and on about it. We aren't trying to
push our way into peoples' private worlds after all and we aren't in the
business of making value judgments of those who don't agree with us. If someone
isn't ready to change their diet or make ethical changes of attitude, we need
to be able to accept that if only because there's just no point in trying to
persuade the unpersuadable.
For newcomers to
Animal Rights and Veganism, there's a lot to investigate, not only about
cruelty to animals, but about the nutritional and environmental consequences of
animal farming and animal eating. All this new learning may seem like a hard
slog and it's our job to emphasise that there are a great many personal rewards
to be found in becoming a true vegetarian (i.e. a vegan). We probably show two
main characteristics - we respect our physical bodies (we don't poison them)
and we are prepared to find out about current practices of animal exploitation.
Once people get used to better types of food, they'll no doubt experience
greater health and energy benefits. At the same time, they'll start to
understand the part vegans play in fighting for a great cause -
something most people neglect to address.
By taking up this
important cause, we enter a world of great personal satisfaction. Here is
something substantial to think about, talk about and feel proud about! It's no
small thing to become conscious of the plight of sentient animals and at the
same time look after this wonderful 'machinery' we all have - our own bodies
and our own consciences.
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