Pitching to the grown ups

1693: 

The Animal Rights movement aims to grant every animal the right to an unenslaved life. It is still a young movement, in the process of formation, and peopled by passionate and good-hearted activists, who no longer use animals either for food or clothing. But these same people, who step away from conventional lifestyle habits, to advocate for ‘the voiceless’, often meet with limited success. They gradually find out what resistance they're up against.

The Movement has made some considerable impact in USA and parts of Europe, but to date it has made less impact in Australia. I like to think we are a more discerning race of people here, uncomfortable about being told what to do and what we should eat; you can’t win-over most Australians with a few slick, fundamentalist arguments. But the thinking-Australian is also savvy enough to know this to be a more far-reaching problem than first meets the eye. Perhaps we here need more time to consider this great issue.

         

But wherever we’re from, we all face the same conundrum - we know how tempting it is to use animals, to eat them and wear them. But we also know that using animal products involves ingrained habits. From earliest childhood we've all been eating them and wearing them. And now that we are better informed, we know that using animals is testing our compassion and empathy, not to mention the small matter of our health. As well, we know the use of these products threatens the ecological health of the planet.

         

As Australian animal advocates, we might need a more sophisticated approach than our colleagues overseas. It isn’t enough that we merely encourage people to take up vegan diets. We have to show our hand more completely, to help people see animals in a different light, in order to empathise with their suffering, and in order to recognise how humans are suffering too, because of the way we treat them.

It’s tricky for those of us in the persuading game. Too much finger wagging makes people turn off. Too soft a voice and we’re ignored. But it’s not our job to tell intelligent and self-willed people what they should or should not be eating or using. We should encourage them to investigate and become their own judge and jury, so they can come to their own conclusions. Independent adults must be allowed to decide for themselves. Young people too must be given the chance to understand what’s going on, so that when they are old enough to decide for themselves, they can make informed decisions.