Reconciliation and Satyagraha

1870:

Edited by CJ Tointon

Playing the 'blame game' is popular with some vegans and Animal Industries and their consumers make an obvious and easy target. Why not give them some curry? Whilst apportioning blame helps to release our anger and frustration, there isn't much to be gained from it; especially when we gang up on the vast majority who don't get what we're on about anyway. 

There's an animal holocaust taking place right now and it looks likely to continue - unless there's a fundamental change in human attitude and human nature. If we herbivores exacerbate the situation by making enemies of our detractors, it's the animals who will suffer. Our sights should be set on constructing a better future by transforming human nature and coaxing people into changing their attitudes. We should be inspiring them to become animal guardians rather than animal exploiters.

After the apartheid era in South Africa, there was a real need to move on towards reconciliation and away from the idea of revenge. It's revenge which makes us momentarily enjoy the mistakes and inadequacies of those who aren't like us with a determination to bring them to account for their wrongdoings. But this is where true compassion can make a breakthrough. It's hard to imagine how one can be reconciled to the violence condoned by meatheads. Theirs is an apartheid that separates humans from non-humans, excusing the crimes against the animals because they are so 'useful'. Their harshness is made worse for being so cowardly-safe. And yet, despite all odds, a reconciliation with meatheads is what vegans need to concentrate on. 

We need patience and compassion. Vegans need to be patient with non-vegans and non-vegans need to feel compassion towards animals. It's a personal thing concerning the twin principles of non-violence and non-judgment. If progress is to be made, vegans need to take the lead. We need to be at peace with our detractors, not excusing what they do, but not voicing so much disapproval that the other side simply clams up and refuses to listen. Our lead is about making sure we are on friendly terms whilst discussing matters of ethical differences of opinion.

Once we see each other making an attempt to accommodate the expectations of the other, we are in the process of restructuring our habits; whether it's their eating habits, or our habit of endless condemnation. We'll each have moved past the accusing stage and be on the road to greater mutual enlightenment. This will involve the repair of relationships and ingrained attitudes. Once there's movement at this level (however slow) there's a chance for optimism. Without this level of optimism, we will continue to see each other as not worth bothering about. Vegans need to get over any judgement based disapproval of non-vegans. Aborting on others is a trait common amongst vegans who feel that they hold the moral high ground.

How we behave towards each other reflects how far we've come along the road towards non-violent living. We have to repeat to ourselves the base mantra concerning the 'force of love' as in the principle of satyagraha. Vegans have taken the first brave stand against the primitivity of exploiting the exploitable. From this position we need to realign our attitudes and set the example we expect of others - to always be working towards the greater good.

All of us will be judged by future generations. If we don't do something about animal slavery - now - history will claim we were an uncaring generation of people. They'll accuse us (quite rightly) of being too casual about a potentially catastrophic problem. We'll have no excuses. The records will show that we knew everything we needed to know to make the necessary changes. Becoming vegan is our springboard into a deeper understanding of the true message of non-violence and the 'force of truth'. Not only must we work to free enslaved animals, we must persuade the seemingly unpersuadable. With such a vast majority still bogged down in speciesist attitudes, we won't make any progress if we continue to express disapproval and value judgments of their conduct.