the unthinking approach

The original principle of non-violence is behind everything Animal Rights stands for. With that in place one can’t help acknowledging the sovereignty of animals. Whoever would try to justify hurting them?
Since people haven’t thought much about non-violence their same old behaviour continues unquestioned. There’s a knee-jerk reaction - when something attractive comes along, we go for it. We can’t resist it. We’re not used to resisting things we want. (This is why there are such fierce penalties for rape and child molestation, because we can’t have a society where women and kids are preyed on, by people who can overpower them to get what they want.) Most animals have never been protected by law, so the consumer accepts that it is okay to prey on them, to get what they want. When we are out there, shopping for our food, we forget non-violence and decide to take the easier way, which is often the hard-nosed way. We might be aware that another way is possible, but it’s just an idea. It can be shuffled off. We know we feel more confident with the old tried and tested ways - “Hang it, I’ll do what I’ve always done”! “Everyone else does it so why shouldn’t I?”