“Seriously?”

Saturday 3rd July 2010

The Vegan advocate ultimately sets out to impress and inspire, without the use of emotional blackmail or clever persuasion.
The subtle process of influencing others (to get them to think more the way we think!!) involves acceptance on all fronts – at some stage we need to show our friends and family an acceptance of opposing views, views which are not in agreement with our own. This is ‘acceptance’ rather than approval (tricky area) –translating as a promise NEVER to get hostile over ANYthing. ‘The opposition’ need to be assured of an equality of status between us, before there’s any launching into the deep waters surrounding this subject of animals having rights – or ‘Animal Rights’.
If that assurance isn’t there, and reinforced frequently, there will always be a reluctance to start any sort of meaningful dialogue. If equality isn’t established we’re in a no-go zone - it’s a “shut-down” mode. Dialogue begins when the fear factor is reduced and when the subject is taken seriously – that’s an initial tacit agreement. The vegan may have well-thought-out positions and the omnivore probably has their own ‘position’ less well-thought-out, and this is why we should not get heavy about a subject others know relatively little about. All we ask of the omnivore is that they agree that ‘animal rights’ is a ‘serious subject’. If it isn’t I believe we have the right to ask why.
I believe it’s sensible, before any conversation starts, to agree that this isn’t a frivolous matter and that we won’t be wasting our time discussing the subject. But once that agreement is in place (and that we aren’t limiting the ‘subject’ to the food-diet-health issues alone, then something profound can come out of discussion. When talk starts people will come across because they will have been inspired and made their own decision, not because they’ve been cajoled by us.