The failure of push

If our own self-development is directly connected with our work for Animal Rights, we’ll want to see some evidence we haven’t been wasting our time. We’ve developed, hopefully. But what results? What has happened? is it that nothing seems to work. Progress slow?
Nobody yet knows the clue to communication (on this subject). We are, all of us, floundering or struggling to find a way of saying what we want to say, to others. So, how can we be convincing, how can we shake the sleepy omnivores out of their complacency?
The question comes up: can we achieve anything by way of non-violent protest? That is Ghandi’s idea of truth-force, Satyagraha, based on the power of protest with truth on your side. We might find it hard to disagree, that vegans do have truth on their side but the ‘power’ of our particular truth is a bit on the thin side.
Some doubt the strength of that ‘truth’, especially when it’s dress up as “non-violence”. It all sounds a bit religious. But ironically, in a different sort of way, it boils down to an act of faith - vegans recognising a truth and promising “no-quarrel-stuff” in exchange for ... the reward ... and we all have to find out what it is for ourselves.
But what happens when we aren’t so sure, when we think it’s okay to use a little bit of force, to show ‘the enemy’ we’re serious?
From our own point of view, as vegans, we might say “if they commit such an outrageous crime they will just have to cop some opposition”. That’s a challenge.
If we want to be engaged in ‘a bit of a fight’, if we’re doing something a little bit daring, it always makes us feel stronger, better. Maybe we decide to super glue the butchers shop’s locks or we graffiti the vivisector’s house.
The line between violence and non-violent resistance is a thin one. If we seem too passive, people find it easy to ignore us and so nothing changes. If we decide to go in a bit rough (“hey guys, this is serious”) it seems, at first, a better option. It’s more popular amongst activists because it seems braver (and in truth, sometimes it’s very brave), and being part of a dedicated direct action group is exciting. It’s especially so if the group breaks into a factory farm with a video camera and then gets footage out to schools or onto TV news. At least we give people a chance to see what’s really going on, kids especially. Our reasoning here: (and this is, I reckon, where a mistake is made by moat vegans) we think like fundamentalists. Black and white. People all the same, they’ll have to act. People can’t possibly ignore what they see. Soon they’ll act!!
In theory, being a bit up-front about Animal Rights, the ‘pushy’ approach, direct action, etc., is more effective. It shakes people. And anyone shaken is a sign ... here’s the feeling that we’re making some progress. People reaction. We’re in the news ... but in practice, even if people see the most convincing footage and hear the most convincing arguments, they forget quickly. And forget completely. It’s a trick of survival - it’s mind over matter. “Be gone”, and it’s gone!
Whatever a vegan says, whatever the omnivore learns fro us at the time, it goes in one ear and out the other (and visually, in one eye and out … etc). I think the mistake we make, as animal activists, is to believe that once cruelty has been proved it will be stopped ... and from there we make steady progress towards animal liberation. We refuse to believe that other people are so different to ourselves that they could ignore it all, ever so easily ... in order to continue eating the sorts of foods they eat ... we may not be all like this but the vast majority are, who are living right now. I think direct pushing fails. Our approach to people needs to be much more subtle than that. We do have truth on our side and you’ve got to admit that potentially it simply oozes power. Best not be seen to be aggressive in our pushiness then.