First principles

754:

Why would you want to talk with me about Animal Rights? Perhaps because it’s slightly interesting? … but let’s say, for whatever reason you do decide to listen to what I have to say, I bet you’ll only pay attention if I’m being nice about it. It’s not a nice subject but it doesn’t mean I have to be ... well, looking like I’m breaking ordinary social rules by forcing you to listen. When I open my mouth, you need to know I’m not out to get you, as if I’m leading you to the water’s edge to try to drown you. Once you can be sure of me then you’re more likely to dip your toes into the chilly waters. After all, you and I both know that ‘vegan’ is a hard listen.

If I try to proselytise ‘veganism’ you might think I’m talking about making personal sacrifices and nothing else. But I could emphasise the advantages and benefits, although would you believe me? How do I convince you to want to stop being an omnivore and become a herbivore? How do I do that without over-stepping the mark? Do I talk food, do I talk compassion? I suppose it depends on whether I think you are only capable of acting from self interest or whether you want to find out what you can do for the greater good. I’ll assume the latter. I’ll see how you respond to a bit of philosophy. (I suppose I’m directing this at people I live amongst in Oz) ... I was told years ago that in Australia one never mentions the “ph” word. It puts people off. But ‘vegan principle’ IS a philosophy but a very simple one, and can be summed up as “no-using-of-animals”. The journey towards becoming vegan is about thinking adventurously and, in the light of peoples’ general indifference, thinking courageously.

What animal advocates are talking about might be what omnivores secretly want to know anyway, in order that they can bring a sense of purpose into their lives. They might want to replace the chaos and destruction connected with the eating of animals. If so we, as vegans, need to engage peoples’ interest, to sow seeds and leave people with something they can think about. It’s as if our job is to hand out ‘sample packs’ and if anyone wants any more they can ask for it.

It only takes a few seconds to get our main idea across, that we “don’t use animals”. And that needs to be spelt out clearly but also made clear by the calmness in our voice - as if we are speaking for the voiceless and speaking as the animals themselves might, speaking calmly and never forcefully.

If you’ll excuse me here, I’ll speculate that the reason there are so many domesticated animals on Earth in the first place is that they have been ‘engaged’ to teach humans how to behave – to teach us how to be more like them. Because of our obstinacy it might be taking us a long time to see what we don’t want to see. Even when the dignity and calmness of animals is staring us in the face, it still seems we insist on our right to violate them, it being not that much different to how the rapist operates, knowing it’s wrong yet doing it all the same. Until we treat the animals in a civilised way we won’t know how to treat each other properly.

If vegans are reaching out at all we are simply hoping to end the habit of always resorting to violence to solve our problems or to bring us benefit.

If vegans are speaking about routine violence, practised either directly or by proxy, we must know that it won’t be reduced by confronting it head on. The words I might be using, if they’re accusing you or trying to frighten you, they’ll seem like I’m trying to fight violence with violence. If ever I do reach you by word I should stick to the accepted rules regarding ‘permission to speak’. And that’s down to your generosity towards me, allowing me in. And if I do run with it, then it’s up to me to keep an eye on any signs of withdrawal on your part. I think that just about covers it.