‘Vee-ghn’

777: 

Are you put off by holier-than-thou people? I am. We vegans might seem like that sometimes. The name doesn’t help. It isn’t nice-sounding - ‘vee-ghn’. It’s too easy to mispronounce (often deliberately – getting it wrong to show how unimportant it is for you). But does it matter? By now, most people know what it’s about – animals, lifestyle, food, ethics. For some, the idea of it is a thorn in their side. It stands like a brick wall between old-think and new-think, between a life-spoiling idea and a life-saving idea. And vegans do want to be savers but therefore might come across as purists, unfortunately.

On first hearing about veganism, it doesn’t sound credible; the omnivore sees it not only as self-denial but a threat to safety and happiness. For an established vegan it’s the opposite, and probably been the best thing we’ve ever done for ourselves.

For us, veganism is a long term solution to many of the world’s problems, but since there’s such an aversion to anything long-term it’s the short-term solution that usually wins out. To push long-term solutions, especially where moral issues are concerned, is seen to be confrontational. It isn’t helped by both sides believing they’re ‘right’.

A vegan’s radical departure from the norm is based on being right, and we think that’s good enough for converting omnivores. The reason it doesn’t show up the other way round is that omnivores aren’t out there trying to convert us back to the fold. Since vegans are the initiators in this debate (over animal use) we have to deal with the sluggishness of people. But we also need to develop patience in the face of short-term thinking. We need to be thinking long-term. We need to fix on how things are going to be in the far future. Even if we have motivational problems due to the absence of any sort of recognition from our society, we have to make sure about our own conduct in our campaigns. Since we’re the one initiating debate, we have to be the ones setting the standards, practising what we preach about non-violence. Since peace is at the heart of everything a vegan says, eats and thinks, there are great self-expectations, being peace-lovers. Anything unpeaceful about us leave us with no credibility at all.

Once the quarrelsome element is taken out of the picture then a proper discussion is a possibility. When there’s no simmering threat on either side we can each trade theories and move towards some sort of consensus. Or at least show mutual respect for a difference of opinion, even when it’s as important as this particular difference of opinion.