Our aims and the freedom to speak

904: 

The animal-eaters are convinced they’re not doing anything wrong, while the vegans are trying to talk them round.

Our aim is to show the difference between the food which we advise people to eat and which to boycott, based on the treatment of ‘food’ animals. This is why we decide to become vegan in the first place, to uphold this central value of humanity.

Most people believe they are humane beings, with ethical distinctions between what we should and shouldn’t do. Vegans are suggesting that our food should be consistent with humane values, in respect to the way our animals are being treated. Our role is to talk about animal issues and learn how to talk effectively, without turning people off.

Ideally, we are in the business of waking-up people who have given this matter little thought. Every adult should, by now, be aware of the caging of chickens and the confining of pigs in sow stalls. But there’s so much more animal-abuse involved with food production. And that abuse connects to other dangers, where human health is jeopardised and malnutrition in third-world countries is perpetuated, and all because we are focused on our own comforts and convenience. Added to this, animal farming is so polluting that it contributes heavily to the threat of global warming. The sequence of events, with one thing leading to the next, from food to good nutrition, to plentiful food supply, to the farming impact on the environment, that we can’t isolate any one of these issues; by adjusting human diet we affect many issues and effect repair in many areas of damage.

The world could benefit from a plant-based food regime and we in the West, where we have a real choice of lifestyle, can instigate the necessary changes.

The omnivore needs to be helped to see the sequence of these connections, but for that to happen they must show a willingness to change. And we, as vegan advocates, only speak about all this with their permission. If it’s not forthcoming then we’ve got problems. And we have to ask why people are so reluctant to talk or listen when it come to the question of Animal Rights. Food is the big persuader and the possibility of endangering the enjoyment of favourite foods causes them to close down on what we have to say. So, until we make progress on their giving of permission, for us to speak about all this, we have to wait. Forcing people to hear what we have to say will help us make no progress at all.