Bring on the debate not the quarrel

1009:

If there were a debate on Animal Rights, I imagine there’d be two opposite positions, and it would all be very ordered. But in the real world outside the debating chamber, stereotypes, prejudices, half truths and misinformation abound. It’s a struggle to get even one decent point across before it’s objected to or we’re being interrupted.

The animal advocate is handicapped by what’s gone before, how we have conducted ourselves in these sorts of discussions, the reputation we have built. Sometimes we’ve been very informative, even inspiring. Often we’ve been adversarial and too ready to quarrel.

To establish the most positive image, to turn this around, I would try to be seen as an okay-person, fair-minded, not aggressive and respectful of both human issues and animal issues. If it’s an up-hill job, to draw the majority towards my view (especially if it’s me who is wanting to debate animal issues, and not the other way round) then I need to deal with some preliminaries. Before I get anywhere near the business end of discussing animals, I will have to set the standard for non-violent interaction and logical argument, and show that I won’t go on the defensive.

I say that because I know we have powerful arguments. There’s no need for us to lose our advantage by being sensitive to criticism or demand our right to speak. We need them to take us on. And if that means they resort to their own brand of aggressive tactics, it’s usually a cover for what they see as their weaker position.

Sometimes I try to stir people a bit, but I never know how much I should dare to provoke, when I’m not sure of the person I’m talking with. And why try to pick a fight when I can instead try to bring out a person’s enquiring nature instead?

In conclusion, I think it’s a mistake to force people to respond, or try to emotionally blackmail them. Any wish to talk about issues in any sort of detail must come from them. It’s likely if they think the animals thing is an issue at all, they’ll want to talk about health and animal welfare. Then, it’s up to us to carefully introduce cruelty and slavery and all the really heavy stuff.