The slow process of building Animal Rights Consciousness

1601: 

Edited by CJ Tointon

If vegans enjoy being vegan, then we're hardly likely to be disturbed if you don't agree with us. Vegans don't usually feel unsure of their decision to become vegan and therefore they don't mind (in fact they even encourage) disagreement. We know our arguments are watertight. Who would gainsay our right to stand advocate for the countless animal victims of human cruelty or question the wisdom of representing the voiceless billions of animals presently in human jails?

The main problem vegans have is with image. We feel urgent, we feel compassion, we feel frustrated that things aren't moving on more quickly. But omnivorousness has been around for a very long time, perhaps millions of years. And we are trying to alter that as quickly as we can. But it may take far, far longer to end a habit like using animals. That's what present-day vegans are having trouble getting their heads around. We live in a perpetual stew about the 'slowness' of people to take us seriously and take up a vegan diet for ethical reasons. What we see is the juggernaut of animal foods increasing and becoming ever more affordable to more and more people throughout the world. How does that make us feel? Perhaps that our work for Animal Rights is just so much pissing into the wind. And then the mind makes a jump. It tells us that we can still work hard for the animals, but not get side-tracked by useless judging of omnivores. We can just be happy in the slow-but-steady progress of Animal Rights Consciousness.

 But if we can't manage that, if we are hardened disapprovers of our fellows, if we are grim and strict and serious and judging; all that will certainly come across. And we vegans will look worn out and unattractive. In fact, we already have that image; of being like evangelical pastors who preach the unvarnished truth. No one can be bothered arguing with them because they always kill the enjoyment of argument. Pleasure is sinful (so they say). But discussing difficult issues should be a pleasure. Discussing values should be a pleasurable necessity.

Morality, ethical upbringing, values - they're all guides, pointing us in more or less the right direction. But we're now heading into a very different Age. We're becoming rapidly aware of the sophistication of a vegan style of life for best growth. Vegans have a chance to grow in very constructive ways. But we always come back to the same question: "How do we present?" I would suggest that we don't improve our public image by saying: "Thou shalt not eat meat!" That doesn't sound inspiring at all! Whereas "Lighten Up - Be Vegan" seems to be worth investigating. It's more attractive and 'hip' - and just as moral.