Seriously?

2028:

The vegan advocate ultimately sets out to impress and  inspire without the use of emotional blackmail or too-clever persuasion.

The subtle process of influencing others (to get them to think more the way we think) involves acceptance on all fronts – at some stage we need to show our friends and family that they can accept views which are not in agreement with their own. If we can show it - ‘acceptance’ rather than approval – we demonstrate how we don’t need to get hostile over anything. Those who don’t agree with us need to be assured of an equality of status between us, before there can be any launching into the deep waters surrounding this subject, of animals having rights.

If that assurance isn’t there, and then reinforced frequently, there will always be a reluctance to start any sort of meaningful dialogue. If equality isn’t established we enter a no-go zone. The well-thought-out position held by the vegan contrasts with the less-well-thought-out position of the omnivore - this is why we shouldn’t get heavy about a subject others might know relatively little about. All we ask of the omnivore is that they agree that ‘Animal Rights’ is a subject worthy of being taken seriously. If it isn’t, I believe we have the right to ask why.

I believe it’s sensible, before any conversation starts, to agree that this isn’t a frivolous matter and that we won’t be wasting our time discussing the subject if it is seen that way. But once that agreement is in place (and that we aren’t limiting the ‘subject’ to the food-diet-health issues alone), then something profound can come out of our discussions.