Vegans Can Have a Loud Look

2045:

In the past, owing to our small numbers, we’ve had to look stronger by being louder. Those who do advocate or protest sometimes seem pushy, even sour, even aggressive but, to be fair, we’re going out of our minds with anxiety over the horrendous things happening to animals. It especially drives us nuts that kind, intelligent, educated, economically well-off people don’t want to know.

But ours is a communication job. There’s no need to sledge hammer people with information. If our image is to change, we should be talking about people moving ‘towards veganism’. And talk in small enough doses to make our message easier to digest, to overcome the deeply entrenched perception of a no- animal-using lifestyle.

For omnivores, there are two off-putting perceptions of veganism – what we eat and who we mix with. If a diet, for instance, is Animal-Rights-friendly it means getting used to some unfamiliar foods, and maybe one can deal with that. But what are vegans like, as people? Could one mix with them?

 People may see us as being ‘kind’ to animals. Yes, but if they spot any ‘aggro’ in us it contradicts that ‘kindness’ image. It’s surely possible to look a whole lot more friendly without compromising anything we say.

Although our ‘shouting protests’ may be absolutely valid, they may have had their day. When we shout at people (and I don’t mean in terms of volume!) we show dis of them personally, and in a free-willed, individualistic society, it looks like ‘good cause but ugly people’.

Each of us has to work out our own way of speaking strongly, informatively and passionately, but without pointing the bone.