First Principles

2073:

We’re friends, having a chat. Why would you want to talk with me about Animal Rights? Hopefully, you’re interested but, knowing me, I hope you know I’ll stick to the rules.

You know I’m not out to get you. Just to pass across information. Trust my reasoning – if you see that I don’t want to drown you, you’re more likely to dip your toes into the chilly water.

Let me put it this way: if I want to drive my car over to your place, enter your home, and then have access to your mind, I need a parking spot, pre-arranged – there must be room for what I’ve got to say, otherwise I won’t say it.

Let me put it another way: if I’m going to open my mouth, I need you to signal that I’m safe to enter your attitude-space.

Here’s the deal: if you are willing to make room for me, it’s only reasonable that I’d need to offer you something in return. I come bearing gifts. Of advice if asked for. I promise it will be carefully and tastefully wrapped.

So, here I am. Driving over to your place: I’m hoping to change your mind about animals. I want to get you to move from being omnivore to being herbivore. How do I do that without intruding or over-stepping the mark? You invited me around, to enter your home, but maybe not to enter your mind.

Perhaps there are some useful tricks of approach with this tricky subject. It’s like going out at night to pick up a date, and when we do, we don’t want to appear pushy. No lunging or invading. It’s the same with talking about this subject, amongst a potentially hostile group. How do I continue a conversation without losing them. It’s not immediately obvious how we do that.  

There is a huge resistance to vegan persuasions. But they want to know something of it, and it’s connected to a choice they might one day decide to make. 

People know they have choice and the right to refuse, and not fear being harassed. When vegans know this to be reality, we then see that it’s not a good idea to offer the whole orgasmic thrill of being ‘free-and-vegan’. At first - small advice. Preliminary thinking, first principles. But if we mention nothing else, we should establish where we’re coming from - that no animals should be used by humans.