Following up on my entry entitled Rethinking Veganism in this New Year, allow me to share another perspective on all this. Veganism is activism... a daily personal protest, and form of direct action. With some practice and dedication, it eventually becomes second-nature. Veganism need not consume the entirety of one's time or energy. Audible utterances not requisite, vegans speak with action. Effectively saying NO; this is absolutely crazy, and I will not participate.
Many strangers, and probably our friends and family too, will initially rebuff our beliefs... much like the jerking leg movement that follows a firm tap on the knee. But our stance is highly principled and deeply felt; we really have nothing to hide, nor to fear. The human potential for transformation is unmistakable. What might seem radical in 2008, will eventually seem rather mundane at some year in the future. The seeds of progress and moral development are certainly extant, yet dormant within most. Veganism is already highly consistent with notions held by the majority, albeit in a logical suspension... such as the very popular opposition to unnecessary suffering.
Tenable justifications for viewing non-human animals merely as resources, which almost invariably leads us towards abjectly violent and exploitative behavior, are simply nonexistent. Taking the interests of sentient non-humans seriously, clearly means not bringing them into existence such that we may treat them as things. Extending our empathy for non-human suffering, means that we must rethink our relationship with animals. Vegans follow these ideas through to their logical conclusion: end our relationship with animals. By way of metaphor, this mean drawing an extremely deep and conspicuous line within the sand. Eliminate domestication of any sort, and cease transgressing upon animals in nature. Vegans align their actions in the here and now, with the non-interventionist future they ideally desire, irrespective of whether or not they will live to see it.
Veganism represent the potential for a genuine societal paradigm shift... an entirely fresh way of processing the world around us, and the sentient creatures occupying it. Our movement is prenatal; it has yet to blossom, or even find its voice. Perhaps if more of the major players (both groups and individuals) among "animal people" were to unequivocally and emphatically promote veganism as a baseline moral position... things would be different. Fortunately, we are ultimately beholden only to our consciences, not any figurehead or established organization. Lest we clarify and bolster our own voices now, can we possibly hope for an authoritative movement in the future?
Many strangers, and probably our friends and family too, will initially rebuff our beliefs... much like the jerking leg movement that follows a firm tap on the knee. But our stance is highly principled and deeply felt; we really have nothing to hide, nor to fear. The human potential for transformation is unmistakable. What might seem radical in 2008, will eventually seem rather mundane at some year in the future. The seeds of progress and moral development are certainly extant, yet dormant within most. Veganism is already highly consistent with notions held by the majority, albeit in a logical suspension... such as the very popular opposition to unnecessary suffering.
Tenable justifications for viewing non-human animals merely as resources, which almost invariably leads us towards abjectly violent and exploitative behavior, are simply nonexistent. Taking the interests of sentient non-humans seriously, clearly means not bringing them into existence such that we may treat them as things. Extending our empathy for non-human suffering, means that we must rethink our relationship with animals. Vegans follow these ideas through to their logical conclusion: end our relationship with animals. By way of metaphor, this mean drawing an extremely deep and conspicuous line within the sand. Eliminate domestication of any sort, and cease transgressing upon animals in nature. Vegans align their actions in the here and now, with the non-interventionist future they ideally desire, irrespective of whether or not they will live to see it.
Veganism represent the potential for a genuine societal paradigm shift... an entirely fresh way of processing the world around us, and the sentient creatures occupying it. Our movement is prenatal; it has yet to blossom, or even find its voice. Perhaps if more of the major players (both groups and individuals) among "animal people" were to unequivocally and emphatically promote veganism as a baseline moral position... things would be different. Fortunately, we are ultimately beholden only to our consciences, not any figurehead or established organization. Lest we clarify and bolster our own voices now, can we possibly hope for an authoritative movement in the future?
