“Why is it that animal advocates are so often harshly criticized, mocked, and ostracized? Where does the backlash originate? People who support cruelty to animals (unknowingly or knowingly) sometimes use criticism as a defense mechanism — a way to justify their complacency — because unlike other issues such as child abuse or racism where they are unlikely to be the direct cause of the problem, animal rights criticizers have often realized that when it comes to the issues animal advocates work to improve, those who consume animals (“meat”) and animal byproducts (“dairy”) play a pivotal role … So the advocates’ words strike a chord with them and they — the people who eat, wear, or pay to see animals exploited — understandably don’t like it. They fully understand the meaning of a carbon footprint or the unwatchable murder of an innocent animal and they simply don’t want to confront the very harsh reality that they are the source of the problem … so they seek to sully the credibility of the messengers.

So if you are one of those folks doing the criticizing, know that there are no hard feelings – and know that there is more than enough room for you to join Team Compassion whenever you wish … God knows the animals need all the help we humans can give them.

And you, my fellow advocates? What about you? Rest assured, you will be called “crazy” and you will be called “exaggerators” — Rest assured, you are not … Critics will say you are naive and and call you “foolhardy” — Rest assured, you are not … They will tell you to “get a life”, without understanding that few people live one more meaningful … Indeed, you are all active heroes for a cause as important as any in the history of the world — the systematic and needless confinement, torture, and slaughter of billions of animals; the primary cause of global climate change that will soon lead to the destruction of our environment; millions of people dying from human health conditions caused by eating animals and the effects of industrial farming; and millions more people dying of starvation because grain that could save them is wasted on farmed animals.

You are fighting against enormous odds, my Friends, including a foe in the powerful agricultural industry that will spare no expense to continue duping the public into believing a web of lies about the realities of eating animals and the nature of agribusiness. Indeed, the recent efforts by agribusiness to make it illegal for advocates to film animal abuse in their factories provide ample evidence that you truly are making progress.

So when the thought of the animals’ immense & needless suffering becomes too much to bear, know that your passion offers hope; know that your activism has changed and saved lives — and know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE … So keep holding those signs, keep handing out those leaflets, keep sharing those videos, keep boycotting those stores, keep talking to your friends and family, keep signing those petitions, keep calling those legislators, keep holding those fundraisers, keep supporting those animal sanctuaries and other non-profit animal rescue organizations, keep bombarding those grocery stores with pro-vegan stickers, and keep directly liberating those animals imprisoned in fur farms & animal testing asylums.

Just keep making the world a more humane place, one small yet brave act at a time … And please DON’T STOP!!! … Don’t ever stop … You are making a powerful difference … The world is changing … You are changing it.

Thank you so much.”

(inspired by Andrew Kirschner)

Filed under: Sanctifying Sentience by Scaughdt