A Matter of Rudeness … (08/12/15)
I totally get it when non-vegans get a little irritated with me over my pro-animal posts. After all, I certainly don’t particularly like it either when other folks’ posts illuminate my own inconsistencies & moral weaknesses … I am thankful for those “rude awakenings” after the fact, of course — after I have had the humility to see my own failings therein and the courage make the necessary shifts in my behavior — and yet the act of awakening itself is admittedly never a comfortable one.
That having been said, it is not an accurate reflection to claim that I am “pushing my beliefs” on anyone — not in my daily life, not in my everyday conversations, and certainly not here on Facebook. I have chosen to live a life that fully & completely respect the rights of others — ALL others. I live this life openly and, when asked, I champion it passionately. That is not forcing anything on anyone … I never get up in anyone’s face (knowing that it would be fully counterproductive to do so) and I never condemn anyone as a person (even though I most certainly do “condemn” all of their choices that are cruel &/or unjust &/or callous).
Indeed, the truth of the matter is that vegans do not push beliefs on others at all. That farmed animals are confined and abused is not a belief – it is a fact. That it is completely unnecessary for humans to eat animal products to live longer & healthier lives is not a belief – it is a fact. That non-vegans paying for animal products directly prolongs the massive suffering & insane injustice of the meat & dairy industry is not a belief – it is a fact as well.
In conclusion, my pro-animal/anti-cruelty posts are not telling you what to eat, my Friends. They are only illuminating what you are already eating … They are not telling you what to support. They are merely informing you what you are already supporting … And they are not telling you what to do. They are simply reminding you of what you are already doing … As such, if you are one of those non-vegans telling us to stop pushing our beliefs on you, it seems to me that you are simply confused as to who is really pushing whom.
We are part of one large family, my Friends — a family that includes our animal cousins. If someone were confining &/or abusing &/or murdering your family members or your classmates or your co-workers, I am almost certain that you would stand up and do something to stop them. As such, I think you understand quite well that factually and non-judgmentally illuminating your own actions that are confining & abusing & murdering our other, equally worthy family members is not rude at all … It is Kind. It is Kind to you, that you might one day soon repair the harsh discord that exists between your actions and your values; and it is Kind to the animals, who will then no longer suffer therefrom.
Peace to ALL … S
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