Anywho, as the waiters brought out the food, a chorus of coos, gleeful comments and excitement ensued. Mickey, clearly repulsed, chimed in with ''Oh look! Yay! Plates full of dead animals!!''
Everyone was infuriated. Angry that she'd dared to attempt putting everyone off their dinners like that! ''How embarassing!'' ''You just don't say that do you??'' ''Who does she think she is?!'' I joined in, I couldn't understand why she felt the need to say it at all. I was very content to not eat meat myself, but leave people be I thought, let them make their own decisions.
Now I get it. Why should they get to feast on the corpses of the animals she adores without being reminded of where their meat has came from? How dare they be so cowardly as to deny the fact that their meals were once living, breathing, loving creatures?
It's fine to leave people to their own decisions when they're the only ones who suffer - but how can we be expected to just watch quietly when they're murdering innocent beings? Not only watch quietly, but actually be accepting and make it easier for them to revel in their violence by not saying a word while they celebrate the taste of the kill right in front of me.
I censor myself because I don't want to be one of those vegans. But I get it. I see people getting excited about plates full of my tortured and butchered friends, and it makes me sick to my stomach. I see people care more about the cow skin on their shoes or their sofas than they care about the wonderful being who was murdered for it. The world is insane and it's revolting.
It's difficult to keep quiet, and always be the perfect vegan ambassador. Sometimes it's just right there, being shoved in my face and it's all I can do to keep myself from screaming at them. I have to keep reminding myself that people like Mickey don't help the cause. But I don't blame her. I feel like I'm in Nazi Germany watching Jews being persecuted and I can see what's going on but no one gives a shit, and in fact they attack me if I try to defend the victims.
It's such a slow progress, and when it's a matter of life and death it's painful to be patient. To keep quiet knowing that every day, millions of animals are being slaughtered, is gut wrenching.
But there is progress, it's a long term plan, the spread of veganism. I have no doubt that one day meat eaters will be seen as the extremists, and animals will be allowed to freely live their lives. However resistant to change and stupid humans can be...if history can tell us anything it's that they usually see the error of their ways eventually. I hope that I get to see some real, significant change in my life time. Considering just how recently animal rights activism and veganism has come about, and how far it's spread in that time, it's entirely possible.
Especially when we have visionaries and revolutionaries on our side, like Lord Wallace, AKA Che Guedooga.
He's such a visionary ........
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard to keep quiet sometimes. I have said stuff to people, but try to keep it light rather than aggressive.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh....I find myself always trying to be the quiet vegan too. But then I wonder if it would be okay to shut up if someone is making really racist statements or whatever also. I think it's fine for people to say something, I don't want it to be me because I feel like my place is probably better being a more subtle vegan-but there is something so wrong that people don't have to confront what is on their plate. Your mom or Mickey is a vegan stripper?? Anyway, if the vegan stripper said something, all the better, as that seems just really zany!
ReplyDeleteAnd gosh, did she work for PETA?
ReplyDeleteA girlfriend of mine, her sister worked for PETA and was a vegan stripper too!!
Yep, same Molly. I'd drive myseld mental getting angry at everyone all the time.
ReplyDeleteSkinny - Not my mum! But thanks for that visual, hahaha!
No she didn't work for PETA - but how strange that we both know a vegan activist stripper!! Ha!
That's a good point about the racist comments...it's hard to find a balance between just allowing these things to go on, and doing things that hinder the cause, very difficult indeed.
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I hear ya! It's a real struggle knowing when to speak up and when to let it go, and I sure still haven't learned the art of it yet.
ReplyDeleteI know it's very hard to be reserve when faced with the holocaust all around us. It's everywhere - On t.v., the billboards & ads, the fast-slaughter-food joints... The grocery stores. It can be maddening and often impossible to stand by in silence.
ReplyDeleteI too am very grateful for the community of support and friends found on the web. It helps to know that others are going through the very same things as I.
And putting things in perspective... I don't doubt that 200 years ago many who were disgusted by slavery also didn't want to be one of "those" abolitionists who spoke out of turn... But thankfully there were others who yelled loud and clear to "Set the slaves free!".
Maybe each one of us in our own experiences of advocacy and activism picks and chooses when the time is right to say what's really on our minds... Everyone gets a turn at bat to make a difference... And to make mistakes- The main thing is to stay in the game. The victims are counting on us. ;)
Bea - thanks so much for your input. Like Have Gone Vegan says, there certainly is an art to it, and I'm working on it.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that I don't want to speak out of turn for fear of embarrassment or anything, I just don't want to damage to the cause. I do speak out, I just try to be careful about how and when I go about it.
I'm glad to realise that other people make mistakes when getting their message across too, we're not perfect, and it's a difficult and lonely process.
Definitely right though, the most important thing is to stay in the game - I'm going nowhere!
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