Abolitionist Again

So. You may have noticed my silence since my last post. It was weird, after writing that, the universe started hammering me with messages opposing my stance. Everywhere I turned there were compelling arguments against welfarism and amazing people doing amazing things from an abolitionist perspective; essays, lectures, blogs, and Facebook updates. So after being confronted with damning evidence in favour of being abolitionist; here I am with my tail between my legs having to admit that I was wrong.

I thought using the angle of animal welfare as a gateway for getting meat eaters to listen to my views was the best way to go. For example, I was chatting with my dad, aunt and uncle last week. Usually they switch off and/or take the piss out of me when I preach that killing animals for food is inherently wrong. This time my opener was much better received. 

''Fine whatever, you don't agree with me that animals shouldn't be killed for food. But surely, you agree with me that they shouldn't be intensively farmed and subject to torture and excruciating conditions just so that we can buy meat cheaply?''

They agreed, then they listened to my rants on factory farms and for once I wasn't having to defend my position. And there you have it; 3 more meat eaters who now know what happens in factory farms who didn't know before. Success!

Well at least I thought so. Of course they listened. Of course they agreed with me. Of course they were more open. But that doesn't mean there was any sort of breakthrough. They listened because they weren't being accused of doing anything wrong. I was telling them that it's fine to eat meat. I was telling them that the only thing they are guilty of, is not knowing the truth, and that's not their fault is it? Pandering to them like this isn't going to break down any barriers. Do I really believe that any of them are going to make a committed effort to stop buying factory farmed produce? Come on, as if! And even if they did, I was convincing myself that this would be a half way step to veganism, but it's not! People who believe they're doing enough by buying higher welfare meat are even harder to 'convert'!

If I expect anyone to change, they need to hear the harsh truth. The full truth. That animals are not ours to use, full stop. That's the message that needs to be heard because everything hinges on that. If more people believed that, fur farms, meat farms, dairy farms, puppy mills, none of them would exist anyway! We wouldn't need to pussy foot around these people and beg them to torture the animals in a nicer way. The fundamental core issue that animal use is just plain bad is what the animals need people to be pushing.

But as long as we have people fighting in any way they can for the animals, that's a good thing, right? Nope. Not only does this attitude not help, it is actually detrimental to the cause. It sets it all back a step. You just have to listen to people proudly proclaiming that they only buy free range eggs to know that it's all bollocks. It just allows people to plod on ignorantly through life with their eyes closed.

Will my family be as open to hearing my views that eating meat is heinous altogether? Absolutely not. Will they taunt me and tell me they don't care how cute the pig is because its bacon is just too goddamn tasty? Yep. Will they tell me that Jesus ate fish? Yup. Will I go round in circles and continue having the same conversations with every single person I converse with on the matter? You bet. Will they be pissed off and call me a nutter and laugh at me behind my back? I can guarantee it. 

But that's OK. Telling people the whole story, that's the only thing that's gonna change the way they think. They react in that typical way because I make them uncomfortable, (i.e. it's working!) I force them to see the truth and they'll hate me for a while because of it. But there aren't any short cuts. Yeah, I might feel better when they politely listen and agree with me that cages should be bigger blah blah blah but that's selfish, it's not doing anything to help the animals so what's the point? 

Children and Animals #1

A few months ago 3 of my little cousins (all under 13) were eating meat and I was lurking in the kitchen.

''Nicola, why's this got red stuff in?''

''It's blood''


*Puzzled expressions*

''Because it's a dead chicken's leg''

*Horrified expressions*

Cue the rest of my family furiously telling the girls to ignore their lunatic cousin. Fast forward 3 months to the announcement one of them made that she's now vegetarian - I'm beyond proud of her!

I'm constantly thinking about the results of my actions and whether something I say will piss people off so much that they use it as ammunition against our cause. But in cases like this when I see a real opportunity for my message to be heard, I'm obliged to speak out.

A conversation with my Dad afterwards went something like this:

Dad: *Frowning* ''Come on Nic, you know you shouldn't have said that''

Me: ''Why?''

''You know why'' *looks at me as if I'm just being ridiculous*

''No I don't. Why shouldn't they know the truth?''

''Because they're too young, they should be shielded from stuff like that''


''Why, because if they knew the truth they wouldn't want to eat meat? If they're being forced to eat it, they deserve to know where it's come from. Either stop force feeding them the dead animals which you know they would choose not to eat if they were given the option, or tell them the truth. And if their parents are sure that they're doing the right thing by feeding them meat, then they should be fine with them knowing the truth.''


He agreed in principle but still felt uneasy about me saying things like that to the kids. Ellie is a bright little girl and I'm not suggesting my one statement turned her veggie (she read Charlotte's Web too) but children are just less indoctrinated, less brainwashed into the idea of gorging on flesh, they're so close to making the connection that all they need is to know the truth. Before they reach a certain age they don't defend their actions with pathetic excuses, they just get it. They agree and they're disgusted and I'll be damned if I'm supposed to let parents force feed our friends to compassionate little people without saying anything.

But Drinking Their Milk Doesn't Harm Them or Anything, Does It?

After being offered a cup of tea at a colleague's house, it was my time to tell her that I'd gone vegan.

Her: ''But it's not like drinking their milk harms them or anything is it?''


Me: ''Well I always thought the same as you, but recently I found out the truth. I was surprised too. Cows are constantly kept pregnant, their calves are taken from them at birth and killed for veal. The cows are also sent to slaughter anyway when at around age 4 (normal lifespan is 25) they are so badly damaged and in permanent pain from constant milk production that they can no longer be used.''

Which is honestly, just the tip of the iceberg; I wanted her to know the facts, but was concious of saying too much too soon and coming across as a militant vegan. Which of course I totally am.

A baby calf - just 4 weeks old. Seen here at a 'Livestock' sale, after being taken from his mother so she could produce milk and he can be sold for meat as an added little bonus for the greedy farmer. Score! Two for the price of one! (Source)

Anyway, she didn't believe me. Probably thinking the same thing that I used to think; that vegans are extremists and refuse to use animal products based on some hippy notions that I don't understand, and so make up lies about animal cruelty to get us to join their cult.

''But I thought they were dairy cows?''


''I don't know what you mean by that, they are dairy cows...''


''So then they don't have to keep them pregnant.''

Be aware that this lady is an extremely intelligent, successful, well respected businesswoman, so her thoughts are likely to resemble those of many others. And that what she was saying is that she believes there to be a breed of cow that just gives milk, constantly and painlessly. Forever. Like a milky bottomless well given to the human race as a gift from God.


''There is no such thing as a cow who just gives milk constantly...why would that be a thing?''

*Blank stare*


''Think about it. They produce milk to feed their newborn calves. If there were no calves, there would be no milk produced.''

''Euurggghhh. Wow.''

I'd said enough, something had resonated at least. She was stirring the milk into her tea and I noticed her face scrunch up a bit. I was dying to quickly tell her about the legally allowed quanitites of pus and blood that goes into milk, but I thought better of it - save that for next time!

My Little Carnivorous Sister, Nade.

As anyone with a younger sibling knows, it was my duty to make her life difficult when we were little. After a few years of her putting up with me bullying her into saying swear words and eating her own bogies, I began to see that she wasn't born into our family for my own amusement, and we became best friends.

Occasionally we'll spend our time together acting like real grown ups...

But usually we wont.

Don't ask.

Aside from being the funniest person in the universe, she's recently grown up to become one of the most kind and compassionate. It'd be cruel of me to say I never would have imagined her to turn out like this, but I'll say it anyway. 

I was always able to talk openly and frankly to her about my thoughts on meat, even though she ate it. She was never disrespectful or defensive, in fact she would cover up the meat on her plate so when we ate together I didn't have to look at it. She listened to what I had to say, but didn't usually have anything to add herself apart from something along the lines of ''yeah, I know you're right, but I couldn't live without steak''. She ate meat at every meal, she ate her steaks blue and one time I recall her drinking the blood left on the plate with a straw(!!!!). Entirely carnivorous.

In my experience there are two types of meat eaters, the ones who are in denial and refuse to listen to the truth, for fear of having to change, and the ones who can listen to what you say and it apparently has no effect on them. Nade comes from the latter category. 

The others are the type of people who I have always tried to educate; sure that once they allow themselves to see the truth, they'll change. It never occurred to me that someone like Nade would ever give up meat, I couldn't imagine the massive shift in attitude that would have to take place for them to do so. I thought at least the other people are part way there, at least they feel guilty and responsible sometimes. Where some people would cringe and get angry if I pointed out that the rib there were eating was actually from a dead pig's chest, she would literally not bat an eyelid.

A few months ago we started reading books on Buddhism, it was weird, we both decided to do it at the same time so went to the book shop together and got Buddhism, Plain and Simple. That very same day, I was in the kitchen and she came in, announcing ''Nic, I think I'm going to have to be vegetarian''. I literally could not believe my ears. ''I know eating meat is wrong, I know it is, so I shouldn't do it.''

Definitely recommended 

Unlike me, Nade loved to eat meat, she never had any of the nagging feelings that I'd had right throughout my life. I'm still in shock I think, because of how much strength it takes for someone to make such a change so suddenly and selflessly. 

I think since then she's really allowed herself to awaken to all manner of truths, it's as though the curtain of denial has been lifted and she no longer inhabits the greedy, self fulfilling world she was a part of. She was a professional dancer, but she now volunteers in Ethiopia, educating people on environmental issues and women's rights. 

Apparently she's also abandoned the idea of cameras as this is the only photo I have of her in Ethiopia. She gets to play with wild monkeys every day too so you can imagine my frustration at her taking no photos*hint hint*

Not one to appreciate being labelled, so I'll avoid calling her a freegan or a flexitarian, she will eat meat that would have otherwise gone to waste. I'm going to talk about my ideas on this another time, as I think it leads to some really interesting questions. But for now I think my point is how excited I am at the thought of such unlikely folk awakening to the truth. I'll never rule anyone out, and I realise the importance of having faith in people to do the right thing in their own time. It's nice because it kind of eases the burden I know a lot of us feel, when you think of it this way. 

Nade has been writing a blog since she got to Ethiopia...she doesn't often get access to a computer and when she does she frequently encounters power cuts, but the posts she writes are witty and entertaining :-)

You sneezed?? That'll Be Because You're Vegan!

My boyfriend broke his toe playing football a few weeks ago. The other day his mum asked him how it was getting on. Still no better, she told him it's because he's vegan. Clearly not getting enough calcium, and prescribed him a feast of cheese and milk.

Forgetting the fact that Dan drinks an obscene amount of fortified soya milk due to his banana milkshake addiction, rendering her point about him not getting enough nonsensical, everyone knows that bones take at least 6 weeks to heal. What she's saying loosely translates as ''because he hasn't developed super sonic healing powers with which he can mend a snapped bone in a fortnight, surely being a vegan is killing him'' or something like that. 

I'm astonished at how quickly meat eaters jump to conclusions about our health based on no evidence whatsoever, and will deny the scientifically proven facts supporting a vegan diet that I provide them with.

Most infuriating are those who love to tell me how dangerous my diet is while they eat take away pizza every night. What, seriously? You're honestly concerned about my nutrition? I have to wonder, do they really believe what they're saying, or are they just trying to be a pain in the ass?

They're too snuggly? 

Oh, that's because they're vegan.

Too Lazy?

That'll be because he's vegan

Too stylish? 

Because he's vegan.

Looks too much like Oliver Twist in that hat...

Vegan.

Che Guedooga

It was my mum's birthday and there were about 40 of us having a celebratory meal. The only people not eating meat were me, Dan and Mickey. She's an animal rights activist...and a stripper *shrugs*. To each their own!


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.

Shelleys Youtube Channel

You know when you see someone who can present all of your vegan 'arguments' in a succinct, articulate way, and you're like ''why didn't I think of saying it like that?!''

If you know what I'm talking about you're going to love Shelley's Youtube channel,

Be A Shining Example

After the rant post I made the other day about my annoyance at meat eaters, there were some really helpful comments that led me to do lots of thinking. I knew I wanted to do more to help animals, but being frustrated and not thinking productively was getting in the way.  I thought the only way to help, was to tell everyone what I know. My intentions were good, but that's hardly going to work!

After you lovely bloggers telling me that you spread the word by being a shining example and winning others over with good food, it's really changed my attitude.

I need to be a positive example. I don't want to be an angry vegan that everyone ignores! Completely useless.

As a start, I'm volunteering at an animal shelter tomorrow, they said I'll be walking the dogs. Er..Hello! Why haven't I done this already? Walkies = love them! Dogs = love them even more! Walkies with dogs =  heaven!

I need to positively encourage people to consider animals more. If I can do this in a non threatening way, then the door is open for them to see more clearly. Bit by bit they might come to realise.

I remember when I ate meat, and I had begun to think about where it came from, I would ignore my conscience, because it made me feel guilty if I didn't. I didn't want to feel guilty. Guilty does not feel nice. I thought the only option was to bury my head in the sand. Making people feel guilty, makes them hide from the truth.

I think a certain amount of guilt is necessary, because otherwise we'd think it wasn't our responsibility to care, and continue to do nothing. But that feeling has to come from them, not me, and when they do begin to realise things on their own, and want to hide from the truth, if I can be there to show them that there is a friendlier, healthier, tastier option which can alleviate their sad souls, they'll be all the more open I'm sure!

I imagine that it might go a little something like this...

Simple eh??

Working Backwards

Veganism for me, starts with the notion that animals are sentient beings who suffer. Thus I conclude, that eating meat is wrong because animals have suffered in order for that meat to exist on your plate.


Animal exploitation begins with the desire to eat meat, then works backwards in order to search for reasons why it is OK.


Veganism isn't conjured up from a desire to not eat meat, which then motivates me to find reasons to support this urge. Veganism is a conclusion to draw from the facts.


The two paths don't usually meet because the driving force behind one, is the need to seek out and share the whole truth, whereas because the opposition is born out of the desire to fulfill self indulgent urges, the conclusion (that eating meat is fine) has been drawn before the 'argument' is even heard, and regardless of any evidence I might put forward to the contrary.

Just because. There's never a wrong time to share a photo of my cutie baby.