About me: I've chosen the vegetarian lifestyle for the sake of reducing, even a little bit, animal suffering. I know my little bit isn't much, but I sleep better at night because of it. Personally, I feel that you're a hypocrite if you say you love animals but eat them. Even though I feel strongly about it I NEVER push my views on others. If they ask me why I don't eat meat I tell them, but I never bring it up and never tell them they shouldn't eat meat. I realize most people don't really care and although I may secretly wish everyone on the planet felt similarly about compassion towards animals, I accept that they don't. We're all at different points on the continuum of ethical decisions by which we live our lives.OK, now about the cartoon. Interestingly, on more than one occasion people have verbally attacked me for not eating meat. These are not people I approached or spoke to first, but people who became aware (at the table) that I am a vegetarian. They never even asked me why I've chosen to be a vegetarian.
What's that all about?
Perhaps they had a bad experience with an aggressive animal rights advocate or perhaps they have a guilty conscience? Who knows, but that cartoon really struck home. People don't want to be told that they're causing pain and suffering. Instead of getting upset about the initial pain and suffering (which she is causing), the lady in the cartoon gets mad at the source of information that's pointing it out. That's like getting mad at the weatherman who's giving you the weather report.
You may say that PeTA is too aggressive about their "weather reports", but if you don't report on issues of injustice in a bodacious fashion people do not listen. Elie Wiesel said: "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."
So, don't shoot the messenger.
(P.S. I support Amnesty International too.)
1 comment:
I personally think it's a guilty conscience that makes people try to justify themselves to vegetarians, even when the veggie-eater hasn't said a word. If they are sitting there abstaining from meat, they are making a statement. In some way, I think that the rest of the people (those especially that feel guilty) feel judged, no matter how hard one tries NOT to be judgemental. I can't tell you how many people say to me, "I don't eat red meat!" as though I had just asked them if they ate meat. I hadn't said a word, but they seemed to want to feel better about it all. "I just eat chicken and fish," is a phrase I've heard often as well. I just say, "OK." Whatever makes them feel better, I guess...
-Shirin
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