INTRODUCTION: The following piece was published on the 7'th of October 2014, after an altercation occurred between a friend of mine and a fellow (un-named and un-sourced) member of the vegan/ vegetarian community. My friend posted a really upsetting status dismissing all vegetarians and vegans as ignorant and pieces of shit. This piece was written in response. The asterisks (*) throughout this revised edition are editing notes, notes that were not previously stated during the publication's original debut. Thank you. -Colin Mulholand (31'st of March 2015)
"It has been brought to my attention, that recent events transpired in which a fellow member of the vegetarian community has let loose a maelstrom of verbal assaults on a fellow acquaintance of mine of whom is not a vegetarian. These attacks of verbal hellfire in return sparked a devastating retork in which said acquaintance's outcome was only more verbal assaults, mainly aimed at the entire vegetarian community. It is my civic duty as vegetarian (*Now as of 2015 a Vegan) and animal rights activist to address and confront the situation.First and fore-most, I am ashamed of both parties in question for their continuum to bicker. But this is not a prosecution, this is a serving suggestion. A piece to serve some education to both parties as a suggestion or even a manifesto to prevent the re-occurrence of this situation again, and this can be applied to more than one persons of the same situation. This is for the many and the few. The largest form of education is through activism, there is no doubt about it. Through feminism it is taught that women should have the most equal of rights that of any man, and for women to disown the the radical form of patriarchy, and most importantly to discard every form of portrayal (Society's, Media's, Hollywood's) depicting the "typical female role" and to love who they are on the outside. The Dali Llama once said "If women take more care of their inner beauty, lifetime of happiness!"
Through the Gay Rights Movement it is taught that if something so naturally such as the attraction to the same sex feels so right, how can it be wrong? And the overall rejection, fear and purile hatred of said attraction (commonly known as homophobia, I put this in here because I think people forget it's real definition) is a downright form of discrimination. Then through vegetarian/ veganism, it is taught that the rights of mankind that we have been rightfully given, such as the Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation, and even those of the Civil Rights movement are invalid if the idea of us living, means the overall enslavement and torture of innocent animals for the benefit of our survival. We choose to eat vegetables, not only on the basis of saving a thousand plus lives every year, but also because they're pretty damn tasty.
It cannot be denied we live in a world of conflict, everything is an argument. The ideals that society endeavor have shown. Through history, it has been proven that man is capable of the most evilest of wiles. The biggest of examples being Adolf Hitler and the holocaust (sadly Hitler was a vegetarian too, in the defense of the vegetarian community we cannot speak for everyone-every time and Hitler will NEVER be an exception) And being said, the acts that were portrayed during the holocaust may have been supported by the majority of the German community during that time, and a 10% elsewhere (Yes, there was even a fascist movement in America during that time, the largest being in Chicago.) So out of that ten percent came the rest of the world as I like the proclaim the 90%ers. (*Mind you that is a guestimation and not an accurate estimation.)
It is of the 90% in which my point comes to it's close, the acts portrayed are not always supported or even represented by an entire community. Whether it be the world (90%) against the Nazi Fascist Movement (10%) or The vegetarians against the meat eaters (percentages there make up about 50/50 but that's just my guess) we will never be able to find a common ground with each other. There is an old feminist saying: "We do not hate men, but simply ask for the equality of sexes" I want you to study that for a moment, take as long as you need to and apply it to any form of thinking you desire.
The rules applied within that statement are the implications that need to be applied within veggie culture. "We do not hate the carnivores, but only wish to educate the general populous" TO EDUCATE. It is time for an educational re-evaluation of thought. IGNORANCE BREEDS IGNORANCE. Words can create terrible things, and that is why I have decided to write this, because of words said. But which ever way you "slice it" meat is in fact murder. It doesn't matter how you choose to ignore it, the fact of the matter is, the consumption of meat produces enablers, not murderers. The true murderers are the industrial animal farmers. But by your consumption of meat you are indeed enabling murder to happen. Worse yet, you are paying for it to happen and therefore are capitalizing and endorsing murder.
My biggest problem isn't with all the meat eaters, I know many who are very supportive of my life choice, and there are many out there. Like for example there are vegetarians who are accepting of others' choice to eat meat, as much as we may not like it, we are very suggestive of the alternative switch over to organic and free range meats as apposed to processed and industrialized meats. (*Though I oppose the idea of "Humane Meat" for there is no such thing) My real problem is with the ignoramuses who claim meat is "delicious murder". It is those sorts of people we must disassociate ourselves from. There is no helping them. Now remember when I said, "Ignorance breeds ignorance." The moment you try to argue with a far gone mind with their standard set of "morals," conflict is bound to erupt.
It is not wise to continue to argue a point you think is worth fighting for when the battle itself is worthless. Animal's lives are a serious battle to fight for, and totally worth it. But the anxiety of a losing battle is not worth fighting for. We must remember the words of the almighty Lao Tzu when he said: "He who speaks does not know, but he who does not speak in fact knows." These words are in refference to the Dao and Daoism. But can be applied to whichever situation is most relevant. But to sum it up, you already know where your morals stand, leave them where they lie, in the caverns of your heart and soul. For you my friend have been right all along. "He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight" -Sun Tzu#
(# I'm trying to keep this as femme friendly as possible I swear...)
All things I have previously stated can be applied to both sides, what both sides need to remember is, within an argument you must both ask yourselves: "Did I start this?", "Why?", and "Was it worth the trouble?" If you started an argument to which the flames of that fire you have no desire to put out yourself, do not complain when an offense is tossed your way and the fire escalates beyond control. For those who seek no confrontation it is the same thing we have heard since youth, be the better person and simply walk away. Avert the situation positively. Let the guilty wither in their ego.
The real key is coexistence, through coexistence we can peak interest. Once there is interest we can apply education. Once we apply education we can breed knowledge. For knowledge is power, live the life you see as fit. And please, for the love of my universal God, stop stepping on toes! For two wrongs don't make a right, IGNORANCE BREEDS IGNORANCE, and hate is a four letter word. But so is LOVE. And we must learn to love each other, for that is the only way we can achieve peace, fertility, and unity.
-Colin Mulholland.
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