This all seems doable. But doesn’t becoming vegan mean I have to become one of those radical activists who pickets outside fast food restaurants?
Simply by becoming vegan you will play a direct role in abolishing the use of nonhuman animals as our resources. You will also contribute to the goal of ensuring that no sentient being is ever harmed merely to satisfy our trivial interests. But becoming vegan is only the bare minimum we can do individually to achieve this goal.
In order to abolish animal exploitation—thereby ensuring that no sentient being is ever again harmed merely to satisfy our trivial interests—many others like you will need to become vegan as well. Only then can a strong social justice movement emerge on behalf of the right of animals not to be used as our resources. To grow this movement, to accelerate the adoption of veganism, we must talk to others about veganism, too.
Promoting veganism doesn’t require supporting ineffectual welfare measures that actually reinforce the property status of animals, or picketing arbitrarily-chosen animal exploiting businesses. It simply requires spreading the word about veganism at every opportunity. Over time we can effect the sort of broad-based shift in thought that will grow the requisite support for abolishing animal exploitation. Bear in mind that laws and legal systems are typically conservative, tending to follow social change rather than lead it. Real change starts with us. You can contribute to this revolution of the heart today by becoming vegan.
December 16, 2013