I wasn’t sure that I would have the time to write two posts before Xmas, but with one just published, here I sit, in front of my computer, thinking about my final thoughts of 2014. It is true, nearly a year has gone by since I first published, on my fledgling blog, my dialogues about vegan life. I am having a website Veganniversary of sorts, even though I am not sure how significant this is.
So many devoted advocates for nonhuman beings have been at this for years. I admire them all. Even though their approaches are varied, their goal is the same – nonhuman animal liberation from enslavement, fear, torture, misuse, manipulation, isolation from their families and murder. These are harsh words and I gulp as I write them, but everything I have learned over the past year bears out their truth. I am only bearing witness to the facts. I have not seen, firsthand, what others document. I am not on the front lines, but I believe what I see, watch and read in photos, videos, movies, articles and impassioned speeches.
I have met some new friends, who are vegan like me, and who believe in a vegan world filled with kindness and compassion. It is uplifting and encouraging to know that there is an active and kind advocacy going on in my neck of the woods. Thanks to Cindy, Jimmy, Lily, Mélanie and Karen. And thank you to my family who support me in this endeavor. I am sending out a special thank you to my daughter who started me on this path of discovery and enlightenment. And who could forget my grandchildren who inspire me daily to be my very best?
I have learned much and I have cried many tears for mothers separated from their babies, for bulls and horses callously used for entertainment, for dolphins hunted, captured or murdered in Taiji, for elephants beaten and deprived of food in circuses, for fowl crammed by the tens of thousands in sheds, for foxes and mink imprisoned in rows of wire cages for the sake of their fur.
And I have learned about hope. The hope that things are changing. The hope that people are dusting off their kindness and compassion, that they are no longer looking away, that they are saying no to the enslavement of nonhuman beings for our wants, not needs.
I would like to share with you some of my views of veganism, kindness and compassion and I invite you, most earnestly, to join me on the right side of this socially accepted wrong.
Clarity, not condemnation paves the way to a vegan world.
Indoctrination begins at birth and is a process by which we learn and absorb our culture and its rules.
All vegans are plant based eaters, but not all plant based eaters are vegan.
Choosing to be vegan is a choice that is really a need.
Once we know the truth, we must not turn away.
While standing alone with your conviction, remember to celebrate if you are joined by even one other voice. Two voices speaking in unison is one hundred percent stronger than one.
The problem is not the abuse, as heinous as it is. The problem is our callous use of nonhumans for our wants, not needs.
“Saving even one life may not seem to mean very much, but it means everything to the being whose life is saved.” Norm Phelps
Until there are no more dogs or cats out there needing a good home, I will continue to live side by side with my nonhuman animal companions.
Life affirming actions like choosing kindness and compassion are never lost.
Protecting the integrity of the definition of being vegan will help people to choose veganism for the sake of the nonhuman animals and the suffering they endure at our hands.
Veganism is not about us or for us even though it does benefit us.
Annie’s Vegan View
To my readers, and Friends on Facebook and Twitter, thank you for listening, for commenting and for sharing your views.
Most importantly, please accept my heartfelt thanks for your advocacy on behalf of the victims of our choices.
Happy Holiday and see you in the New Year!
May all beings be happy and free.
Thank you for opening the eyes of so many people who now, such as myself, believe in eliminating or at least reducing drastically the meat consumption to turn instead towards plant base eating.
I feel good because of you to have save a few cows and calves from being killed and eaten. So many chicken have not been killed because of people not eating meat anymore.
This was a good year for vegan people and 2015 will even be better because more people will be influenced by your writing and will also change their eating habit and some will be advocates of veganism.
Thank you again.
Hey Serge,
Thanks so much for your kind words of support. It is always heartwarming to know when someone is on the same kindness and compassion page.
May more nonhuman beings be spared the hidden from view suffering in all areas of our profit driven industries which cater to our wants, not needs.
Anne
Happy website Veganniversary, Anne! I am so glad that I found your blog (thanks Have Gone Vegan)! ..”even though I am not sure how significant this is.” I am very sure that any and all of the living souls you write for and about would tell you that, to them, it is very significant. And to your fellow vegans who appreciate your voice, it is significant, too. You have a wonderful way of expressing your thoughts and emotions and that is very special!
Hi Krissa,
Thank you so much. It is my most fervent wish that people reconsider what they are doing and stop, just stop! People ask me if it is hard to be vegan and I know they are thinking about food choices. That was the easy part. Once we understand that veganism is not about us, everything falls into place.
Really, it is the most life affirming action I have ever taken-I look forward to getting the word out there in 2015 and your support and encouragement means the world to me.
Happy holidays to you and see you on the New Year!
Take care,
Anne
Hey my beautiful (in so many ways) vegan friend =)
Happy one year anniversary!!
I am sooo with you… spreading the word & building momentum in the coming year.
Very excited in seeing what new ways will pop up.
Much Vegan Love~
Elle
Hi Lily,
Good to hear from you and thanks for the kind comments. I look forward to 2015 and more nonhuman animal advocacy. Hope you are having a peaceful holiday!!
Take care,
Anne
Hi Anne, late to the party, snort (and a belated congrats on the blogging anniversary — I agree with Krissa — it IS significant), but better late than never, right?
That picture of the performing elephants is just so grotesque and so heart-breaking that it makes me want to take your words, Clarity, not condemnation paves the way to a vegan world. and print them out and put them on the wall right above my computer to help keep my anger in check. I find anger an easier emotion to express than sadness, but I suspect that anger is often my way of dealing with that sadness, and in the case of other sentient beings, deep deep sorrow. Maybe it’ll become my mantra of sorts, clarity, not condemnation… Thanks for that.
I would say, see you next year, but hey, it’s already here. 😉
Hi Friend,
All snorting aside, LOL, many thanks, as usual, for the good wishes.
I get angry too and I often picture myself just shaking people so they wake up and see. But, as humans, we are very self protective and do not like to feel bad and acknowledging the truth about our enslavement and treatment of nonhuman beings has the potential to do just that. So we turn away even before considering that making a change in the way we do things can make some of the bad feeling go away. I am astonished to know that I feel peaceful even though I am mad, sad, horrified by what I see.
I don’t think that industries who perpetrate these atrocities deserve our respect in any way. I do condemn them, because not only are they abusing from a purely monetary view, they are also doing everything they can to hide the truth., all at the expense of beings who cannot defend themselves. I have never met an industry leader and am not likely to, but I do know that getting angry and emotional would only give her/him the upper hand.
As for those who choose not to see, they are accountable for their choices (as are we all) but I feel that the best way to change hearts and minds is to keep exposing the truth without judging them personally.
I also would like to caution vegans (not you) who are judging fellow vegans for their approach to advocacy and use invective to lay blame and to belittle. This will do nothing more than to divert our attention away from our common goal and make us look ridiculous and spiteful to anyone who is listening or watching. And more and more people are watching.
Many thanks,
Anne
but I feel that the best way to change hearts and minds is to keep exposing the truth without judging them personally.
So true, but I’m very good at judging, sigh, so have to work hard to keep that in check. Also agree with your note of caution, especially as the technique of “divide and conquer” can easily be used against our movement.
Hi Friend,
No question that it is tough. Often, I have the urge to go where people are and scream, “What are you doing, what are you doing, what are you doing?” Shaking all of them seems like a good idea, too!! On the other hand, I don’t want to be wishy washy! I have to remember that so many advocates have been at this for years and have been able to hone their approach. I will keep working at it, because I don’t want to say, at the end of it all, that I tilted at windmills, but never got them to turn.
Many thanks,
Anne
Hi Anne
It’s interesting reading this two years on from when you wrote it to see how things have moved on. I can see that veganism is now growing fast, perhaps the fastest it ever has done. It is exciting to be part of this social justice movement and being an agent of change.
I too get very angry and I know I need to keep this in check, however my anger is usually turned inwards and then I get very depressed. I know getting angry towards others and the world isn’t very helpful. I like to use the word assertive instead. If we are assertive with the facts in a non-judgemental manner, as you are, I believe we can get the message out there without shaming people and risking pushing them even further away from veganism altogether.
Sometimes I wonder if I can really call myself an activist at all but that is because I am comparing myself to what others do and this isn’t very helpful either. I try and use every opportunity I can to get the vegan message out. I hope to do more vegan Art and display this, attend marches and vigils when I feel emotionally able and to continue to educate others. Sometimes when I am having a bad day and I don’t feel like I have done anything to help my animal friends I remind myself of how many animals I am saving just by being vegan. I look out the window and see my car with “Go Vegan” written on the back which is parked on a busy road and smile to myself when I think of all the people driving past and seeing it. I hope it sows a seed in their hearts or makes them question themselves. I think of my veganic organic allotment and all the other allotment holders I am educating through having it. A lot of them don’t even know what the word “veganic” means but they do now. I think of my friends at church who ask me questions when I wear my “Eden was vegan” T-shirt.
What I am trying to say is we can all do something, no matter how small, however the very least every one of us can do is go vegan and have this as our platform to build on.
Hey Anne, it is nearly your third veganiversary soon of having your website. You should be very proud of all that you have achieved Anne and all the people and animals you have helped along the way.
Take care
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
My understanding is that anger is a normal, human emotion and that assertiveness is a way of interacting with the world. Stuffing down our anger is never helpful. Neither is acting on it in a negative, abusive manner. So, in my view, being assertive in a respectful manner is a good thing.
Thank you for the support. it is always very much appreciated.
Take care.
Anne