Listen HERE
This Episode I mention how important it is to be in touch with reality no matter how painful it is. I think it is the best way to live, and it also allows us to embrace life, and only by being in touch with the reality of the world we are living in can we be effective in helping to better that world. I talk about the dreams I have which are not fantasies, but rather are about a future that I will probably never get to live long enough to see, which is however, a plausible future, a plausible reality. I wistfully imagine what it would be like being there to help solve the problems that will be need to be solved in a vegan or at least a more vegan world - how to undo the damage to the environment, how to help the surviving domestic animals and provide homes for them for the rest of their natural lives, how to sustain ourselves as ecologically as possible. These are my dreams; my reality is I am here in this utterly non-vegan world, and before we can solve the issues that will arise in a vegan world we must first wake people up to veganism. But I also feel that veganism and ahimsa go so much further than just abolishing the direct use of animals as our renewable resources; there are other ways that we as a species destroy the lives of non-humans for so many other frivolous reasons. We need to learn how to live, we need enlightenment, because our methods of entertaining ourselves as a species are also unnecessary, and are also causing the destruction of the non-humans we share our world with. If you want to know what enlightenment is, watch an animal. They know how to live, and we have a lot to learn from them. Observe how they live, and I don't mean copying their physical lifestyles, I mean watch how they enjoy the moment, something we have forgotten how to do. If we learn to appreciate life by living in reality the way they do we will learn how to live again. And we won't need to "entertain" ourselves with noise polluting machines and virtual worlds and violence and other destructive activities. Noise pollution is one of the most destructive and harmful side effects of our constant search for "entertainment". So we also need to face those truths. But those are my dreams only; my reality is firstly to try to open up people to change the fundamental way we look at all other living things, and that starts with educating people about the basic reasons for veganism, which starts with seeing the moral imperative of abolishing the use of animals as our renewable resources. Then we will be able to lead ourselves to address the other issues we have a duty and a responsibility to be real about.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 16- I think we are at the beginning of something big, we just have to BE that beginning and keep it going
Listen HERE
This week I try to articulate my thoughts about abolition veganism as a movement, as a cause that is becoming reality, because I am starting to think that we are at the beginning of something that may one day, albeit perhaps long after we are gone, be called a movement. The more people I am finding out about who are promoting abolitionist veganism, the more I realize that something has really begun. Something that actually will make a difference, unlike the last 200 years. It's very probable it has begun purely because of one man, Gary Francione; that is often how great movements are begun, but they only get going when people finally pay attention, and get involved, and get behind that person, then it becomes two people, then three then hundreds until it becomes a real grass roots movement. Think of all the great movements in history... However, I am trying to remind myself that firstly, if this IS the beginning of a movement, of a grass roots abolitionist veganism movement, then it is the absolute beginning, and I have to continue doing it whether I get to see any of the fruits of the labours in my lifetime or not. I will do it because it is all I can do. I cannot get hung up on results or tallies, because all I can do is be part of the beginning, and continue for the rest of my life. We are all human beings so we are all part of the problem. None of us is innocent, the only ones who are truly innocent are the animals. So I try also to remember that it is not about me. It is always about them.
This week I try to articulate my thoughts about abolition veganism as a movement, as a cause that is becoming reality, because I am starting to think that we are at the beginning of something that may one day, albeit perhaps long after we are gone, be called a movement. The more people I am finding out about who are promoting abolitionist veganism, the more I realize that something has really begun. Something that actually will make a difference, unlike the last 200 years. It's very probable it has begun purely because of one man, Gary Francione; that is often how great movements are begun, but they only get going when people finally pay attention, and get involved, and get behind that person, then it becomes two people, then three then hundreds until it becomes a real grass roots movement. Think of all the great movements in history... However, I am trying to remind myself that firstly, if this IS the beginning of a movement, of a grass roots abolitionist veganism movement, then it is the absolute beginning, and I have to continue doing it whether I get to see any of the fruits of the labours in my lifetime or not. I will do it because it is all I can do. I cannot get hung up on results or tallies, because all I can do is be part of the beginning, and continue for the rest of my life. We are all human beings so we are all part of the problem. None of us is innocent, the only ones who are truly innocent are the animals. So I try also to remember that it is not about me. It is always about them.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 15- have heard from other people who have abolitionist vegan blogs! shout outs to all the great people.
Listen HERE
This week I say hi and thank you to people who listened to the Gary Francione interview and other episodes and got in touch with me to offer support and I have provided links to their fantastic websites in my list of links. I reinforce why I am only comfortable with peaceful, abolitionist vegan activism, because otherwise I would not be being true to myself. I talk about how animals, unlike women or human slaves, will never be able to start their own movement or create an agenda or a political party etc etc, obviously, so they will never have a way of helping themselves from this situation that we have placed them all in. It is only up to us to help them, right through to the end.
This week I say hi and thank you to people who listened to the Gary Francione interview and other episodes and got in touch with me to offer support and I have provided links to their fantastic websites in my list of links. I reinforce why I am only comfortable with peaceful, abolitionist vegan activism, because otherwise I would not be being true to myself. I talk about how animals, unlike women or human slaves, will never be able to start their own movement or create an agenda or a political party etc etc, obviously, so they will never have a way of helping themselves from this situation that we have placed them all in. It is only up to us to help them, right through to the end.
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