While it is true that abolitionists ask folks to “Go Vegan”, it is not true that abolitionists expect those folks to go from consuming flesh, secretions, skin, etcetera to vegan overnight. Our goal is to make nonhuman animal slavery illegal, just like it is now for human animal slavery.
Our method is to tell the TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH, and nothing but the TRUTH. That is, turning a sentient being into a commodity is about as wrong as wrong gets and thus all forms of animal exploitation, human and nonhuman alike, should be abolished immediately. Once this message is out there we let the recipients of the message do what they think is best.
Some will Go Vegan right on the spot. Others will not. Instead they’ll eat “humane” flesh or forgo flesh but continue consuming secretions, skin, or whatever (i.e., vegetarianism). BUT the message from us that it is ALWAYS wrong to commodify a sentient being will remain with them forever.
In sales, or in this case asking someone to change their worldview, you don’t always get to ring the “I got a sale!” bell the first time you talk with someone. That is, it may take several discussions over a period of time and most likely even more discussions with fellow activists before the message pays off. And for us human and nonhuman animals as well as the planet itself this means eventually there will be a Vegan World—as long as, of course, we ask for it!
Oh and when someone says, “I could never go vegan, it’s just too hard” (or some variation of this) how about instead of helping slave owners sell their “humane” products and/or services we suggest they progressively replace a few of their current meals with vegan meals each week until, well, they’re vegan? 😉
Think, then Go Vegan!
Quotes on Slavery 