on advocacy and acceptancy

[Guest guest]

> " How do we reach these people -- these non veggie

> people -- with all the great reasons to be vegetarian? "

 

Bear with me (as I lay myself bare)... Please take this

these 2 cents (and mixed metaphors) with a grain of salt.

 

A few (seemingly Yogi-Berra-ish) thoughts on the issue:

(1) We know what we know.

(2) Only those who have been 'educated' can educate.

(3) No one can know everything (regardless of education).

 

So, to answer the original question: what is needed is not

(solely) an " education " , but a shared knowledge; not a

" conversion " , but a conversation. An engagement, a dialog,

and an acceptance....

 

...But, by " acceptance " , I mean *our* acceptance of the

*other* person (not " forcing " someone else to accept us /

our beliefs). That's *our* challenge, our work, our means

to an " end " . The other's acceptance of " us " , that's the

goal. And that's the end (that's all we can do). Only

then can can it be *possible* that our views & beliefs be

welcomed & accepted by others. (This itself can't be the

goal -- that's a hidden agenda. Not fair in love, only in

war.)

 

In more plain words: If you want others to adopt your

beliefs, the first step is that they have to love and

respect you. This prerequisite provides only the

possibility, not the inevitability of spreading " the word " .

(Forgive the borrowing of the language of religion; but

there are parallels.)

 

A more concrete example (based on experience -- from an

atheist): an atheist will not be converted if simply given

a bible (anecdotes, Gideons' & straw-men be damned). (And

the recipient may be a little insulted -- & saddened -- if

it is from a " friend " engaged in an " intervention " ; or

merely isolated / alienated if from a stranger). But if

this " gift " came from / in the form of:

 

* a highly respected friend (not " pushed " , merely

passively observed),

* a desirable romantic prospect (perhaps with gentle

nudging),

* or from someone who could render you unemployable,

homeless, dead; or someone who could *return* your

conditional freedom from incarceration (forced acceptance)

[1],

 

then, in these cases, a " door " may be opened to the

possibility of a " conversion " .

 

 

" Here's a proof of gift, / But here's no proof, sir, of

acceptancy. " [2]

 

* * *

 

" We know what we know " : Truth, however, is not a static

thing; it cannot be possessed and transferred. Truth can

be only discovered through exploring the relationships

between people, relationships that revolve around knowledge

and power.

 

 

" Only those who have been educated can educate " : What we

know comes from the stories made with those we have lived

with, and our relationship to them. These stories are

shared, or personal re-interpretations... (e.g.,

positive/affirming: " My significant other used to eat meat

.... and now wouldn't dream of eating animals [out of love &

respect for me -- & fear of losing me] " . Or another story,

negative/rejecting: " it also helps that her ex-hubby is a

big meat eater and she doesn't want to be anything like

him "

 

You've got to be taught before it's too late,

Before you are six or seven or eight,

To hate all the people your relatives hate,

You've got to be carefully taught! [3]

 

 

" No one can know everything " : Referring to the " do dog

lovers love animals? " thread):

Firstly, there is no basis to presume transference:

loving dogs will not make you love pigs (or any other

animal). Nor with humans: Loving one's (literal) neighbor

won't prevent that same " one " from being a racist, bigot or

misogynist/misandrist.

On animals: <colloquial> I was born & raised in the

midwest, gun & huntin' country. Boy, you got some dog

lovers out there. Practically part of the family.

(Sometimes treated better.) Use 'em to hunt with. The

dogs, they love that. </colloquial> The death of a " good

dog " will be mourned -- seriously -- for decades, and be

revered in perpetuity. However, reaching the your limit

(the max. animals per year per hunting license) is cause

for a feast. Uneducated? From our perspective, yes. For

some, this " ritual " bonds father & son in a way that seems

primal, eternal. A pamphlet on " Animals are people, too! "

ain't gonna change that. (Unless junior hates dad, or

hated the " ritual " .) Handing out the pamphlet in the

first place is, in this instance, " uneducated " as to the

ways of this [barbaric?] ritual.... (Asking a vegan along

on the hunt is also a little... insensitive... or perhaps

just uneducated?)

 

 

* * *

 

In short, if you really believe in the philosophy of animal

rights:

 

Step 1: love others (without agenda),

Step 2: let others love you (be a person worthy of

respect & love),

Step 3: share beliefs (a two-way street)

 

However, it may be that what one claims to " believe " is

simply a primal " signal " shouting out to others in the

general vicinity, in order to identify members of our own

clan, to find a more primal, basic " love and acceptance " ,

by defining ourselves as something separate from an

" other " . (This may be either a reality, or merely a

perception -- if there's a difference...) Our loving

circle of animal-libbers and veggers is then defined by

those who don't/aren't -- and if we converted everyone,

then who would love us? How would we define ourselves,

then? So, " Step 2 " from above relies on a self-love, sense

of security, resolution of conviction, and absence of fear

(esp. fear of not being loved, or of not having anything to

believe in), a necessary comment that otherwise didn't make

it into my little diatribe. (Note! I hope that this

wasn't offensive or insensitive... my sensitivities may be

a little different, as my " education " is a little different

(education == the social circles to which I've been a part,

the affinities I feel, the " alliance and affection across

lines of difference which intersect both in and out of the

body " [4] ).

 

 

There's only one island in this great big galactic sea --

and there ain't no votin' anyone off. [5]

 

 

Peace ( & Love ),

Michael

 

 

----

[1] (see also) Michel Foucault, _Madness and Civilization_

[2] Elizabeth Barrett Browning, _Aurora Leigh_

[3] Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics), _South Pacific_

[4] Chela Sandoval, _Methodology of the Oppressed_

[5] me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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