Im feeling quite bereft tonight. I honestly feel like Im in mourning. Its nothing major to most people, but being vegan part of me feels akin to the roots of it and those roots seem to be withering and dying. Ive been following The Vegan Societys page the past few months, something I didnt really do before but their new campaign caught my eye. It was one of the first pages I liked on here after I joined, I mean Im vegan after all so it stands to reason I would like their page. But in the past few months Ive felt increasingly despondent and alarmed. If anyone should be asking you to be vegan, it should be the very founding society, right? Sadly and evidently not. The shake up of their website and all the useful links such as explaining about using non vegan factories/cross contamination etc disappeared. I used these in my advocacy, funnily enough not in my own learning, but I explained it and then linked as example to them, after all who will people believe, me, or the actual Society? So it was kind of my back up on my notes to new vegans. In its place a list where animals are relegated to reason 5 to go vegan. Number. 5. Yes, number 5. Did you get that. One more time: NUMBER. FIVE. A list that included all the cool kids are doing it to refer to non vegan celebrities playing with plant based eating. Thats not veganism, and what the hell has being cool got to do with not exploiting animals? Top of the list is younger looking skin and eternal youth. Pardon? Im not ashamed to say I cried when I saw that list. You dont have to be vegan to like vegan things is true, but to say You dont have to be vegan - there we said it is just so beyond outrageous, I cant find the words. I think that has been removed as I can no longer see it: but it was said. Just like many other orgs who flip flop between veganism and vegan but roll in the cash is The Vegan Society becoming nothing more than a business like them too? The whole focus on the website is to try, try it for a week or a month. You dont try to be vegan. You just become. By making a commitment to stop exploiting and using animals. You dont try not to be racist or try not to be a rapist. You either are or you arent and not for the time it takes you to blink a few times. How on earth can you be vegan for such little time? You could be plant based, not buy any skin or wool, or not visit the zoo but you cant adopt veganism and reject it because you tried and it doesnt suit me. Its not about what you OR I WANT: Its what EVERYONE NEEDS. So of course it suits you; its not a piece of clothing for a fashion statement you return as its not your colour! Yes you absolutely can reject animal use overnight, many dont, I did, but yes you can! Then they posted something that was written in 1952, when veganism was in its infancy (as we know it today, Im not talking about how biblical figures may have eaten apples and vegetables in a garden) but its 2014 not 1952! There were lots of other things not deemed acceptable then that we shun today too! Lets grab the world by its axis and give it a darned good shake! People need to hear us and if the actual Vegan Society is saying Sssshh, what chance do the animals have? If they even get a look in, did you hear they are number five on the list? I know I said it already, but yes, NUMBER 5! Disgusting! If people arent ready we should do nothing - utterly wrong. People will use that excuse till they die, and until that day comes they are willingly and selfishly taking other lives with them. To state that we have no right to make their minds up for them - if we dont, who will? I would do the same with any other injustice. Damned straight I would! So whilst I take breath you ARE going to hear about it. Its the very least I can do and being vegan is the very least you can do too! There is NO sacrifice in being vegan. You just replace animal use with alternatives. Where is the hardship or sacrifice in that, unless you are thinking of frivolous things like taste, designer shoes and lipsticks. But no one in their right mind unless utterly selfish would willingly, once fully understanding of the impact of those choices, would take LIVES for that. You gain so much being vegan, a heavy weight you carry, but never knew what it was is lifted, because doing the right thing by others is amazing! I shall just keep on speaking the truth as I know as facts, its all anyone can do. Im forever telling people to scratch beneath the surface but this needs no scratching, its obvious, they are not what they once were. Ive been carrying them close with me like a comfort blanket, but the comfort is not forthcoming. Im still vegan with all my heart, soul and very being, but tonight, with a heavy heart, I just parted ways with The Vegan Society, not the founding fathers, but for what its become. If you are reading this and are not vegan and are scratching your head: how can a vegan reject The Vegan Society? Well I guess I just lost my stabilisers and can ride the bike on my own. I am available for you though, to be your stabilisers should you need them, for as long as you need them. Free of charge, no membership. All that it required is for you to reject animal use and exploitation - even if you dont fully understand all that it means, I can fill in the gaps. I will help you all I can, hold your hand if you need it, point you in the right direction and put plasters on your heart when the realisation hits you of what you have truly been complicit in, dry your tears and reassure you that you are no longer that person. Message me. :)
Posted on: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 22:31:26 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015