Hey everyone. Its great to see everyone talking so much in here
I went on a day trip to Dublin yesterday and it was a 3 hour 40 minute bus ride there and a 3 hour and 40 minute bus ride back. On the way there I listened to a bunch of vegan podcasts from compassionatecooks.com and learned a lot. One quote from the podcast that I really liked was:
The thinking person must oppose all cruel customs no matter how deeply rooted in tradition and surrounded by a halo. When we have a choice, we must avoid bringing torment and injury into the life of another, even the lowliest creature; to do so is to renounce our manhood and shoulder a guilt which nothing justifies. -- Albert Schweitzer
Then on the way back I started listening to a podcast, but because the bus was full I was sitting next to a guy around my age and after about 30 minutes he engaged me in conversation. After about half an hour we started talking about vegetarianism/veganism. I was scared at first, but the conversation turned out great. Luckily from all the podcasts I had been listening to I knew the truthful responses to things like "humans were meant to eat meet, just look at our incisors" and I was able to talk intelligibly but without forcing my opinions on him. He really got into the conversation and started asking all these question and asked me to email him the link to the podcasts so that he can learn more about the truth of the meat/dairy industry. I was so happy
I don't want to be afraid to share how I feel with people. I wish everyone could know the truth about how animals are treated, but most people prefer to live in blind ignorance. The truth is painful, but it needs to be shared. I know I'm intimidated to talk to those who knew me before I became vegetarian, but after making an influence on a stranger I feel more empowered. I started thinking that I might have a duty to speak for the animals because they can't speak for themselves. (Oh! I sound like an activist :-p)
Ok thats my happy/activist rant for the day
Dee