Vegan Activist James Aspey Beautifully Shows How To Consciously Inform People
Activists can often approach raising awareness in a way that pushes people away and divides ourselves into groups of 'for' and 'against' something.Effectively creating a fight.
. Vegan activist James Aspey shows us a different approach. Are we truly making a difference when we yell at or attack others? Does it help for us to call people stupid, sheeple or dumb for where they are at or what they think? Do we not see our own insecurity and emotional state when we lash out? Plant-based diets and veganism are growing very rapidly here in 2018. As copious amounts of information comes out about the unhealthy effects of animals products on our bodies, and as people realize and empathize with what we’re doing to our animal friends on this planet, it’s no wonder these things are growing. But these lifestyle changes didn’t get this popular on their own. People have been raising awareness about the damaging effects of animals products and how we’re treating them for decades. As younger generations witness the sickness older generations are now experiencing after a lifetime of eating the ‘old diet ways,’ they are beginning to ask questions about what we might want to adjust for greater health, vitality and quality of life. Activism about these topics can come in many forms, sometimes people are angry and aggressive, while other times they are at peace and simply sharing information from the standpoint of neutrality. For example, even in the space of so-called ‘conspiracies’ often times people are out yelling and screaming at others calling them stupid, asleep, sheeple etc. for not believing or knowing certain facts others might already know about controversial issues. This type of behaviour is common and I believe it doesn’t help in creating solutions to the very thing we are creating activism about, but only pushes people further away. This is where I’d like to make a point. On one hand, many vegan activists are asking people to have empathy for animals and what they are suffering through. At the same time they are not having empathy for people who may not be aware of the harm we’re causing to animals, and the lengthy journey it can be to make changes to our habits. We often forget that we once were not in ‘the know..’ If you’ve been a long time reader if Collective Evolution, you’ll know that our unique style of conscious media incorporates neutrality and empathy into what we report on and discuss. Why? Let’s explore with questions: where does it lead us to always be fighting about issues? Where does it lead us to bash other people about where they are at and what they are doing? Can we not approach these situations with love? In fact, is it not clear that we HAVE to approach these situations with love if we want to see things change? Thus I appreciate a recent post made by vegan activist James Aspey as it illustrates key aspects of conscious media and conscious conversation as we go through these phases of raising awareness. Even though the people we converse with may get defensive, upset or start name calling, we do not need to respond in that manner back, and if we continue remaining in peace, we will see their state of being and openness shift as well. I have been practicing this for 10 years, and can tell you this works very well. Have a look at the post below. “She’s an animal farmer. In other words, she exploits animals for money and sends them off to be shot in their head and have their throats cut open. – She thought I was judging her. I wasn’t. Who am I to judge? I paid for animals to be tortured and killed so I could eat their bodies and drink their babies milk for 26 years. – She assumed I thought she was a terrible person. I don’t. She’s probably a very nice lady who, like the rest of us, have been born into a culture that has normalised impregnating, enslaving and murdering certain animals that we find tasty and easy to dominate. A culture that has taught us to go against our innate sense of compassion, justice, non-violence and respect. – She wouldn’t let me explain. I wanted to tell her that she’s not my enemy. That it wasn’t her fault. None of us knew any better. We didn’t realise how much pain we were causing. We didn’t think about things from the victims point of view. We didn’t know there was another way to live where we get our nutrient from plants rather than the corpses of non-human people who wanted to live just as much as you and I. – She was offended I would assume her animals were treated badly. She said, “You guys are so blinkered!” I asked her what happens to her animals. She said, “euthanasia”. Euthanasia!?! So who is wearing the blinkers here? – Breeding animals for the sole purpose of killing them while they are still children, chopping them up into pieces and selling their body parts is not in their best interest. It is not “euthanasia”. It is cold blooded murder.
They trust us and we betray them in the worst way imaginable. – I couldn’t get through to her. She wouldn’t give me the opportunity to speak. I know she’ll read this, though. She told me she would. So this next part is for her. – If you’re ever ready to transition to ethical farming, FarmKind.org can help you. Vegans don’t hate farmers, we just want the cycle of death to end. – I wish you all the best in your life and hope one day you are able to open your mind enough to give this perspective the consideration it deserves. A better world is possible and we all have a role to play and a duty to do our part. .
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