Keep Calm?

When the twin towers collapsed, I remember my mother being very distraught at dinner. We had no family in america, no connection to any of those who lost their lives – but our family, all the way in Scotland, had a quiet dinner that night. I was a child at the time, too young to understand, but my parents most definitely felt empathy for those poor people who had died that day. for the emergency services. For those who had witnessed the event. We experienced the same thing when the ferry in South Korea sunk, when the bin lorry truck kiled six people in Glasgow a couple of weeks ago – I walked through the city the day after and the atmosphere was very sombre. Most of us did not know these people, were not personally affected by these tragedies – but still, they hurt us. Still, we mourned.
Because we knew that these people were like us. We knew that they would have had friends and families. That they probably celebrated their birthdays, had a favourite food, a favourite song. They had thoughts and feelings and desires. They could love and remember things.
Now imagine, if you were the only one who cared about these tragic events. Imagine, that nobody in your family or friend circles wanted to talk or acknowledge it. That they continued to laugh and eat and continue their lives as thought nothing was wrong while people were dying.
Now worse – let’s imagine that they joked about it. On the very same day that this tragedy had happened – they’re laughing at dinner, making jokes about these deaths. You’d want to scream at them, wouldn’t you? You’d want to tell them to shut up and have some god damn respect. You’d want to make them see.
Being a vegan is like this in that we recognise that millions of beings are dying all over the world. But nobody cares. nobody gives a shit about the animals that die to fill their bellies. They make jokes about it – “but bacon though” and “what about plants”. They ridicule those of us who do care.
So no, I will not stay calm. I will not stop talking about veganism. I will not stop reminding you that you are chewing rotting flesh or that your burger had a face. I will not be ‘nice’ and sugar coat everything just so that you don’t have to feel guilt – because you should feel guilty.