Faith and Animal Reverence Ministry: Wearing the Vegan Message

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Wearing the Vegan Message

I have been trying to think of another way to spread the vegan/cruelty-free message when I'm out and about. I don't own a car so bumper stickers are out. The message would have to be on my body or at least my handbag.

I checked out various jewelry but I think messages on jewelry--even a necklace--are too small to always notice. Plus, I always wear a necklace watch, and Unitarian Universalist, Wicca and Saint Dymphna charms around my neck in a necklace which could cover the vegan jewelry in moving around.

Patches can't been moved easily when I change handbags or clothing. I thought seriously about a cap but I don't always wear a cap.

So, I decided on a button! I can easily take it off and put it anywhere--clothing or bag. Average size buttons are large enough to be easily read (most are 2 inches around), and an added bonus is buttons are very cheap!

I went online and found two amazing websites with over a thousand vegan buttons here and here. Boy, did I have fun reading so many buttons!

Many were cute--so cute I felt the message was not taken seriously enough. Others were so in-your-face blatant to the point of sounding rude (true but rude!), and a lot were spot on perfect. One of my favorites is the button above but I decided to get this one below, as it best represents my ministry:

1 comment:

NoelleFebruary 14, 2013 at 11:09 AM
Very cool! I like the little plant growing out of the word Karma.

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Correct Definition of Vegan and Vegetarian

Both a philosophy and a way of life, veganism has its roots in the principles of nonviolence, sustainability and nonparticipation in exploitation of others. Practitioners of veganism resolve not to use and consume animal products for food, clothing, or any other purpose. To practice veganism is to become a conscientious objector to the violence and injustice done to billions of animals every day, all over the world. Veganism also embodies a commitment to decreasing the violence done to humans harmed by animal agriculture and consumption of animal products, as well as the violence done to our ecosystem by a system of exploitation that consumes vast amounts of water, land and other resources while contributing to deforestation, habitat destruction and a loss of biodiversity.

The term vegetarianism pertains more narrowly to dietary habits, and refers to the practice of eating a diet that includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and grains and is free from all animal products including dairy and eggs. This form of diet can also be described as a "plant-based" diet. Vegetarian is often mistakenly used as an adjective to describe those who do not eat flesh but do consume other animal products such as dairy and eggs. Such a diet would be more accurately described by the term ovo-lacto vegetarian.

TO VEGANS: How to Really be a Vegan Activist

The vegan community tends to only preach to the converted in discussing veganism, which hurts the animals...Veganism is NOT a social club, so vegans should stop treating it like it is. The vegan community should stop having large social gatherings like VegFests and Animal Rights Conferences, where only animal rights people are the audience; you are hurting animals in the world by spending most of your time talking to people who already are vegan/animal activists. You should not strive to be well known in the vegan community. You should strive to be well known in the non-vegan community. Start educating non-vegans!

Here are the very effective ways to educate non-vegans, in no particular order:

Schools

Be it grade schools or colleges, go to the teacher of the class and ask nicely if you can give a vegan presentation. Many places of education would allow you to come in and educate their students about a healthy life. You'll be reaching people (students) mostly under 30 years of age.

Churches

Churches, especially large ones with many programs and other things going on there throughout the week, would welcome someone coming in to talk to the congregation about veganism/healthier way of life. If you are a member or at least regularly attend worship services at the church, you have an even better chance of being allowed to present veganism there. If you are a member and your church has an area where members do tableing for social justice causes, ask the main organizer of the tables if you can do a vegan table with pamphlets and samples of delicious vegan food. Who mostly attend church? People who are over 30.

So with educating the schools and the churches, you will be informing all the ages and generations of people.

Twitter

Follow everyone who follows you, so as you Tweet, all the non-vegans, which will be most of your followers, will see your vegan tweets. I say follow everyone because if you don't, many (non-vegans) will stop following you. If you want to have a section at Twitter to just see fellow vegan tweets easily, simply make a Twitter List of all your vegans before following everyone else. You can make many Twitter Lists for any category you want.

Tweetdeck

Tweetdeck is a marvelous way of spreading the vegan message! After you register there and get the deck, type in the word vegan in the search at the upper right corner. After you click for the search, you'll see only the tweets at that Tweeter column with the word "vegan" in it as mentioned. Go to the bottom of that search and click at Add Column. Now, when you see someone asking about the vegan life, you can tweet them back with information. Believe me, you'll see A LOT of people asking for help. Plus, you'll help many other non-vegans, as you'll have many non-vegan followers because you are following everyone who follows you, so they'll read your informative vegan tweets. This also can work in other social networks.

Outdoors

If you want to spread the vegan message in a more public way, do it openly outdoors! Most non-vegans will not go out their way to hear vegan/animal rights talk. By having vegan gatherings out in the parks, you'll be taking the message to where non-vegans normally are. Make sure it's very accessible to non-vegans and not in such a way where a person has to go through a gate to get there, as I said, non-vegans will not go out their way to hear the message, so have the entrance wide open, like in a public park.

Vote

Stay up-to-date with animal law news and don't forget to vote for the animals!

How to Tell if You're Being an Effective Vegan Activist

In your activism, whether it be in public in person, on your podcast, on your blog, your emails, etc. if the majority of people responding to you are praising you and agreeing with pretty much everything you say immediately without questioning you, then you are not being an effective vegan activist! You are simply just informing other vegans what they already know, and your vegan activism will be nothing but a vegan club for fellow vegans. Non-vegans (who most of your audience should be) will not quickly praise you; they will be asking a million questions, challenging you, debating you, mentioning their fears, their concerns, being skeptical....at first until you give them more information to their satisfaction as it pertains to them as an individual. Then they may express gratitude and praise toward you for being so informative.

"Imagine the animals that could be helped with all the labor it takes to put on veg festivals. Imagine the lobbying that could be done. The veggie fests are fun, but they're preaching to the choir on veganism." -- guy named Mike on a message board

"The only people who show up for a vegan presentation are animal rights people. And this movement is idiotic with its preaching-to-the-choir mentality. Telling animal rights folks about veganism is pointless. Education IS the most effective form of activism and I will continue educating NON vegans about veganism....We have to stop gathering together at VegFests and animal rights conferences and potlucks, too. Liberating animals is a revolution, not a social gathering." -- animal rights activist/lecturer, Gary Yourofsky

Albert Schweitzer

"Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind."

"A man is truly ethical only when he obeys the compulsion to help all life which he is able to assist, and shrinks from injuring anything that lives."

“We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it. Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace.”

“By respect for life we become religious in a way that is elementary, profound and alive."

Meat is Murder by Morrissey

Meat is Murder (as the lyrics are from the album: Meat is Murder) by The Smiths

Heifer whines could be human cries. Closer comes the screaming knife. This beautiful creature must die. This beautiful creature must die. A death for no reason. And death for no reason is murder. And the flesh you so fancifully fry. Is not succulent, tasty or kind. It's death for no reason. And death for no reason is murder. And the calf that you carve with a smile. Is murder. And the turkey you festively slice Is murder. Do you know how animals die? Kitchen aromas aren't very homely. It's not "comforting", cheery or kind. It's sizzling blood and the unholy stench. Of murder. It's not "natural", "normal" or kind. The flesh you so fancifully fry. The meat in your mouth. As you savour the flavour. Of murder. NO, NO, NO, IT'S MURDER. NO, NO, NO, IT'S MURDER Oh...and who hears when animals cry?

Faith and Animal Reverence Ministry

About Me

Life Counselor/F.A.A.R.M. Red Barn Fund

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Wearing the Vegan Message

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