Getting To Your Friends And Family
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I just returned from a trip to Los Angeles, where I spent my entire time in the company of family and friends. The group expanded and shrank as the days went on, and various components of the group ate meals together. Only two of us are vegetarian or vegan.
My travel partner and roommate in the motel is a good friend who eats meat. Nevertheless, she was open to having food from a nearby vegan restaurant, which could be delivered to the motel. You can imagine my delight at finding this menu at the front desk of the motel! We enjoyed two meals in our room from this restaurant.
At other times we ate at restaurants or at parties, and it was here where I was once again reminded of how casually my friends and family eat meat, eggs, and dairy products. These are people who are dear to me, who are compassionate and care about animals. I am never interested in shaking everything up and making them wary of even talking to me, so I don’t raise the subject of veganism. Everybody knows that’s how I eat, nobody tries to convince me it’s bad, and in fact I suspect most of them recognize that my diet is healthier than theirs. But they would never stop to consider making that leap themselves.
Thus, while I love being with my family and close friends I also feel an obligation to the animals. After this trip, during which time I did not meet this obligation, I hunted for resources. Among others, I found Vegan Outreach (probably mentioned in these pages before), which offers a brochure: Why Vegan? You can download it or order copies. It describes factory farming conditions, offers tantalizing pictures of what vegans eat and lists of easy meals and snacks, and supplies additional information on vegan resources. This site also offers other materials, including a brochure called “Even if you like meat”, that promotes simply reducing consumption of animal products. PETA, of course, offers dozens of materials just for the asking.
From now on, then, I intend to have these materials with me when I get together with my nonvegan family and friends, and I will offer copies casually, hoping that some of them will look at them later. If the subject comes up for discussion these materials will help to make my case easily and consistently. I am also thinking of creating a brochure of my own to explain my own trip to vegan town and why I think it is more important than ever to live here.
This–having materials with you to hand out casually or when the topic comes up–is a good idea and one I’ve been meaning to follow through on for a long time. Others around the vegan blogosphere have been posting informative, printable vegan and animal rights brochures and pamphlets (of various lengths) lately too, including Gary Francione: http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/media/pdf/ARAA_Pamphlet.pdf and Mary Martin: http://www.animalperson.net/animal_person/files/TCAAR8.pdf
Umm…I just realized that I worded my comment such that it seemed like I thought I was telling you something you didn’t already know. I’m sure you’re already aware of those materials. I meant to make mention of them for the benefit of readers who may not already know about them. Sorry!
~ Recent blog post: The Late Julia Child on Animal Rights: Cruel Veal Farms Are Great! at http://vidadepalabras.blogspot.com ~
No offense taken! And thank you so much for the additional links. No way we could include them all.
You can find more vegan starter kits here:
http://www.vegansoapbox.com/simple-activism-vegan-starter-kits-for-beginner-vegans/
These are good to have around, or even just have a link to point people towards.
*Lightbulb!* That’s a great idea! My family never ceases to talk about it with me whenever there is a gathering so instead of my usual “here are some websites,” I can have something on-hand that they can read! Thanks for the tip!
Are there any resources on how to advocate to family members who believe it is our “God given right” to eat animals? I have already tried the Christian Vegetarian Association but they shot that down stating that they were just picking apart and misrepresenting the bible to fit their agenda. I am at a loss. Maybe they will never go vegan but I feel useless in not trying.
Kristen, I am certainly no expert on that subject, sad to say. I doubt you can say something like “All religions pick and choose what they like from the bible or other holy book”. It’s the truth but a lot of people don’t like to hear it. It is ALL interpretation.
Another thought: perhaps accept that they believe in the “God-given right” to eat animals. Does that mean humans are obligated to eat them? That they must? Maybe there is a way here to suggest reduction of meat eating rather than cutting it out altogether.
If I were you, Kristen, I’d ignore the “God-given right” stuff altogether and focus on all the other issues: animal cruelty and suffering, health, environmental destruction. I’d simply refrain from talking about religion or God.
I would talk ONLY about the actual, current implications of eating animals:
- Vegetarians and vegans have lower incidences of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity.
- Animals in factory farms (the majority of meat, milk, and egg production) suffer tremendously.
- Climate change can be slowed if we reduce or eliminate meat consumption.
Also, I’d recommend books, articles, and people that specifically address religion and animals:
- Dominion by Matthew Scully: http://www.matthewscully.com/
- All Creatures: http://www.all-creatures.org/
- JesusVeg: http://www.jesusveg.com/
More resources here: http://www.animalsuffering.com/religion.php
Perhaps you know someone who shares your compassion for animals and your family’s religion. That person could be incredibly persuasive.