Thoughts to ponder...

[Guest guest]

Hi All:

 

I am the vegetarian mother of a 10-year-old lifelong vegetarian boy who

also has questions about why his beloved grandfather eats meat. I admire

and agree with Rootsie's tolerant approach to dealing with meat eaters,

but I wish we could do more.

 

I attended the World Vegetarian Congress in Toronto a couple of weeks

ago and it has made a lasting impression on me. It was so wonderful to

be in the company of so many vegetarians and vegans who are so

passionately committed to this lifestyle. I wish I could live in a

vegetarian world all the time.

 

Attending seminars, eating the wonderful vegan lunches and dinners,

talking with vegetarians from other countries, buying cookbooks and

spiritual vegetarian books has left me energized and upset at the same

time. I want to do more.

 

There must be some way that we can reach meat eaters to

encourage/lead/show them that they must lift their heads to see and

empathize with the suffering that farm animals experience and for that

knowledge to lead them to choose not to eat meat.

 

I struggle with the despair I feel when I think of the reluctance of

otherwise good and decent people to see, because if they know, they'll

have to do something about what they know.

 

I know that everyone must come to accept and act on the ethical and

compassionate reasons for not eating meat or dairy products or eggs at

their own pace, but why do good people choose to do nothing? I strongly

believe in " collective consciousness " and the power of a growing

movement like vegetarianism to change the world, but I'm impatient.

 

My struggle is particularly urgent because I want to show my son that we

can make a difference in this meat eating world by doing more than

choosing not to eat meat. I just haven't found the way yet. Even though

I am a volunteer board member on a vegetarian association, it just isn't

enough for me. I wish I could save all the animals myself and if I could

I would! I don't want to go overboard, but how do we set a good example

for our children and make a real difference? Any ideas or thoughts?

 

Wendy

 

 

 

rootcee wrote:

>

> Dear BB RainingStar,

>

> I completely agree with you. For the most part, we have " a live and let

> live " approach towards these issues. When Rai asks why her favourite uncle

> eats chicken and doesn't he realize what they go through and that they too

> have an agenda and a right to live their lives free of exploitation - - - I

> tell her that people's decisions, including her favourite uncle's, are to be

> respected and not judged. I tell her that we are each in charge of our own

> lives and that it's a beautiful thing that we can make our own choices. She

> is slowly grasping that, but this is a child who at 4 years old cried from

> the depths of her soul for the animals (I've never ever in my life been so

> touched and so in pain at the same time). Our family is committed to

> practicing tolerance and compassion towards the human animal as well. I've

> found that that is the best way to raise awareness. Thanks for your useful

> advice. I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can, with all of you.

> This group is great!

> One love,

> Rootsie

>

>

>

> For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.

>

>