[SFVS] Lierre Keith â* Vegetarian Myth - Saturday, March 13

[Guest guest]

At 9:39 AM -0800 3/7/10, brian wesenberg wrote:

....1st question: " why do you insist on writing

lies? "

2nd question: " could you please answer the first question and

stop avoiding the truth? "

and so on!

>>

 

 

Actually, these are exactly the kinds of questions that will

immediately be dismissed by all nonveg*ns in the audience. And if you

start with these kinds of questions, everything you say after that

will immediately be discounted. No communication will occur, and the

notion that veg*ns are ranting and out of control will be

affirmed.

 

Think about someone with whom you don't agree. If that person

begins by attacking your point of view, will you be able to hear

anything else that person says to you?

 

Wouldn't you rather plant seeds of doubt, at least, for people

whose minds aren't completely made up? Facts are on our side! It makes

more sense to me to be models of calm and rationality. The antivegs

are the ranting maniacs, but let them show that side to the audience.

Every time the presenter says something that is not true, write it

down and then, when you get a chance to make a remark, counter

with facts. Don't say, " you lie, " but say " the truth

is... " and then cite sources, facts, statistics, etc. Or say,

" did I hear you say x? Because according to NIH, the truth is

z. "

 

If you truly want to be heard, it's important to gauge the

audience. What do they know, and what's important to them? Do they

already know that eating veg can prevent and reverse heart disease and

diabetes? Do they (this being an anarchist event) already know that

the best way to avoid supporting large corporate " food "

producers is to eat veg (and eat low on the food chain)?

 

As the saying goes, " Never attribute to malice that which is

adequately explained by stupidity. " Don't assume that the book or

author is inherently evil. Assume it's something like a misguided

attempt at rationalization. Give the benefit of the doubt. And then go

for the jugul...I mean, facts.

 

 

--- On Fri, 3/5/10, yarrow <yarrow

wrote:

Absolutely! If all that people hear is the antiveg point of

view, and if they hear it repeatedly and unquestioned, it begins to be

" the way things are. " For people who can attend the event,

it would probably be worth strategizing how to challenge her

assertions *so that they will be heard* (rather than dismissed).

 

 

 

At 1:47 AM -0500 3/5/10, vasumurti (AT) netscape (DOT) net wrote:

....Similarly, boycotting Lierre Keith's book would only (as Peter

Singer says) " play right into the hands of those who would oppose

us. " Lierre Keith is on a speaking tour, attacking

veg*ism--why should coverage of an issue as serious as animal rights

be one-sided? At the annual SFVS meeting in January, Carmen

suggested getting a group together to hear Lierre Keith speak and

challenge (or at the very least, question) her anti-veg assertions.

I think it's a good idea.

>>