A few words on the subject of ar activism... and veganism...

[Guest guest]

Bruce Friedrich talks about more efficient AR activism

Bruce Friedrich talks about more efficient animal-rights activismby Sara JelleyJune 1, 2009http://www.examiner.com/x-6041-Denver-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m6d1-Bruce-Friedrich-talks-about-more-efficient-animal rights-activism?cid=exrss-Denver-Vegan-ExaminerThank goodness for the internet. If I didn’t have it, I would have never heard that Bruce Friedrich, the VP of PETA, was in my town at a small restaurant gathering down the street from my house! Bruce was speaking about his co-authored book, The Animal Activist’s Handbook and animal rights activism. If I hadn’t been a member of the Boulder (and Beyond!) Vegan Meetup group or active on facebook, I would not have found out about this opportunity to see one of my first animal rights talks from one of the country’s most highly respected and highly-paid animal activists. Plus, there was a buffet of wonderfully delicious vegan Nepalese food that didn't stop me from going either.Before working at PETA, Bruce stormed Buckhingham palace naked, among other things. He has been an activist since high school, working with Latin American human rights issues. He has protested war, social injustice and animal rights for longer than I’ve been alive, but he was an incredibly interesting speaker and a very funny and friendly man.His talk outlined some of the points from his new book, along with some anecdotes and he answered the listeners’ burning questions at the end. He was very courteous and kind in speaking about the non-vegan population, something you might not expect from an activist with a history of somewhat violent protesting. However, his topic was basically the effective ways to begin animal rights dialogue with the world around us. He gave us some important, and sometimes counter-intuitive though in reality, smart, ways to start talking to our friends or even strangers if the subject of veganism and animal rights comes up in conversation.Highlights:* Don’t act or be rude or angry outwardly toward anyone. We all know how frustrating it can be when someone brings up the issue of vegans “killing” plants, but we have to realize that a smile goes a longer way than flipping the bird, even if the other party “started it”.* When discussing animal rights or your vegan diet, “We owe it to animals to raise the moral issue”, Friedrich says. We are the only ones who speak for them so just mentioning it might just kill one less animal.* Advertise your veganism! T-shirts, laptop stickers, bumper stickers all spark thoughts in people’s minds when they see them, if not whole conversations.* Don’t give ultimatums- this means opening your dating pool to non-vegetarians and non-vegans. This also covers being “Vegan Police” as he calls it, or making every overlooked animal ingredient seem like the biggest tragedy in the world. Veganism is about lessening the harm done to animals, as well as to ourselves and our relationships with other people. Its simple: if we make people feel bad, they won’t like us, and even vegans as a general group of people!* Ask questions and have Socratic discussions. Ask the other party to dig deep into themselves, don’t give them a lecture on all the things they didn’t know or that they are doing “wrong”.I’m so glad I got to hear some tricks from someone who has been in the activism business for many years. It is inspiring for a young vegan like myself to see the change that can actually be done through activism. Of course, we must always take a critical view of things because one person’s sit-in is another’s riot. Bruce Friedrich and his organization are not the best out there in terms of consistency or ethics. Decide for yourself what kind of activist you are and what activities work best for you. Activism has many faces. Will yours be one of them?Live Simply So ThatOthers May Simply Live

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