Tuesday, August 22, 2017

When a meat-eating friends begs you to cease and desist all the talk

Here's an exchange I got from a friend--and I might more accurately say a former friend because I've so alienated her.  (I'm not using her real name to protect her privacy--even though no one ever reads this blogspot!


Hi Tina,

I wanted to ask you if you would mind terribly if our lunch conversation on Monday at the (name of restaurant heavy on meat and dairy)  did not include a lot about vegans and veganism.  I know that you are very sincere about it, and quite involved.  Me, not so much, and one of the things I love about our little birthday group is the variety of things we are interested in.  I hope you will understand and excuse me for this request.  

Love, 
Carna

Hi, Carna~

I'm really sorry that you feel this way.  I know I've made an issue of this because I think it's so important for people to be made aware--if they aren't already--of the connection between what we eat and animal suffering and climate warming. 

I feel that we do talk about a lot of different things and that if people are uncomfortable for five minutes, that's part of any movement, and this is the movement I feel the most strongly about since the Civil Rights Movement, which my Southern friends might have liked me to talk less about back in the 1960's.

I think in a few decades--if our planet lasts--people will look back on the animal suffering we accepted and supported in the same way that we now look back on slavery.  In the case of slavery we treated human beings as if they were sub-human, and in the case of factory farmed animals, we treated animals (how I wish it were past tense!) as if they were inanimate objects.

I know this may be the last time we're together as a group, and there were many years when you were such a good friend and we really enjoyed each other's company.  I've been aware that in the past year or so, when I send you messages--not about  veganism--you don't respond at all.  I'm sorry that I've alienated you.

Thank you for giving me this chance to express my thoughts.  I won't express them tomorrow. 

Love,
      Tina



 

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