Mostly, I make sure to stay keenly aware of my own shortcomings so that I am more patient with others. It can be hard to see a friend order a cow-milk latte when almond or soy milk is available, knowing that the friend knows what dairy cows go through, how they mourn their babies, who have been carted off to veal crates so that we can steal their milk.
Karen DawnI am all too human, I don't always do the right thing, so how can I expect others to perform perfectly on the issues that are my top priority?
Karen DawnIt is important to meet people where they are. It reminds me of yoga, to which people may flock for the physical benefits, often to find that the spiritual benefits match or even outweigh them.
Karen DawnI met my first turkey at an animal sanctuary in 2000. The sanctuary owner brought out a turkey named Olivia who had been rescued from a factory farm. As I sat on the grass and reached out to pet her, she climbed into my lap and fell asleep. I was flabbergasted and charmed.
Karen DawnI don't understand "animal people" who say they are not environmentalists. Do they not realize that the vast majority of animals live in the environment?
Karen DawnIndeed, a report from the United Nations has revealed that the livestock industry is the number-one contributor to global warming gasses - higher than even the transport industry. Plus, the effect of the livestock industry on our waterways and oceans is disastrous.
Karen DawnMany people will first be attracted to veganism for their health but find themselves far more open to learning about the animal issues when they don't have to block them out three times a day in order to enjoy eating. Then once people learn, it is hard to forget and go back. Come for the body, stay for the soul.
Karen DawnI wholeheartedly encourage any steps in the right direction, in whatever time frame works for the person on the path.
Karen DawnRemember that veganism is a compassionate lifestyle not a punitive religion. Enjoy it! And if the going gets rough, it's better to relax the rules occasionally than to give up the game entirely.
Karen DawnMostly, I make sure to stay keenly aware of my own shortcomings so that I am more patient with others.
Karen DawnSome of us seem to be born with a drive to try to make the world kinder. In my twenties, living in New York City, I worked in a soup kitchen every Sunday for many years, just trying to do my part. Then I read Animal Liberation and learned about factory farming and the killing of animals for oven cleaner and realized nobody needed my help as badly as the animals did.
Karen DawnAnimal rights is a serious subject, but I do my best to find humor where I can, and I have some great help: there are almost two hundred cartoons included in the book, including dozens from the brilliant Bizarro strip.
Karen DawnSeriously, many people have told me they can't eat turkeys anymore after getting to know them. I think in the wider world, when the stories air on the media, they help banish the idea that birds, other than parrots, are somehow lesser.
Karen DawnWhen I see vegan food sold in single-use plastic containers, I get frustrated knowing that plastic is not really recycled; it is down-cycled to less and less reusable grades, and too much of it eventually ends up in the ocean - where it kills animals. Caring for animals means caring for the environment they live in, and vice versa.
Karen DawnBecause I am all too human, I don't always do the right thing, so how can I expect others to perform perfectly on the issues that are my top priority? I don't mean that we shouldn't try to do our best, but judgment and recrimination are such heavy weights. I find that accepting that we are all fallible lightens my load.
Karen DawnSome people feel that humans have a right to eat other animals but not to trash the earth. They may choose veganism because a vegan's ecological footprint is light, but once they are not invested in eating animals, they are more likely to be willing to learn the details of what happens to them. That learning will encourage compassionate people to stick with a plant-based diet.
Karen Dawn