When I became a vegetarian, six years ago, I promised myself and my loved ones I wouldn't evangelize about it, because who wants that? It was a private decision, based on a long-considered opinion that meat is murder. I was, just prior to this conversion, seeing a woman whose bedroom was adorned with multiple "Love animals, don't eat them" posters and something about her and the posters and the vegetarian proselytizing of a camp counselor some three years prior just all sank in and I was a vegetarian for six years.
Now I'm a vegan and last night I got into a fight with two of my high school friends about being vegan. I was explaining why I'm a vegan (the reasons are boring and predictable but I stand by them) but things swiftly turned into a full-on sermon on the environmental and - yes - moral dangers of carnivorism. I didn't get the opportunity (or I didn't take it if I did) to explain that, of course, this is what works for me, I would not try to take ships away from the developing world or keep Rhee Dolly from eating a squirrel. I understand that I am in a position where being vegan is relatively easy; I do believe that if you can do it, you should, but I know not everyone can.
So my question is: to what degree does this make me an asshole? Is it ethical to babble about morality to close friends? What if the issue is abortion?
Not only is abortion (and, broadly, birth control) an Important Issue of Our Time, I happen to think that attacks on abortion rights are full-on assaults on all women (and all those with uteri - I sincerely apologize to all non-cis-women I offend), and present perhaps the greatest danger to the lives and well-being of everyone who's ever wanted to have consensual sex without it destroying their lives.
Is it appropriate to evangelize about abortion? I surround myself with other people who are as fervently pro-choice as I am, but I have lately been in heavy contact with a man whom I know to be anti-choice. I want every moment to take him aside and yell at him, to tell him that he is a horrible person and if he would deny these rights to others he should never have sex again and he should probably die.
When Obama says "Nobody is pro-abortion" (2008) it makes me want to slam my expensive phone against a wall because he doesn't get it. I want to tell every person I know that Obama is fundamentally not good on women's issues if he says "nobody is pro-abortion" in the same way he would sound like a moron if he claimed that "nobody is pro-appendectomy." I'd love it if people didn't need surgeries too, but seeing as they do I'm beyond thrilled that the procedure exists and is safe and effective.
Can I tell this guy that he's an idiot? Can I tell him that when he eats a steak he contributes to global warming and hurts animals and puts money in Monsanto's pockets which in turn destroy the lives of people in Central and South America? What would be worse: to tell him these things and be the evangelist, or to not speak up at all and be complicit?
-Muffin
Bio: Muffin MacGuffin tries to do the right thing and tries not to be obnoxious about it but you know how it goes.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
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