Responses

shearwater - 11/08/2009 13:37:43

There's no one right method. Different actions reach different people. Sometimes more subdued approaches like press releases and letters are enough to change minds. Sometimes more aggressive protests and controversial campaigns get the message out better. The media often focuses only on shocking stunts, then question their effectiveness. That's the point - it got them talking about issues they were till then mostly ignoring.

A cause is stronger when it has a diversity of people, ideas, and tactics. It always saddens me when I hear in-fighting between people working towards the same goal, each trying to get others to do things their way, to limit their cause to only one tactic. During a couple of local controversies I started people would ask me what I wanted them to do. I would ask them what they wanted to do. It's along the lines of the old adage "don't put all your eggs in one basket" - not that a vegan would ever put eggs in anything.

We got a lot of new and creative ideas that way. It also allowed people not comfortable with one method to put their energy and talents into something they were comfortable with. And when one method failed or started to become less effective there was always another one emerging.

We need less leaders and more individuals. We need writers and debaters as much as we need screaming protesters and shocking stunts. And of course, we all must live a good example for others to witness.

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