Barefoot Vegan Mag Jan_Feb 2017

one breath, while updating their Facebook statuses
describing the sentient being they ate for lunch or serving
the dead bodies or secretions of tortured farmed animals
at events to celebrate equality or advancement for women
or queer folk. And when the issue of animal oppression is
raised (in the same way that they attempt to gain support
for their particular cause), reactions generally fall into two
camps: “I know, but I don’t care enough to change my
lifestyle to give up my gustatory delights,” or “I don’t want
to know because I don’t want to give up my power and
privilege. Besides, (insert type of creature here) tastes so
good.”
Some are often accompanied by a patronising smile
and a comment along the lines of, “Aw, your love of
animals and vegan lifestyle is so sweet.” Imagine the
reaction if you said that about their anti-racism work.
Unsurprisingly, such disagreements result in an
interminable amount of infighting—in which I admit I’ve
contributed my share. Activist movements are full of
people who have experienced cruelty, oppression,
discrimination, and often physical violence. We’ve been
told that we’re “broken,” “wrong,” “not good enough,”—
not only by individual people, but through the
perpetuation of overt as well as the insidious
reinforcement of what is considered culturally acceptable
or unacceptable.
Depending on the educational or emotional resources
we have access to at any given time, many of us will live in
a state of unconsciousness about our own or others’
oppression, reacting with anger each time we are triggered
by others’ comments. Many of us are fuelled by a deepseated
rage, which can on one hand be a motivator to take
action against injustice, yet unchecked on the other hand
destroys not only our own sense of peace but very often
any power or leverage we may get to achieve our goals of
liberation. While we’re busy putting all our energy into
fighting each other and our potential allies, it seems
oppressors are finding new ways to hold onto and extend
their privileges.
Integrating the Shadow Self and Embracing
Compassion for All
In July 2011, my personal life was a mess. Despite being in a
relationship of 18 years with a woman who loved me very
much and living in an apartment that I co-owned, I was
deeply unhappy and dissatisfied with my life. My career as
a freelance writer and editor wasn’t bringing me the joy it
used to; I felt like I’d lost my writing mojo and felt
BAREFOOTVegan | 92
As social change
makers, we owe it
to ourselves, and
to humanity,
animals, and the
planet, to take
action that comes
from a place of
compassion: for
others and
ourselves.
resentful and trapped. Up until that time, I believed that
life happened to me, that my feelings ran the show and I
was at the mercy of external circumstances—in other
words, despite my obvious privileges, I was a victim.
Fortunately, a close friend offered a different
perspective on my situation, one which suggested that I
had a choice in how I acted, reacted, and behaved. At
the age of 46, I was finally ready to hear the pearl of
wisdom that personal development gurus had been
spouting for decades. I felt not just a light bulb but a
whole panorama of bright stadium lights switch on in
my mind. The following 12 months saw me devour
books, audio recordings, and DVDs, and attend
workshops and seminars, all of which taught me that
the past only defines you if you let it; it is possible to
consciously choose to move beyond it and decide who
you want to become.
Now, I realise this may be all very well for a whiteskinned,
middle-class lesbian with certain privileges,
and I’m not suggesting it’s easy (I still struggle with
negative self-talk, but it’s lessening as I equip myself
with the tools of self-awareness), but I have come to
believe that compassion for self and others is the key to
making a difference in the world. As I allowed myself to
be open to new possibilities, I found myself exposed to
individuals who had figured out the importance of
integrating our shadow parts into our lives, instead of
running away from them.
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