It is always a treat to go to the Reconciliaction meetings. As usual, we generally have lunch. Today's lunch, for various reasons, was vegan. It was all very lovely, but there was no meat.
The First Nations participants were enjoying the meal, but did comment on the fact that there was no meat involved in it. Some of us were trying to explain the idea of vegan food, and the various types. I was asked to explain to some of them the various motivations behind veganism, mentioning animal cruelty is one factor. One of the First Nations participants opined that this concern for animal cruelty was probably because we, eating store bought food, had to produce animals in small cages and pens, which was cruel. They would simply go out and kill something.
Okay, I suppose that's one way to look at it.
But it did remind me of a story from one of the Greenpeace trips. Of the collective of individuals, with various positions on the world, and how it should be, the vegans were used to holding the high moral ground. As was usual with this type of crew, the vegans took over meal preparation, since it would be unfair for anybody to be making cheeseburgers with vegans on board.
As I say, the vegans are generally used to holding the high moral ground, among this particular facet of the sociopolitical spectrum. But, on the left, there is one higher rung on the moral step-ladder: oppressed indigenous peoples. There were First Nations participants among the crew of this particular trip. And they were having none of this vegan crap. They wanted *MEAT*.
So, the vegans had to back down.
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