Retro Active Compassion: Lifelong Vegetarians

Martha with Paul & Linda McCartney

What Is It Like To Be Vegetarian For Decades?
Being a vegetarian (or a vegan) is not a new, unique, special concept. Plenty of people throughout history have been 100% vegetarian. It's neither complicated, nor difficult. Here is an incomplete list of people of renown who've been vegetarians throughout history; while lengthy, I immediately see some missing.

I've been 100% vegetarian, and then vegan, for a solid lifetime at this point––despite the fact that no one immediately around me has been. It's not a lifestyle I acquired from or consistently shared with anyone. Good thing I was never concerned with 'fitting in' and never gave the alienation aspect much thought. I'd always had a live and let live, free-will attitude, so I was never too concerned with other people's choices. Nor were they with mine, since I never really talked about it.

Being a vegetarian was never a 'phase' or a decision, it's just who I am and I never felt like it was a big deal. However, if one were to 'calculate' the number of lives spared by my dietary choices, being a vegetarian/vegan in itself can be a rather significant animal rights contribution (approximately 4,700 beings designated as 'farm animals' have been spared in my case.)

The vegetarian McCartney family on their farm in the 1970's

I feel increasingly discomforted that, given our access to information and exposure to what goes on in the sadistic meat and dairy industries, more people are not becoming vegetarian/vegan (and at a faster rate.) This global love of animal flesh, en masse, supports monstrous industries and a human obsession with 'culture' and 'traditions'. Not reality, not truth.

Entire cultures throughout human history have lived as vegetarians. Longtime vegetarian and animal rights activist Mary Tyler Moore once said she believes a meat-free diet will sooner or later be the norm. "It may take a while,” she told Time magazine. "But there will probably come a time when we look back and say, 'Good Lord, do you believe that in the 20th century and early part of the 21st, people were still eating animals?'"

Animal rights activist/lifelong vegetarian Mary Tyler Moore

Hard to believe we're no closer to this eventuality now than back when MTM said it. Her past optimism is similar to mine during my 20's, and we share the same beliefs. But my optimism has waned in recent years. Today, apathy and ignorance are inexcusable. People consciously choose cruelty when they have other choices. Which is unsettling for me, personally. 

Think to how long ago The Smiths recorded 'Meat Is Murder'. Morrissey has been an impressive pioneer, speaking out on the topic of this exploitative behavior without fail, while others haven't. 

The Smiths, Meat Is Murder; Morrissey has been consistent

The reason these outdated behaviors, ones entirely lacking respect for the nature and the lives of our fellows, have continued––and even expanded to outlandish, mass proportions––is that there are bullying industries out there who want to profit from the choices people are willing to make.

Paul & Linda McCartney, lifelong vegetarians/animal rights activists

All anyone really needs to do to make a big difference is to stop supporting those industries immediately. And to say something about it. Live and let live (and free will) applies to all species. So I do talk about it these days. I stayed quiet for a very long time. 

Paul McCartney continues to share the compassionate message

I'll take this one out with lifelong vegetarian and animal rights activist Paul McCartney with his co-veggie, Linda McCartney––who together raised anti-fur/anti-cruelty fashion designer Stella McCartney.

Cats In Films (Year Of the Cat) -- VIDEO

I'm someone who is generally considered a 'cat person'. I would take it farther, however, in that I respect all species equally; I am entirely against speciesism. But yes, I am a cat person.

After seeing 'Inside Llewyn Davis' last month, and falling deeply for Ulysses the cat who I consider the hero of that Coen brothers film, I had an inkling to piece together a (hopefully) beautiful and especially respectful tribute to cats who've appeared in films. I immediately knew I'd want to use Al Stewart's song 'The Year Of The Cat'. As a music-and-film-driven videographer who loves cats, and also loves that particular song, this was all an inevitability.

After gathering all the media I could find, I created the video over the course of a few days. I wasn't entirely satisfied when it was completed last Sunday. But I waited, then shared the video on my social media channels on Monday. This video meant a great deal to me, so I asked and practically pleaded (for the first time, ever) for friends to watch and share. A few did and I was appreciative for their support of my efforts (as this sort of 'super-cut' video does take some effort!)

By Tuesday afternoon, I noticed the views were creeping up slightly. And faster. I found out Tuesday night that the video had been posted on Neatorama, which was a wonderful surprise. By Wednesday, in the early afternoon, I discovered that Slate.com had picked it up as well (via Neatorama.) An even bigger surprise. I'm happy the video has gotten some traction since it was meant to be seen and enjoyed by other like-minded cat lovers. I hope it might even instill a sense of respect for all species, somehow.

Here is my celebratory tribute to cats in films –– 'Cats In Films (Year Of The Cat)'.