Gary is the founder of the \u2018abolitionist\u2019 wing of veganism, which is best encapsulated in his quote: \u201cPlease wake up to the reality that, if you are not vegan, you are directly participating in animal exploitation.\u201d I recently had the opportunity to chat with Gary about his lifelong activism in this regard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Phil: The majority of people believe in kindness towards animals, right? And yet, they will turn around and without even considering what they are about to do, they go and have a hamburger. So what is it Gary? For most people, is it just a habit that they\u2019ve grown up with?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gary: Yes, it\u2019s a habit. [But it\u2019s more than that. Many people have memories] of having Thanksgiving dinner with their grandmother, or Christmas dinner with people they love. And it therefore becomes rather difficult to think about those times as events of violence. It\u2019s hard to think of your grandmother as a bad person because of her dietary choices, you know? And it\u2019s the same with the rest of your family\u2026are they bad people? And so, in a sense, it\u2019s habit\u2026 and it\u2019s tradition. But it\u2019s also the relentless meat and dairy industry propaganda that we\u2019ve been exposed to since we were children.
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There\u2019s a group of people in the world who just don\u2019t care, and you\u2019re never gonna get them to care. But, most people do care. Most people have had loving relationships with non-human animals in their lives. And the question becomes, why is it that they don\u2019t see the inconsistency between the animals they love and what ends up on their plate? All anyone can do is try to get them to see the inconsistency, and to deeply reflect on their choices in that regard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watch the full interview below: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n