Sublette County Sheriff K.C. Lehr has received more than 7,000 emails about a Wyoming man who reportedly captured and tormented a wolf before killing it, he told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.
Some of those are threats.
Lehr said people in his office, as well as Sublette County and Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel, have been receiving threats — including death threats — stemming from Daniel, Wyoming, man Cody Roberts’ reported capture, torment and killing of a wild wolf in late February.
Imagine you're about to eat an ice-cream. You see a kid drowning in a pool. You could save him, but instead you choose to eat your ice cream. You put short term pleasure before saving a child's life. Evil, right?
Now imagine that you can't see the kid. You know he's going to die, but instead of donating a bit of money to a charity, you buy that ice cream, drink that fancy frappucino, buy that t-shirt or overpriced gadget you didn't actually need to buy. You put a short term endorphin rush above saving a child's life.
This is you. This is everyone. Humans are all evil to a degree. We are all hypocrites to a degree. We allow that kid to die, those workers to get abused, those animals to suffer. The only excuse we have is that we are animals and that we largely act on instinct, even if we rationalise our choices afterwords, often telling ourselves we're not bad people.
Once you accept that basic fact, mostly because life experience has forced you to come to terms with your flaws, you hopefully become more humble. You gain character, wisdom, and honesty. And here's a silver lining: once you realise that you're also deeply flawed and approach fellow humans with humility, you often end up becoming more convincing.
Of course, the first step is to accept that convincing people to be less evil, is more important than vanity and holding to the idea that you're somehow better than them.
Here's Norm McDonald telling a joke about hypocrisy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljaP2etvDc4
Just because all humans are flawed doesn't mean that we should just ignore everything around us and accepts that the world is evil, when simple actions such as not consuming animal products does make a difference.
Oh, of course. But once you accept that all humans are flawed, you're more likely to empathize with people who make poor choices, relate to them, and become more convincing.
So for example, you don't call people hypocrites and a murderers, which will inevitably cause them to become defensive and double down. Especially in a conversation where people are already expressing that they dissaprove of animal abuse. Instead you say something like:
"Same here. Animal suffering also makes me sad, and I couldn't help but think that I was part of that. I slowly transitioned to eating no meat a while back. But I know it's hard to make changes. If anyone wants tips, just ask. No judgement."
Or perhaps:
"Yeah. Food's really becoming expensive. One thing that does help, is that I eat vegetarian curries. They cost less to make and it's not that hard. I found this cool recipe and use a rice cooker so I can take care of the kids while it cooks."
I mean, imagine people who own a fairphone and buy only fair trade chocolate, went around calling the rest of us cunts. They might have a point, but it really wouldn't help them win the argument.
I agree that this approach is definitely the better one, but I'm pretty sure that any comment regarding veganism under a post such as this one would be met with hostility, because most people simply don't make the connection and think it's just random vegans preaching wherever they can.
Ah, yes. But here's the thing.
If you make a polite and reasonable comment about veganism and it's met with hostility, you're more likely to come across as the good guy and those attacking you come across as arseholes. People reading the exchange are more likely to think that the guy defending veganism or animal rights may have a point.
If you come in all guns blazing, and attack people, people are just as likely to think you're the arsehole.
Of course I believe that. I believe the best way to convince people not to kill is to shame killers. It's nothing to do with my ego. It's not hypocrisy to want there to be less death in the world, and accusing me of letting children drown or wanting to be superior is not only silly, it's irrelevant to your own actions. It's just a mechanism for you to process your shame. You know killing is bad and you want an excuse. You think if you can change the subject to my actions and how I'm not Literally Superman, then you won't have to think about your actions. But tough nuts because we are not changing the subject. I proposed a truce. We won't say your actions are wrong if you don't kill animals. That way you don't have to deal with mean words, and the animals don't have to deal with murder. I daresay that approaches fairness. If you want to make the argument that mean words are incomparable to a life and the animals are getting a bloody good deal out of a truce, then yeah, I guess their lives are more important than your feelings, how bout that!
I'm vegan and have been for years.
Your moral pontificating may be good for your own ego, but at the end of the day Burger King's vegan nuggets have done more to promote veganism, than lectures from the terminally online. Be honest with yourself. You're not doing it to convert people. You're doing it to feel good about yourself. Vanity. It's the Devil's favourite sin.
You know how I convert people? I make them nice food and give them recipe tips.
I agree. Burger King is an international business valued at 7 billion dollars with millions upon millions of dollars. I'm a regular person, and broke to boot. I'm never going to be able to do as much for veganism as Burger King, no matter how hard I try.
Right, it's clearly the people who kill animals for their (taste) pleasure that are humble, wise and honsest lmao.
Now read the rest of the paragraph you chose to ignore.