Te Horo o Kaimanga

'Humankind's consciousness is indeed changing, and that helps people, who love animals to ask questions like this...


" 'Hey, I'm sorry I haven't come back to you sooner.  I have been unsure as to how to ask a question that has been on my mind due to its sensitive nature, I believe.


When I saw your sign on the road I thought this was a vegan restaurant that opened at specific times to ensure bookings are fruitful.  I confess to feeling a bit taken back by things I have read on your site. 


Are the buffets a meeting place for vegan association members to meet and talk over veganism and why you should be vegan? 

My family and I love food experiences and although I don't identify as vegan, I love vegan food.  I am concerned that if I bring my family, we may feel pressure to sit and listen to a seminar based on a belief system that doesn't quite align with our thought process or just as uncomfortable, feeling judgement when we have purely come for the food experience. 


Your menu looks wonderful but sadly I will decline if we are coming for something we didn't anticipate..." signed... 


These are challenging thoughts and questions, to which we responded:  " 'The Vegan sign on S H 1, is an initiative of Horowhenua/Kapiti vegans. We hope people of goodwill, and all animal lovers, will be prompted to 'look into their hearts' considering how we use other sentient beings. 
The vegan sign has nothing directly to do with The Winemaker's Daughter. But Michael Hyland the owner/chef of the WMD is very happy to work with H/K vegans to promote what Michael says is mankind's future - stacks of - lots of good reasons for this, talked about in many media including free local newspapers.

The buffets offer delicious food to enjoy at a very reasonable price. They are an occasion when vegans & people interested in animal rights, can gather & share non-violent food with like minded people. Between mains & dessert there is the opportunity for someone to share with us the how; where and why of their vegan life - for example at the Mediterranean buffet, 4th March, Joseph Winiata of Body & Soul gym in Otaki will chat with us.


You and your family are quite safe when you join us, as we hope you will on 4th..." [Name of the person who wrote to us...  but let's call him William.] William, we are happy to chat about any of this. Thanks for writing as you have. Arohanui..." Signed...

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From this link: http://www.drstevebest.org/EternalTriblenka.pdf Quote: 35. Patterson’s own awareness of the  deep connections between the animal and human holocausts grew organically out of his research into the human holocaust; see “Interview  with author of Eternal Treblinka,” by Richard Schwartz, at:
http://www.powerfulbook.com/interview.html.

Patterson tries to mediate two extremes: on one side, he rejects a promiscuous use of the term “holocaust” to refer to any and all forms of violence; on the other side, he does not condone the refusal to contextualize the human holocaust in a larger socio-historical context. As he puts it, “Because  the Holocaust is utterly unique, I'm very opposed to simplistic comparisons of the Holocaust to other genocides and to the facile use of  the term `holocaust’ for everything from the latest mass murder to a  five-alarm fire. However, I do not agree with those who insist on making the Holocaust a sacred shrine that's isolated from the rest of history and the rest of the world. If I felt that way, I never would have written this book, which examines the roots of the Holocaust and relates it to the human arrogance behind animal exploitation and the vast array of injustices against humans which have flowed from it. I think the attempt to fossilize the Holocaust and keep it separate from and unrelated to the rest of history is an insidiously subtle form of Holocaust denial”

(“Interview with author of Eternal Treblinka,” by
Richard Schwartz, at: http://www.powerfulbook.com/interview.html).

Alastair

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A new 'umwelt' - environment or surrounding world
A new zeitgeist... spirit of the time

Frans de Waal wrote 'Are we smart enough to know how smart animals are?
Chapter 9 'Evolutionary Cognition' concludes a most generous, and indeed loving look at all our many relations. Frans de Waal's work is a 'tour de force' both scholarly & comprehensive, and the science/psychology that is evolutionary cognition, is, extremely well documented and 'evidenced.' The last 6 pages are I reckon a brilliant summary, and, the last paragraphs introducing ' true empathy as other orientated...' leaves the door wide open for all things vegan being promoted from a number of 'foundation building blocks.'

Here is the conclusion of Evolutionary Cognition...
'The human-animal relationship was rather egalitarian during this time (the hunter-gatherer 'age') A more practical knowledge became necessary when our ancestors took up agriculture and began to domesticate animals for food and muscle power. Animals became dependent on us and subservient to our will. Instead of anticipating their moves, we began to dictate them, while our holy books* spoke of our domination over nature. Both of these radically different attitudes – the hunter's and the farmer's – are recognisable in the study of animal cognition today. Sometimes we watch what animals do of their own accord, while at other times we put them in situations where they can do little else besides what we want them to do.
With the rise of a less anthropocentric orientation, however, the second approach may be on the decline, or at least add significant degrees of freedom. Animals should be given a chance to express their natural behaviour. We are developing a greater interest in their variable lifestyles. Our challenge is to think more like them, so that we open our minds to their specific circumstances and goals and observe and understand them on their own terms. We are returning to our hunting ways, albeit more in the way a wildlife photographer relies on the hunting instinct: not to kill but reveal. Nowadays experiments often revolve around natural behaviour, from courtship and foraging to prosocial attitudes. We seek ecological vailidity in our studies and follow the advice of Uexkull, Lorenz and Imanishi, who encouraged human empathy as a way to understand other species. True *empathy is not self-focused but other-orientated. Instead of making *humankind the measure of all things, we need to evaluate other species by what they are. In doing so, I am sure we will discover many magic wells, some as yet beyond our imagination.' Magic Wells is chapter one in 'Are we smart enough to know how smart animals are? * Recently, chatting with a person I've know for 30 years: the 'vegan ethos' was mentioned, with 'animals are not ours...' referred to. My female friend said ' well, I believe animals, and all of nature was put on earth for us to use... it is what god intended.'
QED as far as she is concerned – frankly I was surprised but 'there you go!'

Alastair shared the above thoughts and quotes from Frans de Waal.
A review of this remarkable book will be posted – when available, and this will be written by another person.

Johnathon Dereck

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