A Humble Request

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

- James Baldwin

Let’s be brave and try shedding all our beliefs and preconceptions for a moment (yes, even that one) to look innocently, honestly—as a child might.

Let's see how animal products are produced, or taken. Should aversion arise to doing so, question why.

Sit with what stirs within us when witnessing an animal's emotional or physical pain.

Do the choices we make as consumers reflect those feelings?

Look at the industries whose existence necessitates that suffering and the efforts made to conceal it; look at the methods employed to have us believe in choices we make that don't align with our empathy.

All we're asking is that you take a look. Trillions of lives are at stake, after all. 

Yet, despite the heat, we appreciate not everyone can do a running bomb straight into the pool of examining ingredient labels or having invites to barbecues mysteriously and persistently go missing. 

There are so many reasons why someone may feel hesitant, or unable, to even dip a toe, and we have no desire to debate the infinite complexity of every unique, wonderful, messy life. 

While the pool may seem scary if you’ve never swum before, and while we do recognise the courage necessary to peek up from your deck chair, injustice of this scale must be overcome and so faced with boldness. Such bravery is beautiful, friend. Let it steer you!

For those who have looked and fancy a paddle but don't want to relinquish their ice cream and pizza, then, by God, come paddle anyway. Perhaps you will finish eating in time, finding that doing so inhibits enjoyment of the pool, and wade further in.

Just don't let pizza and ice cream keep you out of the water altogether.

When our own gaze met the unshaded eyes of animal agriculture, a compassion was ignited and took the wheel, driving us rockily, unknowingly, to the pool. And the water, as they say, was fine.

But we are not here to convince anyone to swim, nor are we here to make rules for those who do. Dive, canoodle, or crawl like a crocodile in the shallow end, if you want.

We are not telling anyone how they should live their life.

We are not telling anyone what to believe.

We are asking only that you be you, friend—but looking.

- H.R.