Sometimes You Need to Wear the “Vegan Extremist” Label with Pride By Free from Harm
Being dismissed as an extremist isn’t the worst thing in the world. But as a new animal activist, I used to unconsciously dread this accusation. I carefully worded my responses to avoid it at all costs. No more. Now liberated from fear of being labeled extreme, I whole-heartedly encourage others to abandon their fear.
Why do I think it is so important to do this? Well, for starters, overcoming fear of being called an extremist is not only freeing, but character-building. It promotes our self-esteem, our feeling of moral worth — qualities that our critics want to crush.
Indeed, they hope that upon being tagged an extremist, we will run away with tails tucked. Then, they hope, we’ll come crawling back, badly bruised, and cave in to their attacks, softening our stance enough to make such innocuous statements as, “Well, I guess it’s okay to raise ‘food’ animals ‘humanely.’” The trouble is, …
Girl for Animal Liberation 