Sometimes the best argument is choosing not to have the argument. Unless, of course 'the argument' is referring to the Fugazi album and then you should listen as much as possible.
i have found my argument for the environment lately lying somewhere between my rant in support of gay marriage and a random vegan girl on a scooter. In a brief conversation with said scooterist we both realized that we had both been vegans for 10 years now. This got me looking back over my last 16 meat free years. Reminiscing if you will.
The biggest surprise-difficulty i had in my early years of vegetarianism was dealing with non-vegetarians. This in fact turned out to be a tougher thing than actually finding meat-free edibles. i became a vegetarian primarily out of empathy. If it was possible to live a healthy lifestyle without having to kill another living animal i figured we were both better off for it. i did not realize that this almost simple "live and let live" type of reasoning would anger so many people. i did not, nor do i now, preach vegetarianism or veganism. It is a choice i made for myself. i am happy to talk about it when people inquire but i had never thought i would have to defend against quite aggressive arguing about my very personal choice.
Back then i quickly realized how much healthier my new lifestyle was and how much better it was for the environment and these were much easier arguments to make as they were factual rather than the moral ideal i had for making the choice in the first place. i would return people's arguments for years, the most stubborn of which were family members. i would have to respond to the exact same arguments EVERY YEAR around the large Thanksgiving dinner table. i became very unthankful for that holiday.
Despite memorizing all those facts and figures, despite reciting all those well respected minds over the generations who have made the same decision that i had; those who had baited me into the arguments seemed to just get angrier and angrier and seemed to listen less and less as they began to yell more and more. In my early days of a meat-free lifestyle my heart was not a good enough reason for them and i soon after discovered that facts were just as wasted on these deniers.
Oddly enough, since becoming a vegan i still have some who are genuinely interested who inquire and ask questions but almost no one ever attempts to bait me into arguments. i wonder if vegetarians are seen as gentler and weaker foes to these people where vegans may seem more militant to them and appear as a more difficult target to try and bully. Maybe it is just because i am no longer a kid. Maybe it is the ever increasing number of visible tattoos that wards them off.
These haunting memories have been swirling in my head as i have been watching sound-bites from anti-gay activists who i realized had the same look on their face as those who repeatedly would bait me into violent arguments about my eating habits. Days later again i saw that same look on the faces of people screaming out against medical insurance for all. This got me thinking even more, not about avoiding television news broadcasts (which would probably be better for my health) but about something else.
The scientist in me is always looking for the common denominator. Newton looking for that explanation of why all things fell to the ground. Einstein looked for that one beautiful equation that would explain all of science. i looked for that common denominator for that "look".
Over the next few days i scanned over video stored in the gray matter locked up behind my skull. i tried to scan my life's memories for times where i had seen that look in others before. Until now i had not realized just how many times i had seen that exact look. i saw it in every racist comment i have heard others mutter. i saw it on big tobacco executives claiming cigarettes were fine for so many years. i continue to see it in the eyes of those who deny climate change.
That look of contempt. That look of elitism. That look of anger bordering on hatred at the though of you even questioning their belief. As if i had committed some heinous sin against God Almighty in possibly even commenting something contrary to their mind set.
That look of an impenetrable wall with no door, window, or even slight crack through which a new idea could squeak through.
And in that moment i discovered my new argument for the environment: there is no argument. i plan on never arguing for the environment from this moment forward. i would not argue with someone whether blacks should be forced to sit on the back of the bus because the simple fact that they are trying to argue the idea means that they are not allowing room to change their mind, they are just trying to force their beliefs onto someone else. i am happy to converse and discuss the environment with anyone but i will no longer argue. Arguing is simply one side attempting to violently force their ideals onto the other side.
When it comes to the environment the facts are there. They are sound. They are the truth. Those looking for the truth will always have my ear and my time. i will help them in any way that i can. Those who seek to obscure or cloud the truth will no longer bait me. They will belittle and bully while looking for personal weaknesses to hammer away at and i choose not to participate in their destructive game. While millions appear to enjoy watching the talking heads do just that i fully acknowledge just how counter-productive the action is. With all that yelling their is nobody listening and i implore all those out there who are environmentally minded to resist the urge to engage in these arguments and to resist the urge to respond to their baiting whether it be in town hall meetings or Internet post threads. To respond is on some level to legitimize their lies.
Do not be foolish in thinking that this is a sign that i am any less determined to do what i can or that i am any less determined to take strong actions. i just want you to realize that when i choose to raise my voice it will not be to enter into an argument with you but rather to inform you that this discussion is over. The truth is the truth no matter what people may choose to believe. To argue is simply a waste of time and that is exactly what those who argue are intent on doing: waste time.
