A few days ago I was harrassed by a co-worker about my new found appreciation for all creatures and my support of the AR's movement. I have been a vegetarian for almost a year and when I voiced my opinion about the Beef and cattle industry, they blasted me.

They said we were all nuts and that only eccentric people worry about such petty and stupid things. They also said that I was getting wrapped up in a new religion and that I "need to find more important issues to worry about"....now they have me more confused than before.

I HAVE been going to counciling because I am confused about the amount of variables and ideas of the AR's movement. I do have a tendency to get wrapped up in bad situations and am terribly gullable......lost $2,000.00 thru Amway one time....:sweat:

Can anyone help me to not be confused? Am I eccentric and is this a phase? I feel like a hypocrite and feel guilty because of some of the other troubles in the world........I am concerned for those too.

Argghhh....I hate when people play with my head. Thanks !! :)

well you can't tear yourself up into a million pieces and fight for all causes
i think AR movement is very important and i'm glad there are people (like yourself) that do so much for animals. ... so don't be confused, and plz make sure it's not just a phase

It's not right of people to belittle you for something you're passionate about. If this is what you truly care about, then continue to care about it. Don't let people mess with your head! And if your coworkers continue to harrass you about your AR beliefs, they are creating a hostile work environment for you and you should report it to your boss. :yes:

I think you should read as much as you can, including anti-AR stuff, and keep an open mind. Be at peace with not feeling totally settled on your opinions. Ask yourself the hard questions. Be consider opposing viewpoints. Keep reading this board or read old compost heap threads. You'll see that even veg*ns disagree on many of the fine points.

It's ok not to have all the answers. There is no one official AR lifestyle or philosophy. You have to slowly carve out one for yourself. It's ok to change your mind. Just always keep looking for more information and opinions, and keep trying to challenge your own ideas. Only then will you be able to refine your philosophy to the point that you feel totally confident in discussing it with challengers. And it's ok to just not want to discuss it with people at all. In the end, you are the judge of your own actions and philosophies.

It's not right of people to belittle you for something you're passionate about.
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If your coworkers continue to harrass you about your AR beliefs, they are creating a hostile work environment for you and you should report it to your boss. :yes:

Take this good advice.

Instead of letting us tell you how to straighten your head, I trust that you are pretty good on your own if you have enough time/space to think and be yourself. Obviously those people at work cramp your style.

You need to create some space which is free of all that cr@p. No one has a right to harrass you at work.

I would also suggest not bringing up controversial issues in the workplace in general and when others do, just say you don't feel comfortable discussing controversial issues with co-workers. I mean, they must have found out you supported AR some how. But since the cat's out of the bag now, you will need to just tell them it's not up for discussion any more. If they continue to bring it up (assuming your don't bring it up) then it's time for a serious chat with them, and if necessary, the boss. Say it's distracting you from your work.

In this violent world, frankly, I can't think of a more "important" issue than love and compassion.
Your rude co-workers are displaying typical defensive behavior. They fear you will challenge their habits and lifestyles, and they do not wish to leave their comfort zones. As others said, it's probably best to stay away from controversial issues with these people. If they keep trying to bring it up, just politely tell them that you don't wish to get into any debates at work and you do not discuss sensitive, personal issues. Then change the subject.
In the meantime, read up on animal advocacy. Not only will good books give you a better understanding of the movement, they will help you make kind, effective choices. Please check out "Empty Cages" by Tom Regan as an excellent, modern primer on animal advocacy.

I think you need to prepare yourself and acknowledge that a lot of people will give you harrasment for your beliefs. I don't know why but a lot of people do seem to be anti-AR. The best thing to do is not bring it up too often, if you bring it up too much people will accuse you of preaching. Ignore comments that are said to deliberatly annoy you, and most importantly don't let it get to you. You are fighting for a good cause and should be proud.

I think you need to prepare yourself and acknowledge that a lot of people will give you harrasment for your beliefs. I don't know why but a lot of people do seem to be anti-AR. The best thing to do is not bring it up too often, if you bring it up too much people will accuse you of preaching. Ignore comments that are said to deliberatly annoy you, and most importantly don't let it get to you. You are fighting for a good cause and should be proud.

Its funny you mention that Manics- I asked them what their deal was....why they were so against AR and the said that the movement was mis-informed and wrecking people lives.....and taking away our freedoms. They said that this new religion.....the kept calling it that....has radical and unrealistic ideas and the true animal welfare issues are over looked by the movements radical stance on all animal use.

I did get things going by mentioning something about the Cattle industry which they DID admit needs cleaned up but it quickly turned into...."Why are you getting all wrapped up in that stuff....".... Terrorism came up as well.

I have read some AR books and many of them make sense....but others seem VERY slanted and unreasonable. The whole Peta/ALF connection rubs me wrong too. I'm just gonna keep reading and hopefully they'll leave me be...

Thanks for all the help !!

Most people hate Animal Rights Activists. If you're strong enough to cope with that kind of hatred, then you can continue to speak up.

If you find it hard to cope with aggression, then I suggest you keep your ideas to yourself. If people continue to bring up the discussion with you, just change the subject very deliberately, like say "Isn't the sky particularly blue today?", or "I wonder who is going to win the baseball match tonight."

Think for yourself and don't let anyone make you feel low for believing in what's ethically right to you. Nothing is more important than becoming a more passionate person, and AR can lead to a more mindful mindset toward all creatures, "great" and small. I am much more aware of all issues now, and being animal-friendly doesn't preclude me from being people-friendly, etc. Reject any of their attacks that are clearly based on these false types of assumptions.

And don't give anyone $2,000 unless you never expect to see it again!

They also said that I was getting wrapped up in a new religion and that I "need to find more important issues to worry about"....

Ask them what they believe these "more important issues" to be, and how you could help them in their support of them.

I HAVE been going to counciling because I am confused about the amount of variables and ideas of the AR's movement. I do have a tendency to get wrapped up in bad situations and am terribly gullable...

Can anyone help me to not be confused?

...I hate when people play with my head. Thanks !! :)

Your statements quoted above are what stick out most to me. Read as much as possible, do research and then sit down and have a heart to heart with yourself. Debate with yourself. Find out exactly how strongly you feel about the many related AR topics. The most important thing you can do is to come to terms with and make sure that what you feel is right. You have to do that before you can stand up to bullies like you mentioned.

I'm still fairly new here, but these boards along with other research I've done have helped me tremendously. Good luck.

You may be worrying about it, but through your actions, you are also doing something about it.

Tell them that because you don't think its right to raise chickens in cages small enough that they can never spread their wings, that you don't eat chicken. Tell them that the same animal cruelty laws that apply to dogs and cats don't apply to farm animals, and you don't think that is right.

If they disagree, that's their life. But you have to live your life in a way that makes you happy.

Just my $.02

I don't try and share details of my beliefs regarding AR with people unless they express true interest first (I won't talk about it with people just wanting to be difficult). I found out the hard way that people will just regard you as a crazy radical. Now people just view me as the vegetarian, not the psychotic annoying vegetarian I used to be :p

What is your co-worker doing to ease suffering in the world? Probably nothing.

After a while you'll learn to ignore people like that. The sooner the better.