Lee Hall (vegan) - A Life Committed to Animal-People Liberation, Part 2 of 2

On today’s program, Lee discusses why both the environmental and vegan movements are essential for animal-people liberation. “Environmentalism is important to animal rights because environmentalism is the defense of habitat, and that is the home of free-living animals. So, environmentalism and animal advocacy together is what brings us to animal liberation.”

Lee suggests two actions that would help stop the animal-people industrial raising operations. “So, we need to work to stop this - all the different kinds of government help for animal agribusiness. We need to inspire people to appreciate a way to get their food directly from plants and to realize how delicious it can be.” “We call it ‘greenwashing.’ It is absolutely not a step in the right direction to have ‘humane’ meat, or ‘pasture based’ or ‘organic ranching.’ That is not a step in the humane direction or the right direction. I think the step in the right direction is every vegan step we take.”

Consequently, Lee co-authored a cookbook called, “Dining with Friends: The Art of North American Vegan Cuisine.” “I do still believe that bringing veganism into everyday living, into everyday kitchens is the best politics. And I believe that veganism is direct action.” “When I think of vegan options, I really would like to thank Loving Hut. You do such beautiful work, and internationally. It’s such important advocacy as well as art.”

Lee says that speaking about veganism helps it to spread. “And the more we hear it, the more people are persuaded every single moment. That is the success in the last few decades of this movement.”

Our most gracious Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) frequently reminds us that a vegan lifestyle is essential, not only to save our world but also for our spiritual upliftment. “Being vegan simply means that we protect all the animal-people. This killing of other beings must be stopped for humanity to evolve as a civilization. The benefits of doing so are manifold. All these are the fruits of a more compassionate diet. At peace with ourselves in the knowledge that we did not cause anguish or pain to our fellow animal brethren, we will have the inner tranquility to pursue our spiritual endeavors wholeheartedly.”