Toronto Butcher puts on a "display" for activists

​globalnews.ca/news/4108589/antler-kitchen-and-bar-protests-toronto/

As protesters and activists picketed out front of his establishment, he hacked away at a deer's leg and began to eat it in front of them in an obvious show of defiance and aggression towards the protesters. Activists watched and filmed in horror as the butcher took the opportunity to demonstrate his disdain for their cause. Ultimately, it was a show put on to illustrate his obvious lack of remorse or care for their cause. 

I made the choice to comment on the original story and was not surprised to receive almost 50 comments speaking out against what I had said. In these comments, I was ridiculed, called names, implied to be stupid, and called a cry baby. I had people accuse me of stealing animal's food. I had people who took every opportunity to aggressively refute my attempts to demonstrate compassion. What I took away from those two days of repeated verbal abuse was that people can be aggressive in defending things that they don't want to change. Not a single person could give me an ACTUAL reason as to why they consumed meat, nor could they give me a reason why it was so wrong that I didn't. I decided to walk away from the conversation after wishing everyone a happy easter and thanking them for the debate despite my wanting to become aggressive or return the insults. 

This ties directly into my message of compassion through positive reinforcement. Although I was hurt and offended by people's attempts to insult or degrade me, I returned their insults with positive messages. I never once called anyone a name, I never once retaliated in an aggressive manner, and I continuously reiterated a message of compassion for animals and the environment. At the end of my discussion, I felt reassured that I got my message across and did so without any negativity which can be very difficult.

Being an activist comes with its own slew of problems and you must be prepared to face them. I can't tell you guys enough how important it is to approach every negative comment with a smile and reiteration of compassion. No matter how many times people call you names, ridicule you, or try to break you down, your message of compassion should always be what is taken away. 

Negativity breeds negativity and fighting fire with fire in these situations works against the message we are trying to spread. I repeatedly asked these people if they thought it was wrong that I cared for the planet and animals. Instead of answering my question, they would verbally attack me instead. This implied to me that the doors were already closed for communication which is why it was so important to keep being positive.

Now, do I agree with protesting in front of a locally owned business? Not necessarily, but I agree with the message. When it comes to protesting, I believe it's important to attack the source which in my opinion is any company that supports factory farming. Slaughterhouses, fast food giants, restaurants who receive meat from these farms etc. Protesting a local business whose funds pump out into your very own community is not necessarily the best approach. This was evident within my conversations when people repeatedly reminded me it was an attack on a local business that was widely supported by the community.

What do I take away from this story / experience? Never give in to temptation when it comes to being aggressive or negative in your approach to spreading a message. Compassion is our message and stooping to a level of insults or name calling works against what we're fighting for.

Check out the original story through the link at the top of the page! Also, what do you guys do when it comes to receiving negative comments and acts of aggression? Do you find it hard to maintain a stance of compassion? 

HAPPY VEG