Waiting for the bus this morning, I was passed by a lorry.  In the back, looking at me through blue-painted metal slats, were sheep.  Their nervous eyes pierced my soul.  They didn't know where they were going but I did. 

"How can you just stand there?" I asked myself. 

"What can I do?" I replied. 

"Get in front of the lorry!  Don't let it pass!"

"And then what?  The driver'll just get out and move me. Or he'll call the police.  Then what would I have accomplished?"

Some people have thrown themselves in front of live transport lorries; some have died.  Even then nothing changes.

The truth is we can only hope to effect change by being a good influence on others; by showing them there is a better way; that there is no need for suffering; by inspiring veganism.

Raystede could be really influential.  They are a respected organisation, thanks to their founder, and they could do so much more good if they had a mind to.  They could stop paying for animals to be slaughtered, stop influencing others to have animals slaughtered and instead influence them to stop.

Why won't they?  Why are they so determined to ignore us?  Why do they keep paying for suffering and death?  Do they really think it's okay to have animals killed in the name of animal welfare?  No. Of course not.  They know we're right, that's why they don't answer.

By the way, it might interest you to know that Nigel Mason, Raystede's CEO, has tried to make us remove Raystede's logo from our website (makeraystedevegan.wordpress.com) on grounds of copyright infringement.  He was unsuccessful because our use of it (for criticism) is permitted.  But it just goes to show that if he's taking the trouble to make such a petty complaint, we must be getting under his skin.

Please keep writing to Nigel Mason (e: nmason@raystede.org, info@raystede.org)

Tell him to make the cafe vegan.  He might not be answering, but he can't help hearing us if we don't shut up. 

For ALL the animals' sake, we have to stop those lorries!