A recent commenter asked, "could ... abolitionist have provided any vision powerful enough to defeat the heteronormative, speciesist, patriarchal racism of 95% of the country in the 1860's to declare *full equality* to men of all races *and* women, *and* queers, *and* animal others?" He answers by stating:
Personally, I cannot imagine such a scenario (though, I wish it had occured). I don't agree that failing to imagine this scenario is "oppressive." My position is that these struggles take a long time to be overcome and that multiple methods ought to be employed as long as they are consistent with and explicit in one's vision.
I believe our internalization of oppression limits our imagination, creativity, and vision. This internalization of oppression leads us to fall into pessimism and pragmatism. If we cannot imagine a broad-based, multi-issue, intersectional anti-oppression scenario, then how can we work for a consistent and explicit vision of liberation?
I'd like to urge everyone to watch the video "A Tale of Power & Vision." I think it brilliantly illustrates how our "pessimism" and "pragmatism" works to foster apathy and how "power" and "vision" can get us where we want to go. I'd like to suggest that while internalized oppression leads to pessimism and pragmatism, veganism can lead us to power and vision.
