Less hate in the world

The news that Fen Farm Dairy here in the UK has been harassed by vegans on social media is something that should give everyone pause for thought. As we have seen in the terrible case of Jo Cox and her death in the UK, the vicious words spouted on social media can have awful real-world consequences.

Militant vegans seem to forget that people are part of the food chain, and as fellow animals, we also need protecting. Sometimes from each other, it seems. I think we’re past the point where this can be construed as a little “light hearted” online trolling, or where people should just “turn it off if you don’t like it.”

It’s the level of anger out there that gets me. I tend to switch off social media at weekends, myself. Exceptions are made for perusing the Real Seed Company catalogue online, or ogling the latest allotment must-have gadget.

But then again, nobody’s ever threatened myself or my family, and my sympathies are solidly in the corner of Fen Farm and others in the dairy industry who have been subjected to such abuse. People are just doing their jobs and earning a living, and frankly, I have yet to meet a farmer who doesn’t put animal welfare at the top of their priority list.

As columnist Caitlin Moran so succinctly put it in last week’s The Times Magazine, “There will always be, as my friend used to sigh, people who think their hatreds are important, and need to be spoken and acted upon.” They don’t, really.

Which is alarming, but she did also note that the tide for this type of behaviour on-line has hopefully reached its peak. People are losing their jobs and places due to their ranting on-line.

I hope it is receding, as it is a nasty trend. The folks at Fen Dairy are doing a good job with happy animals and great tasting products. They should not be threatened by extremists. Nobody should have to put up with that.

#Februdairy

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