Vegans in Politics Can’t Come Soon Enough!

Kathy Divine’s last name is certainly fitting–her mission to amplify vegan voices in politics is nothing short of angelic. Divine sees the hypocrisy in those who pursue change-making careers in politics while still causing massive destruction to the planet and the lives of animals. Her latest book, Golden Age Politics, explores the need for ethically-minded individuals to start finding a place in the political arena.

“The best and the brightest without compassion are useless” she explains.

Divine’s stories inspire

While Divine’s personal battle with chronic illness poses a unique challenge in terms of  running for public office herself, she harnesses her passion for compassion by encouraging those around her to bring the ethical notions of a vegan lifestyle into politics from the inside.

The Australian writer uses her storytelling skills to document the diverse identities of vegans as a means to inspire others to follow suit. Her 2013 book Plant Powered Men explores the stories of various men from around the world reflecting on the benefits of their plant-based lifestyles, while her 2014 Vegans Are Cool  covers the diverse identities of all sorts of vegan-identifying individuals. Divine describes her personal journey into veganism in a “pre-Internet” world, where she had to rely on magazines to find information on the cruelty-free lifestyle. Now, she dedicates herself to ensuring that others have access to such crucial information. Divine sees effective advocacy as a focus on “less talk and more action,” and getting vegan voices into law-making positions is certainly a powerful act. This potato-loving animal advocate has big dreams:

“The dream is a vegan world where all beings, including our wonderful animal co-inhabitants live in peace and freedom. To achieve this goal, we need to legislate to afford animals proper protections. Governments should also put all of their efforts into assisting in the transition to a vegan economy, including helping farmers and their employees find ethical work. There should be programs to help slaughter house workers heal their trauma and find their next career. ” 

See Also

Why African American Women Are Going Vegan in Droves

Vegan voices in future elections

Who else wishes they could vote for Divine in the upcoming 2020 election? First female president, but most importantly, first certified dog massage therapist president (yep, no joke, Divine is also a dog massage therapist).

But, since the author is not in the running for any public office, who else might fit the bill of becoming the first vegan female President? We can dream, can’t we? We know Kamala Harris, who by now needs no introduction, has urged Americans to eat less meat. She has cushioned that exhortation with an admission that she enjoys the occasional cheeseburger.  So, at this point, she’s certainly no vegan. But, she could be on the journey there. The first big step to breaking any pernicious habit is the admission that it’s a problem. Could Kamala Harris ultimately become the first vegan President? Hmmm. We will have to wait and see. Of course, the clock is ticking. Meanwhile, Kathy Divine is writing away, creating possibilities.