I was there and it was energizing and invigorating. Thank you for those who organized that Animal Rights Protest March! Choosing to not eat meat and dairy...is a choice... I choose not to for health, for he environment, for the voiceless, for the "karma' of eating suffering, to grow closer to fully understanding companion, to be kind on the most intimate level. Just like all things it is easy to slip into shaming others.... I saw shame posters... and I get where that energy comes from, it feels so dire...so immediate so infuriating.... that factory farming is fueled by Fast Food, Buffets, Gluttonous Hunger based on not jut a moment of killing but a life day in and day out of a creature born into fear, ignored as being a sentient being with feelings who is also experience emotions, pain and realization of their own helplessness every moment while being taken advantage of by Humans BECAUSE THEY CAN ....and because the Market demands more and more MEAT... the fact that factory farming of meat and dairy is bad for the environment and is not sustainable for the entire world's population when growing plants causes fare less damage and is sustainable. I get why vegans go there with shame... Yep. I get it. Challenging to educate while separating shame from the message... something I am struggling with currently. One thing which has been interesting is when talking about not eating meat or dairy with some is how they almost subconsciously or possibly very consciously make a point to use terms to reference to how accepted eating meat is and should be, or to defend meat eating... like when I was eating my steel cut oats not he bus to NYC yesterday heading to the march with some joy...a non vegan also going to NYC for other reasons...went on and on about how his father would love to eat cow brains...or how bloody he liked his steak. I just sit and listen.... and well...okay sir. Let me show you my full level of patience and i did and enjoyed my steel cut oats.... and listened and then the conversation was over...and life moved...on. It was very nice being in the city yesterday. I enjoyed meeting all different kinds of people. The fact that there is a thousand different Vegan establishments in NYC was super fun, and I ate at some great places. peace.