Vegetarian fanaticism is as bloodthirsty as any extremism

I appreciate the somewhat qualified praise from Eric Bahrt, but he is wrong to say that I never comment on the lack of democracy in Thailand. In fact, over the years I have made plain my views on the political situation here, or as plain as I considered prudent – I’m too old to fancy a session of attitude adjustment.
On the issues of animal rights and dietary preferences, it is interesting, and disturbing, to note ever more reports of intimidating and sometimes violent behaviour from animal rights activists in both Britain and France. Butchers and fishmongers are having their shops damaged, and are receiving death threats. Some have suffered physical violence. Livestock farmers in parts of Britain are having to keep in regular contact with anti-terrorist police units. 
That’s the problem with single-issue pressure groups: there are always those whose fanaticism unhinges their minds and leads them to vile behaviour. I hope the vast majority of animal rights supporters, including Eric Bahrt, Jenny Moxham and others, would distance themselves from such people, but the leading animal rights organisation PETA has been equivocal, and hypocritical, in the past on those who take the law in their own hands, so I have my doubts. 
We are assailed by people continually pushing their own agendas, and it really does get tedious. If some folks want to avoid meat and dairy, or alcohol, or fish, or clothes made of fur or leather, or don’t want to hunt foxes, or enjoy a day’s fishing, then fine, but for goodness sake just leave the rest of us to enjoy our lives in the ways we choose.
Robin Grant
Bangkok