Adapted from Viva! Life by Lisa Rogers
 
Paul McCartney is taking over where Linda, his soul mate of 30 years, was forced to leave off. Linda, who died in April of breast cancer, worked as an animal rights activist  for 28 years. After her death, many wondered what would happen to the void she left behind. This past summer Paul chose Viva! (Vegetarians International Voice for Animals), to show the world that he and 'the kids' (Heather, Stella, Mary and James) plan to continue Linda's ardent promotion of a compassionate vegetarian lifestyle.

What motivated the McCartney's in the first place? “It's always been and will always be compassion for animals. That's it! It's not the health thing, important though that is. It's respect for our fellow species. We're just another animal yet we think we're so clever, know so much but what have we done? We're headed towards disaster and won't even acknowledge it. From the biggest to the smallest we've beaten all the other species into submission... Isn't it time to see if there's anything they can teach us before we obliterate the whole lot of them and ourselves as well.”

For those who doubted Paul's commitment to 'the cause', doubt no more. The candor with which he speaks makes obvious his true feelings. “We can't go on cramming creatures into battery cages, broiler sheds, turkey sheds and so on. Where's the compassion? What the hell's so wrong about compassion? Why should we have to keep on brutalizing ourselves?

I think it's very, very sad and belittling for us. It's something that says a lot about us. I see the future of the planet as a clear choice - between doing that sort of thing to animals or not doing it. There's a sort of loathing among a lot of farmers for what is actually giving them a living. But it's the fact that it's encouraged and everyone pretends it's all okay. It's easier than doing something about it.”

Compassion comes first with Paul, but other considerations aren't far behind. “Livestock farming is one of the biggest destroyers of the planet. When you see the Amazon being cut down for hamburger cattle, that's pretty obvious. What isn't so obvious is the drying up of the water table and rivers in the US and elsewhere. Animals use up huge amounts of water and there are billions of them. And it's all done in the name of something that benefits humans when in fact it's the opposite. It's all about attitudes, no one thinks they're the one who has to change. Take Prince Philip....Linda was the ballsiest woman, a very strong lady and she once took him on and that was a nice little moment. Because she was American she talked to him just like he was a bloke, not all reverent like the British do. She said: 'You're the head of a worldwide wildlife organization, how can you go out shooting birds?' 'Are  you vegetarian?' he asked, trying to catch us out. ' YEAH we both answered.”

Paul is the first to admit that he isn't a database of economic, farming or environmental statistics, but he knows enough to recognize that something has got to give.

“Eventually, there's got to be change. If you can feed ten times the number of people by not passing food through animals first and then killing them, that's got to make people think. Even if you don't care about animals, that's a highly efficient economic argument and even McDonalds likes efficiency.”

Paul and Linda raised all four of their children as vegetarians, and it looks like, for Paul, veganism  may be on the horizon. “My son James is a big surfer, fit and healthy and he's a vegan. So far he's the only one in our family who is a vegan and he's telling us all that we should be vegan, too. He's right and we know he's right but we're just a little slow in getting around to it. He's cool! I know there's now a whole heap of science to show that vegetarians and vegans are healthier and live longer.”

It takes a brave person to publicly admit their  ignorance and make the necessary corrections. Thankfully for laboratory animals, Paul is one of those brave people.

“It became very difficult when Linda died because I said I would support cancer charities and animal rights groups wrote to me pointing out that many were heavily into vivisection - and it's true. A doctor we knew out in America just admitted it as a matter of fact, innocently, like 'well sure we do'. What he doesn't realize is that he won't get a donation out of me for that very fact. It's like having Beagles smoke for us, we don't need that, we've outlived that period. There are better alternatives but you're not allowed to challenge the status quo. It's the same with agriculture.”

Paul's interview with Viva! was a true tribute to Linda's efforts and no doubt we will be hearing a lot more from him.