The so called animal rights crowd certainly have a way of being annoying, even if their cause is sometimes justified. I've been to my share of conferences where they have a holding pen for the picketers who liken what we do to mass murder, torture, etc. One wonders if the same irksome feeling was felt by those who weren't completely comfortable with slavery, but who took it as something that was done for the betterment of society on the whole.
I think you've hit the nail on the head. The suffragettes also come to mind; many of them were imprisoned and reviled for their activism a century ago, but few would question (for example) Pankhurst's importance in shaping the rights of women in the 20th Century. Also, b_b, I do apologise for being slow to reply to your recent comments. I've started a new job this year and of late my presence on hubski has been haphazard.