Wednesday 10 February 2010

My views on fur.



So, a blog I was following (notice the 'was')had a new post of the blogger wearing a 'vintage' fur coat. Most of the comments were raving about how vintage is so different to modern fur, and how PETA are 'nutballs'. How very enlightened of them all! I feel like I get uber-agressive when defending animal rights... but I can't help it. It's what I believe in, and it is quite literally a matter of life or death for the animals of this world. They do not have a voice, which is why they are so exploited. Anyway, this is my comment on the mentioned post...


"I have to disagree with everyone slating PETA, they are not all nutballs...you can't lump lots of people altogether into one little pigeonhole.

I am vegan and very proud of it. ANY fur is wrong... would you wear your dead cats fur? Or your dogs? Vintage or not, a living creature was killed to make some coat that is never going to be as beautiful as it was when living. I hate that people praise vintage fur as if it's a different thing altogether. Humans have no right to wear a dead creatures fur. If anything it would be more morally justified to go out and skin some roadkill to make a coat... at least that poor animals death would have been accidental. This sounds gross huh? Yup, but that's what fur is.

If anybody really wants to 'celebrate' a dead animal, surely taxidermy would be more suitable... at least it doesn't involve the animals skin being cut off? I don't really agree with taxidermy, but I disagree with fur even more so.

Real fur, no matter how old/new it is, is grotesque. You can get perfectly good faux fur nowadays. I thought humans had evolved away from the caves and having to use every little bit of an animal that was killed. At least our very early ancestors had the excuse that they killed animals to survive. They didn't have the options we do now.

If you disagree with all of the above, that's fair enough. But surely anally electrocuting a defenseless animal has to be the biggest turn off? Just to get some tacky coat that looks the same as every other vintage loving woman's?"

* I decided to stop following the blog, as to be honest I know if it turns into some online debate it will just get to me and upset me. And luckily I don't need to deal with that. We are all entitled to our own opinion, though I do fear I may too get branded a 'nutball' for my views. I used to get very involved in debates/discussions online, but it used to get me feeing upset, just as it would were it in 'the real world' as opposed to online. So I gave up fighting for my opinion and decided one statement was enough to get my opinion across. At the end of the day, arguing is pointless.

9 comments:

  1. I do agree with much of what has been said, animal treatment isn't great, and I have much respect for people who dont eat meat and dairy etc. The only thing i hate with groups such as peta etc all sorts of groups, are those willing to go too far for their cause. There was recently a news article on aol.com about someone who murdered a scientist/researcher for testing on animals, which I find just ridiculous. I never believe everything that one group has to say, whether its a charity or religious group, as they will always show you what will make you believe, but peta seem to be the most genuine out there.

    I like reading your posts when you get political and opinionated!! opinions make us who we are=]

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  2. it was me that called them "Nutballs" and if you look at what they do they are,I stand by my statement.My biggest problem with PETA is that they're hypocrites.You're entitled to have your opinions but I do think it's a little silly that you would stop following Twila over sharing her love of her grandmothers coat.It doesn't make her a bad person and it comes off as a little judgmental.
    I have friends that do taxidermy and they find roadkill and restore the animal to its original glory for display I dont see how that's wrong or disgusting either.
    No one was arguing that modern fur is wrong.But what would you suggest we do with all the vintage coats already out there?Just throw them away?They're part of history and I stand by my original statement that it'd make more sense to treat the article with respect over just trashing it.

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  3. art*deco*dame: First of all, if you are interested as to why I stopped following Twila, it is mainly because I almost never read her blog anyway! If you ever read mine (which you may not, and which is obviously your free choice!) you will see that Twila and I do not have an awful lot in common. And you know what? I don't want to read the blog of people who think 'vintage' fur is okay. That's not me being wrong or judgmental, that's my personal choice. Just as you may decide that you don't want to follow me anymore, which is a shame but totally up to you. Twila doesn't follow me anyway I don't think and I don't think we've ever spoken so I don't see why it would upset her. I'm sure you have people you follow that you rarely read too.

    And I didn't say taxidermy was wrong or disgusting, so please don't put words in my mouth.

    ALL human beings are hypocritical and I am not a great fan of PETA anyway, but calling them 'nutballs' is a little bit of a blanket statement for a whole group of people, and it is also very insulting. It is hypocritical to rave about fur, but then say that only vintage fur is okay. Either way it is wearing a dead animal that did not ask to be killed and then worn.

    Deceased relatives are also part of history, but we keep those in our hearts and minds, we do not wear their skin. You may find this a gross comparison, but that's what fur is. The removed skin of what was once a living creature.

    I am not judgmental over anything. Except animal cruelty. Nothing will ever make me accept that it is 'just the way it is' and nobody will ever shut me up, just by coming onto my blog and putting their pro-fur or pro-meat views across.

    This world is in way too much of a mess as it is, I do not see the need or necessity to go around wearing another sentient beings fur/skin.

    Normally I would keep quiet on this, but to say so many people jumping on the 'vintage fur is okay' bandwagon, I felt that the other side should get a voice too.

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  4. vandalworks (kev!):I totally agree with you on people taking it too far... Violence breeds violence... and also bad press for what is a good cause.

    People view the Animal Liberation Front (for example) as an extremist group and I guess they are, but not in the negative way they are often portrayed. Extreme in that they will risk everything for their beliefs and the animals but not in a terrorist manner.

    Having said that though there is almost always a rotten apple that spoils the barrel, and that article you referred to sounds like one of those. Just like the incident of the dead grandmother being dug up to protest against guinea pigs being bred for experiments. Whoever did that I'm sure wasn't evil, I'm sure they wouldn't kill someone, but they were ill-advised, stupid, disrespectful and thoughtless. Doing things like this will only hinder the Animal Rights cause.

    I am a supporter of the ALF, I can see their good intentions when they cause financial damage (such as setting empty dairy vehicles and slaughterhouses on fire) but I think it is way too risky, should an innocent human (or even animal) get caught up in it.

    Until this case that you mentioned, it has always been a well known fact that the only people that have died on the Animal Rights 'scene' have been protestors themselves, and not the farmers or scientists. Jill Phipps is one of these that ended up losing their lives for what they believed in. But I am definitely going to look up this incident, it is a sad day for Animal Rights when lives get taken. This will not help the animals.

    I have a lot of respect for the ALF. Those that are willing to risk their lives and freedom for the animals in plight are very brave and dedicated souls. But at the end of the day, they cannot help animals if they are in jail.

    There's some bad press out there about PETA, but then there is over any group as you said. Animal rights and welfare groups are no more superior and where humans are involved there is always going to be hypocrisy and corruption. We can all only do our best to sidestep all of it!

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  5. I just deplore there being violence when it puts peoples lives at risk. I doubt I could ever go without meat, I dont like many vegetables and I dont eat any fruit. wouldnt leave me with an awful lot but i do occasionally have days where I dont eat meat. If I ever were to become a vegetarian, I would still eat cheese and milk, I'm totally supportive of the 'give and take' method. give the cows land and plenty of food, they give us milk and cheese. I think thats a pretty fair trade myself.

    I dont agree with anything if its to cause damage or to waste food and drink, especially when you consider the state of countries who dont have food. we take this for granted and waste so much its ridiculous. I just wish everyone could live in peace, stop trying to impose beliefs, ideals and especially religion on others. the human race would be better for it.

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  6. Wow, I love how people get mad at you for having your own opinion. I mean everyone has the right to feel or say what they want, as long as its not hurting someone. As you stated her posts about real fur hurt you and you choose to voice your opinion!!

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  7. I bleed pink: Seriously, did you hear what you just said... it was completely double standard.

    No one got mad at this person for having an opion .. they stated the opposite opinion.
    And to be fair. this muahhahahahah person left a very rude comment on my blog, thus getting MAD at ME for my opinion.

    Now I am done with all of this because I dont care either way, but do not assume we attacked her for her views, when she in fact attacked ours.

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  8. How very grown up, these lovely ladies feeling the need to point out my blogger name. Well, Twila Jean... is that your real name?

    Anyway, the only out of order thing I said was calling the coat 'tacky' and for that I do apologise, it was childlike of me and totally pointless.

    The rest... I can't apologise for. The animals do not have words, they cannot speak for themselves. It will be a sad day when we lose our voice just so we don't make people mad at us online.

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  9. I'm with you Maria! Any good that PETA does has to be better than not doing anything at all. Fur coats should be put to rest, it could be used to demonstrate how ugly it is to wear a dead animal skin, as indeed some fur coats have been given to animal rights groups to do with. they could be used as bedding for needy animals, at least another animal may benefit from it, somehow seems less gratuious. Even wearing vintage fur promotes the wearing of fur, so anyone against wearing fur would say vintage is a no-no too. I certainly wouldn't be seen dead in a dead fur coat. Thank god (whoever she is) for people with a conscience. Vegans Rock!

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