I admit I haven’t looked too closely at the issue. I am totally against items made with fur from animals farmed or hunted specifically for that purpose. However, I have no problem wearing leather, using a down pillow, or eating the meat of just about any animal (at least those animals normally served in the US), with the exception of veal, due to the poor treatment of the calves prior to slaughter.
Is this hypocritical of me, or are there legitimate, non knee-jerk reasons for being anti-fur?
Some folks would not consider it hypocritical because leather is a secondary use of cow; the primary use is food (milk+beef). On the other hand, anti-fur often emphasiezes that exotic animals are killed and skinned just for their fur.
The anti-fur debate has a lot of overlap with the debate about “hunting animals for sport.”
For me, it’s the Native American-type philosophy, i.e. using every part of the animal possible. Leather comes from cattle, which also provides food; same with goose-down.
I don’t see a whole lot of people eating mink or chinchilla.
Well, what are your reasons for being anti-fur? Most anti-fur folks are vegetarians and disagree with fur on ‘ethical treatment of animals’ grounds. But if you’re cool with skinning and filleting animals for human consumption as food and clothing, but still disagree with fur coat wearers, I must admit I’m confused about it a little.
I mean, you say that you have no problem with leather. Do you wear wool clothing? If so, just put the two together: skin (leather) + hair (wool) = fur pelt.
But you see a lot of people eating geese?
I can see the type of animal coming into play, but what they do with the carcass? Mr. Beef doesn’t care if you killed him for his skin, flesh, or just to rot out in a field. He’s dead either way. It perhaps makes economic sense to ‘use every part of the animal’. But I don’t see how it is a moral issue.
Well, yes, especially this time of year.
Well, that’s why I’m tring to see if I have a point. It’s not about the number of animals involved, because, for example, a seafood dinner could involve many animals killed. I’m guessing the point is with the treatment of the animals prior to their being killed, or whether a humane method of killing is used.
Running … part of the wisdom you gain from aging is the realization that we are all hypocrites in one way or the other. Perfection in beliefs and behavior is not in the cards for us human. Accept it and move on with a smile upon your face.
my view on it is this
many furs are worn more because they are EXPENSIVE and the wearer gets to show off how much disposable income they have.
Why are some furs expensive? They come from rare animals in the wild, who sure as hell arent helped by being hunted for their fur in addition to all the other environmental pressures.
Fur farms reduce that problem in some cases.
Also, with modern materials, furs arent nearly the uniquely useful thing they used to be.
Furs are alot like diamonds and gold and hummer SUVs…some folks get all hot and bothered mostly because they are expensive, not because of their inherent qualities.
I bet possum fur properly treated would make a darn nice, warm and pretty fur, but I don’t see many high priced hollywood wifes (hoes) showing off their latest possum fur aquisitions.
There are quite acceptable substitutes for fur, and there are at least farm furs. Animal meats, not so much despite what tofu lovers tell you IMHO. Not many meat eaters are trying to impress you with the cost of the meat they eat. To the contrary, most meat eaters would be quite happy if it was cheaper. If fur was so cheap that anybody in the hood could wear it, I doubt it would nearly as popular in “elite” circles as it is or has been.
It’s my understanding that mink carcasses are ground up and used as mink feed.
Hm.
I’m a fur farmer. I am also a very busy fur farmer right now and can’t really spend the time required to deal with this thread. I will be back if I can find the time.
Couple of things:
“Rare animals” are not hunted for their fur. Much fur is trapped, true, but much fur is farmed. Both kinds are ecologically defensible. If you don’t like the idea of wearing fur, then don’t wear fur. Possum does make dandy fur coats, especially New Zealand possum. No synthetic is the equal of natural fur for warmth.
Really? I’ve heard that people eat goose. I’ve even read about it in “A Christmas Carol”, but I’ve always assumed it was fairly antiquated and probably only eaten by hunters nowadays. Anyway, is it known that producers of goose down actually sell the rest of the animal for food? They might just throw them away.
And my views on the subject are similar to billfish’s. Fur has become an obsolete and tasteless (in my opinion) status symbol. But it really isn’t a moral issue to me. I like to eat the seared flesh of certain animals. Others may enjoy the comfort of a small furry (dead) creature wrapped around their shoulders. Either way, those particular animals aren’t happy about our decisions. I’m not going to begrudge someone else their luxuries even if I find them pointless.
And on preview: I apologize, vison, for calling your product pointless and tasteless. At least I don’t think you’re evil!
I guess trapping is one of the major points of the anti-fur movement. Traps for wild animals used for coats are almost always of the “foothold” type, which is very painful for the animal. I’d be curious to know what percentage of furs these days are farmed vs. trapped.
I’m always mildly confused by the fervor of anti-fur advocates. That dialog reaches an intensity that I haven’t even really seen when people are discussing vegetarianism.
Do people who wear fur in public still run the risk of being doused with paint?
If you have a problem with veal, then you probably are not very well informed about how all meat animals are treated. I find that much more inconsistent than being against fur as a meat eater. If veal bothers you, all factory meat should bother you.
Mink are a renewable resource; it is not necessary to tear down 50,000 acres of forestland to create a fur coat, nor is it necessary to pollute an ecosystem with toxic chemicals like mercury to extract it. We do not strip-mine for mink, nor do we blast away hillsides and pan through the leavings to find a few ounces of fur. We do not require mink farmers to submit to body cavity searches to see they aren’t sneaking out a few ounces of mink in their butt cheeks.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (“Wasteful Things To Be Offended By”) I’d rank Gold, Emeralds, Diamonds, and Synthetic Petroleum well above fur.
Trapping seems unnessesarily cruel.
Look, I am a omnivore, than means things have to die for my survival. However, I’d prefer to reduce suffering to an exteant where it doesn;t cost me a lot of cash or lifestyle changes.
Thus, leather coats are fine, trapped animals not.
I just could not care less whether animals are suffering or not. It does not concern me in the least.
Valete,
Vox Imperatoris
Since I first read an article about this subject in the late 80s or early 90s in Seattle, I have wondered: I want to see a complete life-cycle analysis for a fur coat vs. a cotton-and-Thermolite coat vs. a down coat etc. of reasonably similar warmth. How many sea critters die from the runnoff from cotton fields? How are down geese killed; do they suffer? How about minks, or lambs, or rabbits? Does concentrated critter crap from fur farms threaten nearby waterways? How much pollution is generated by making that amount of polyfill or Goretex or whatever? How much petroleum is used, with what kind of extraction cost? What kind of leachate results from a recycled Polarfleece in a landfill? How many wearings can you expect from each one, barring fashion decisions, before it needs to be replaced?
I still don’t wear fur, but for other reasons: they’re heavy to carry and too warm for me most of the time. If I wanted one, I’d get a used one from some old lady’s estate.
As far as wool goes, sheep are NOT killed for wool-they’re just shorn. They probably even feel better in the summertime, I’ll bet.