Thought provoking topic…indeed it is! For many, it is as simple as just saying well if “they” can afford it, then why not? For others however, it becomes a debatable topic, because they feel that it is, and should be a crime to wear real fur. Simply put, there should not be a “why not”. Where do I stand when it comes to this particular topic? First understand that, I am over thirty, and I will admit that I lack experience in many things. I am not worldly traveled, I don’t eat caviar and drink champagne, I certainly am not rolling in “benjamin’s”, but I do have opinions and I do think thoughtfully about things. I ponder both sides of an issue, but like everyone else, I try to get people to see and agree with my position. I won’t do that here.

My fashion sense includes shopping at places such as Walmart, Target, New York and Company, etc. Once in a while, I will venture into Macys. I have never seen or touched any article of clothing made with real fur. After all, I don’t buy or wear designer clothes. I am married with children, and I work fulltime. I don’t make enough to buy designer clothes, even when they are “supposedly” marked down. I am not overly political and I eat meat. I may lack some fashion sense, and I may be carnivorous, but I am all about individuality. Wear what you feel looks good to you, and what you feel you look good in. Let me be more upfront, if that sentence doesn’t clearly convey what I feel. Women, who wear real fur, should not be attacked by anyone, for making that choice.

Quite frankly, it is troubling that people take Freedom of Speech to the next level. Some people who support organizations such as PETA (People for the Ethical treatment of Animals) tend to take things overboard. That is just my opinion. In years past, people would throw red paint at those wearing real fur all in the name of protecting animals (actual animals, not depraved human beings). The thing is what is really at the root of this loathing of these individuals who choose to express their individuality, or fashion sense, by wearing animal fur. I don’t think we will ever really know the answer to that. What I can conjecture, based on what they stand for, is that they want to stop animal cruelty, and make us all Vegans during the process. Not that there is anything wrong with being a Vegan. Because of the wavering nature of human beings, I bet if you dig deep enough, you might find that some of these same people are wearing leather boots, and eating meat on the “down low”.

Wearing animal fur should not be likened to hating animals

People do and say some really brainless things. They insult other people’s ideals and ways of being without a single thought to how that will make someone feel. Simply because you don’t like what someone is doing, or in this case, what someone is wearing, doesn’t give you the right to take your displeasure beyond your speech. Voice your opinion, however accurate or inaccurate it may be, but keep your hands planted at your sides, in front of you, or wherever, that will not infringe on another’s space, to yourself. Refrain from throwing things at people in the blinded notion that by doing so, you will be protecting that animal you feel in your heart was murdered at the expense of fashion. It is just downright wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I understand your passion, but there are better ways to display the fact that you are angry, than to do harm to someone. What makes us judge, jury, and executioners? While there is nothing wrong with supporting a group, being devoted to it, and wanting to protect animals along the way, there is something wrong with thinking you have the right to tell someone what they can and can’t wear. I know that many people have pets, and view them as being just as significant as a human being. I completely understand that, and that is your right to feel that way. No one should infringe upon that. The same is said for those who choose to wear animal fur. It is their right and no one should infringe upon that! Wearing animal fur should not be likened to hating animals, and supporting their demise.

All that aside, when you really think about it, you are antagonizing the wrong people. Who really makes it possible for us to wear real fur? Shouldn’t you focus your “talents” on getting them to stop? If this is such an important cause, go to the primary source. These secondary figures are not the root of the problem. I can hear some of you saying: “if they don’t buy it, then it will not make it possible for the primary source to manufacture it.” That may be so to some extent, but it is still not your place to inflict physical or non-physical harm on anyone.

So why wear real fur in the first place?

Have you ever walked down the streets of say Manhattan, Chicago, etc., in the dead of winter, maybe snow is furling around you, in your plain parka, jacket, or coat and exclaimed how “bloody” cold it was. You hug your body tightly as you plod along, wishing you could afford to buy a fur coat, because you hear just how warm they are. Heck, if I had that kind of money, I would buy a fur coat just because…and I live in Atlanta. Some of us buy and wear real fur because we want to stay warm, and some of us buy and wear it to be fashionable. Regardless of your views on this topic, you should always approach things with an open-mind. Look at things from another’s point of view, and try to keep your emotions out of it. You may not always agree with what you see or hear, and that is okay so long as you don’t tell others what they should think, feel, and do. We all see and look at the world differently, and this individuality above all else, should be embraced as something positive. If I chose to wear real fur, and you chose to hate me for it, that’s our prerogative, as long as you keep that red paint or whatever else in your garage. Ca-peesh!

Image Attributions:
Woman in fur coat copyright: pilgrimego / 123RF Stock Photo; Image of panda via pixabay.com;