I often sign animal rights petitions on www.change.org, and they recently emailed me a notice of a petition asking Ebay to ban the sale of furs. Click here to read. I was surprised to learn that Ebay did allow this, but confirmed it with search on their site for real fur which netted me over 82,000 listings today.
I wonder how many minks, chinchillas, muskrats, squirrels, foxes, sables and other animals were sacrificed to create these ugly offerings. Ebay has prohibited or restricted many other animal based products. Why would they still tolerate the sale of real fur? It may be legal, but is it moral or ethical? Sometimes people are my least favorite species.
I recently watched a 1961 episode of "I've Got a Secret" on Buzzr TV. One of the guests was an actress whose secret was that she was wearing dress made of over 100 minks. At the time, no one seemed to question the fact that all of these little animals were slaughtered to make this one hideous dress.
Fashionista Tim Gunn recently penned a piece for Time Magazine entitled "Fur Is a Savage, Selfish Notion of Luxury," wherein he condemned the fact that "fur is back in full throttle." Gunn rightfully concluded "One day we will look back on ourselves as social, ecological and environmental savages."
Most decent people were rightly outraged at the senseless slaughter of Cecil the Lion by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer, myself included. Yet the killing to supply the fur market is somehow tolerated by many.
I will spare the reader the horrific details of the cruelty of how innocent animals are killed and skinned to feed the revolting fur industry. You can go to www.peta.org for some of the gruesome details. Suffice it to say, it ain't pretty.
Human denial is an amazing phenomenon. It allows someone who loves their dog or cat to have no issue about wearing fur. I am confident that if most of those who wear or decorate with fur saw how their purchase came to market, they would want nothing to do with it.
The final irony is that real fur products are wholly unnecessary. There are less expensive faux furs available that cannot be distinguished from the dead animal variety. The wearer can save money -- and lives.
The battle against the fur industry is like trying to put out a forest fire with a tablespoon. Yet, sometimes David can defeat Goliath. Petitions and boycotts can be effective weapons in the battle against furriers and retailers who sell such products. If you want to hurt these profiteers, hit them where it hurts them the most --in their wallets.
Fur coats are beautiful -- on the original owners.