Fur

I am an animal lover. I consider myself reasonably socially conscious. I eat meat. I wear leather. And sometimes, I wear fur. Is this a contradiction?

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about fur. I do not want to be a hypocrite, and I do not want to participate in an industry I am ashamed of. I eat locally raised pork, because I am disgusted by the conditions factory farms raise pigs in. I drink organic, local milk, because I think it is better for the cow and better for me. And, I have always felt wearing fur was no different than wearing leather, except for the social stigma against doing so.

If you travel to cold climates, people wear fur out of necessity. It is the warmest fabric I have ever worn, much surpassing down (sometimes I wonder how much those geese like having their feathers plucked out), Thinsulate, etc. If you go to Russia, you will see all ends of the socioeconomic spectrum wearing fur coats, because people need it to keep warm. Here in the US, fur has the reputation of being a flashy choice indicating affluence.

I like the way fur looks, but more than that, I like that it is water repellent and soooo warm. There are some disturbing examples of animal mistreatment in the fur industry, but my research has shown this is true of all industries dealing with animals. There are companies that respect the animal and there are those that don't. My opinion has always been, the important part is to do your research on where you are purchasing animal products.

At times, I feel so much empathy for animals I think I should be a PETA supporting vegan. And more often, I think about the circle of life and how our ecosystem has functioned historically. Currently, I eat meat, wear leather shoes, and occasionally, a fur vest.

This blog promises to be a bit controversial. Fur is polarizing. Bon Lemon only sells animal friendly fur products. Part of the reason for this is, because I am still formulating my opinion on fur. It seems to me fur elicits an emotional reaction, but when you look at it logically, there is not much difference between wearing a fur vest and eating a piece of meat and wearing a leather jacket.

I welcome your comments both positive and negative. This discussion is like so many that are plagued with extremes on both sides. I am more interested in whether one can be an educated, socially conscious fur consumer or if buying fur is always bad.