CONSUMER FREEDOM

[fursince63]

Sad for me to say but from what I have seen and read, even on this site I think wearing fur will soon become a thing of the past , if not illegal! I never thought the day would come in America that laws would be passed banning the sale of furs from non endangered animals. I found a site called CONSUMER FREEDOM If we want to preserve our rights. I feel it is worth a look as time is running out. www.consumerfreedom.com

[Panther10]

I wouldn't get too worked up about it. Fashion tends to boomerang no matter the trend. And laws can be unmade and challenged just as easily as they can be passed.

[furs limited]

The more we hear about synthetics and the micro fibers in the air and water, then the more we should be accepting of ALL natural products.

Fur coats are not a problem for landfills.

[northernfur]

I’m glad I live in Canada where furs are part of our country’s history and is still very in fashion.

[Ravens8]

Fashion tends to boomerang no matter the trend.

The problem is that is has now gone beyond being a fashion thing. The animal rights people have now made it into an ethical issue about killing animals. With massive funding, obscuring and twisting the truth, and being totally unopposed by the fur trade, they have succeeded in getting the media, and politicians on their side. Politicians are under the false impression that being anti fur is a vote winner because the media have posted so much anti fur stuff, that many people now believe being anti fur is the majority view even though those same people may like fur themselves.

 

The situation is even worse in the UK. The problem is that even though most people have a soft spot for fur, the look of it, and the touch of it, they will always remain the silent majority and be walked all over by those with a more militant anti fur agenda.

[fursince63]

Very well stated Ravens8 and I totally agree.

[Panther10]

Fashion tends to boomerang no matter the trend.

The problem is that is has now gone beyond being a fashion thing. The animal rights people have now made it into an ethical issue about killing animals. With massive funding, obscuring and twisting the truth, and being totally unopposed by the fur trade, they have succeeded in getting the media, and politicians on their side. Politicians are under the false impression that being anti fur is a vote winner because the media have posted so much anti fur stuff, that many people now believe being anti fur is the majority view even though those same people may like fur themselves.

 

The situation is even worse in the UK. The problem is that even though most people have a soft spot for fur, the look of it, and the touch of it, they will always remain the silent majority and be walked all over by those with a more militant anti fur agenda.

 

Except that those problems existed in the 80's and 90's and arguably their tactics were more organized and a larger threat than they are today. 1)These days there are barely any protests. 2)The Fur trade as an industry has made a huge comeback since the early 2000's. 3)The anti-fur ad campaigns hardly have the weight that they used to. 4)For every fur farm in Finland that shuts down it seems like another 3 pop up in Lithuania and other countries in the EU to pick up the slack. 5)There are more social media outlets and websites dedicated to fur as opposed to animal rights. 6) most of the high profile celebrity spokespeople that they have on their side usually go back to wearing fur almost immediately after making their "pledge" to go fur free. And 7) the average person (especially millennials) are either pro fur fashion or have no opinion. So I would argue that Peta is pretty toothless these days. The only reason these fur bans are in place is because its a last resort. And as I said....laws can be challenged. That's why we have the courts. Freedoms that are infringed upon usually don't last that way for long. And besides, it seems like most of the animal rights crusades these days are more centered around animal shelters than the fur industry. It's almost as if Peta has switched lanes entirely--except for that odd tweet every now and again when they criticize the Kardashians for wearing fur. (But those tweets are quickly lost in the ether) As far as I'm concerned, none of this amounts to any existential crisis-- this is a speedbump. In the grand scheme of things the fur industry is stronger than it's ever been. So there is no reason to cry wolf in the absence on any actual threat by Peta.

 

 

Also one sidebar that I would like to add to my earlier points: I am aware that companies like Michael Kors and Burberry no longer carry fur due to pressure from the Anti-fur movement. But to me that is kind of a misnomer. It fails to take a broader look of the state of the industry at large. Yes those two companies stopped carrying fur, but for every large company that no longer sells it, dozens if not hundreds of indie manufacturers pop up on places like eBay or Etsy. Just to give you an example, in the past year alone, Fox coats made available on eBay went from a mere 135,000 units to a whopping 535,000 units. And most of these coats are brand new. The same can be said for the amount of underground furriers that sell their wares on places like instagram. These boutiques aren't established enough to advertise their brand on a runway stage but they are doing just fine regardless. In fact I'd say they're thriving. So stop being so narrowly focused on the fur bans and closures of some stores. That's a very limited example that will only serve as a distraction and nothing more. Focus on the bigger picture here and you will see that it's not so bad.

[fursince63]

To Panther10, Valid points, and I must add, If one of us has to be "right" in this discussion I REALLY want it to be you!

I remember the 70's and 80's well. Furs were a much more common sight even in everyday use. To say nothing of advertisements, TV and positive publicity in addition to more fur salons. In my span of time I have seen only decline. Please know my intention is not to debate the popularity of fur or to scream "THE SKY IS FALLING!" I simply want to share the Consumer Freedom website. Laws can be challenged but the mere fact they are passing such laws should be a wake up call. This is not only about fur, it is about radical people trying to FORCE there agenda, by threats, intimidation, misinformation and now, laws.

I must end by saying I care about animal welfare I hope the fur farms "popping" up have responsible animal welfare regulations and standards.

Most importantly, I wish to say THANK YOU to all for taking the time to share your thoughts. Very Nice indeed!

[AKcoyote]

While I agree with Panther10 on many points, I will have to disagree on a few.

The reason there are more furs listed on eBay is that brick & mortar furriers are NOT able to sell enough in their stores to stay in business. They have to try new avenues to sell their products or fold. Even in fur friendly places like Anchorage Alaska furriers are struggling because fewer people are buying. Part of that is fewer people can afford furs, and most see it as non-essential.

 

Having said that, I hope the fur industry will be able to make a comeback to where it was in the 70's, but I doubt that will happen.