Vegetarians, do you wear animal products?!
Does this mean that most vegetarians DO wear animal products (like leather and fur)?
I'm a vegetarian. If I wouldn't EAT an animal, why on earth would I WEAR one? I think both are equally sad and selfish.
Anyone else with me on this?!
Answers: Whenever I hear the definition of "vegan" it's usually, "They're vegetarians, only they don't eat dairy, eggs, or wear animal products."
Does this mean that most vegetarians DO wear animal products (like leather and fur)?
I'm a vegetarian. If I wouldn't EAT an animal, why on earth would I WEAR one? I think both are equally sad and selfish.
Anyone else with me on this?!
I absolutely do not wear anything made from an animal, and I do not purchase wool either, due to cruel practices in that industry. I became just a 'vegetarian' 10 years ago and it didn't take long to make the connection that leather is just as bad as meat, so I stopped buying anything leather. My shoe collection dwindled :) As far as fur goes, I never would have supported anyone wearing fur (except maybe a native eskimo or something!), even before I was vegetarian. (BTW-That industry has to be the most superficial, disgusting and horrific reflection of how vapid and insensitive humans can be.)
Some vegetarians consider it ok to eat lard, gelatin, and other products that have directly come from the death of an animal. I have a bone to pick with that rationale too.
Before I turned vegan ... (I tried to be completely vegan when I was 14 and it turned into a disaster because I didn't know what I was doing, didn't take care of myself, etc. It made my anemia much worse, and scared me away from veganism for a long time) my philosophy was always, 'if the animal had to die, I'm not eating/using that product'.
Now I know that the egg and dairy industries are just as bad, and in fact the animals face torture longer because they don't get slaughtered as soon as they're adult sized.
I'm not going to try to force my beliefs on anyone, but in my personal opinion, once a person is made aware of the nature of factory farming, and the fur and leather industries, they should feel morally obligated to alter their lifestyle to prevent such cruelty. This doesn't always mean becoming vegan, and I'm aware that I can't make everyone vegan, even in a perfect world. BUT there are still local farms... places where the cows and chickens and pigs are treated (hopefully) with respect, and get to breathe fresh air and feel real grass on their feet. And when time for slaughter comes, it's done humanely and quickly. Little changes done by everyone can make a big difference to how many animals are tortured in the future.
I am absolutely with you on this in THEORY.
But I find it too hard to be that strict.
I do not eat animals, but I wear shoes and belts made from leather -- I am a hypocrite.
Its great that you enforce your strong beliefs on yourself though. If it were easier, I would too.
Absolutely (with you on this). Even before I became a vegetarian, I always bought fake leather boots and what not. Never wore fur or anything like that. I also try to stay away from products tested on animals but it's SO difficult. The ones that don't usually are very expensive. So, even though I'm not vegan, I still wouldn't wear an animal.
I try not to, but I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid it. I have a leather belt I wear with jeans to hold them up because I have a weird body shape. Sometimes my shoes are made out of leather. I don't have any leather coats or anything. I just find the belt works better than any alternatives that I have found.
I think it is equally sad and selfish when others use blanket statements when others do things that one does not like to do. These are all your issues, do not externalize it on others.
I won't say that I never have worn animal products, because that would be lying. I don't go out of my way to buy any animal products but it is my personal way of life. I don't like judging other persons on their lifestyles. You know what does bother me? All the stuff I buy, get it home, and it says Made in China. We need to think of human suffering too. There are so many reasons this bothers me, and I'm making myself be more conscious of what I buy and do I really need it that badly.
I'm a vegetarian and totally agree with you, but I do wear the animal products I owned before I became vegetarian, if I didn't and I had already bought it, that animal would have died for nothing or one less reason and therefore it's death would have been meaningless if I got rid of it by throwing it away or burning it and I get no profit from giving it up, but I have very few things made of animal products anyway.
Some do, some don't. Vegetarianism is a diet. Many people are vegetarian for health reasons and not for ethical reasons.
I try not to. Luckily, I'm not a fashion buff and do not shop for clothing often. I do, however, stop caring when the clothing is handed down to me. If it is thrown away, what a waste!
As a result, I have multiple leather coats and leather couches. I hope to get a fur coat (I love animal fur) - but vintage of course. :D
totally im vegan but i used to be veg. and i never wore fur i mean why would you wear a dead animal
Ha! Interesting question. I had a discussion about this with a friend who heads a leading raw food education program not too long ago.
Both of us own previously owned leather jackets, and I also have a previously owned sheepskin coat.
We both figure that, because someone else bought the jacket or coat, and it has come down to us now, we are decreasing the footprint of consumerism (we are not wearing any new item that is consuming wool, cotton, rubber, or whatever.
My two items are inherited - one is my dad's flight jacket from when he was in Navy Air and then the regular Navy, and it has patches from all the ships he served on. I will keep it. I wear it sometimes. The other is my lambswool coat from Denmark which someone gave me when she got tired of it. I only wear it on the coldest of days, but I will keep it (the lambs were not killed for me)
I get my vegan shoes from Payless and other cheap stores, and I also have a couple of pairs of vegan Earth Shoes.
Oh! My silk things come from Salvation Army - someone else bought them and discarded them, and I just like them. When I buy at Salvation Army, I am helping someone (at the very least, the workers there, who are paid from the money that the Salvation Army makes from the donated items they sell -- I also got a Green Power juicer there. I know that the Salvation Army runs a number of programs to help those less fortunate)
Do I buy things that came directly from sacrificed animals? Nope. Do I decrease the footprint by using used things? I have no problem there.