Fur Goodness Sake By Bekki Stephenson

Supermodel Elle McPherson has backed out of a £1 million contract with luxury fur company Blackglama over fears that she will be targeted by anti-fur extremists. But should we really ban fur? Or are we being manipulated by anti-fur movements? I like fur. I don't wear it very often, partly due to the unforgiving looks of those from the I'd rather go naked than wear fur brigade, but largely due to the severe battering it would inflict on my purse. Fur has been around since the beginning of time and for me it represents tradition.

Have you ever heard of a caveman wearing nylon? Nothing is more natural than a sheepskin coat.

While most animal rights extremists would have tarnished me with green paint by now, I ask are synthetic fabrics any more socially responsible? Most synthetic materials are actually made by some of the world's biggest polluters - those who are responsible for poisoning our air, water and soil, not to mention global warming. According to Greenpeace, more animals die each year from industrial pollution than are killed by the fur industry.

So I put it to these anti-fur fascists, just exactly what do you wear? Perhaps it's true they would rather go naked.

Don't get me wrong. I believe everyone has the freedom to stand up for what they believe in, but animal rights protestors are taking it a few steps too far. It is down to these organisations that the biased views on fur have been created. It is one thing not wanting to wear fur but these groups go to violent extremes against humans to protect animals. American Vogue editor and fur supporter Anna Wintour has been a victim of such violence, having a dead racoon thrust at her whilst dining at the Four Seasons.

So in a bid to protect animal rights, human rights are being infringed.

Don't we as humans have the right to freedom of choice? The right to live in a safe environment without the fear of being viciously attacked for doing something we believe in? For campaigners said to believe in morals and ethics, they do not go a long way in promoting a good example. They are more concerned with promoting themselves than promoting cruelty to animals. This can be further proved if we look at PeTA's (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals) tax filings. While the company spent $206,655 on donations to animal charities they had total revenue of almost $14 million.

Over $13,000 has spent on TV expenses and a staggering $148,000 was spent on vehicles. That's a hell of a lot of exhaust emissions.

Today's animal rights activists want to force you to eat nothing but greens and beans. They not only want to ban fur, but hunting, zoos and circuses. They even want to outlaw the use of animals in the search for cures for AIDS and cancer. PeTA's Newkirk has said even if animal research produced a cure for AIDS we'd be against it. Totally irrational in my book. So in response to whether fur should be banned, I think it is first necessary to abolish the behaviour of groups such as PeTA so that individuals can have freedom to make up their own minds without the fear of being attacked.

It is these organisations that are ruining our society and not what we choose to wear.

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