Have you ever taken a walk through the wilderness, and seen the little creatures scampering around on their daily business… then thought about what charming handbags and linings their fur would make, draped over your body? If so, you might have some emotional problems. But for years it has been a serious issue about whether fur is murder, or if it is just using the world we rule for the purposes we set for ourselves. There are arguments for either side, and unlike in a Saturday morning cartoon, there is merit to both sides of the debate. The concepts of “right” and “wrong” become blurry in the real world, no matter how much we all wish things could just be simple.
Fur can be considered bad because it is often the sole reason why an animal is killed. While the Native Americans lived harmoniously with the animals in their environments, our society is about as different from that ideal as one can get, and still be on the same planet. Often times, hunters will kill the critter, skin it and simply leave the carcass to rot. We don’t build things out of the bones, and we don’t even eat the meat of the creature. And on top of that, we often rend the populations of the creatures whose skins and fur we use in our clothing.
But on the other hand, there are cases such as leather. We do use most of the cow, and their populations are in no danger of being significantly depleted. And there are industries (and entire economies) which support large numbers of people who hunt and trap for a living. In some cases, these people not only depend on the bounty of the wilderness, but they also treat the natural world with the ethical concern we might all benefit from. Besides, fur is a great way for people to stay warm, and our first duty is to our own species.