Oct 27, 2013

What's Fur Got To Do With Love?

The clip below was posted by vegan advocate Jordan Wyatt who is a member of the Invercargill Vegan Society and who hosts the podcast Co-existing With Nonhumans Animals.

The debate on Prime Time Irish TV show asks whether it makes any difference whether we kill animals for the skin or for their meat?

And as Jordon observes this woman who grew up on a "fur farm", actually makes a case for Veganism.

She also makes it clear that the way these farmers "love" their animals is no different than the way others who "use" nonhumans "love" their animals too!



You'll be convinced at her "love" ten seconds in, when she giggles before acknowledging that she has skinned the minks as well.
It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it! Upton Sinclair

At thirty seconds she says that this can't be cruel because there's 1400 fur farmers in Denmark. She rhetorically asks "How can they justify it if they thought it was cruel?" 
If one person is unkind to an animal it is considered to be cruelty, but where a lot of people are unkind to animals, especially in the name of commerce, the cruelty is condoned and, once large sums of money are at stake, will be defended to the last by otherwise intelligent people. -Ruth Harrison

"They LOVE their animals!"

According to her because they do this job everyday, they can't possibly not "love" those animals. 
Whenever people say, ‘We mustn’t be sentimental,’ you can take it they are about to do something cruel. And if they add, ‘We must be realistic,’ they mean they are going to make money out of it." - Brigid Brophy

She states the "love" these farmers have throughout the breeding and skinning seasons... 
People who claim to "love" animals while paying workers to harm and kill animals for their enjoyment are frankly delusional. I sure hope none of these people ever "love" me. - Jo Tyler

She concludes that there is no difference between "loving" these fur animals or "loving" the animals used for meat, milk and eggs. She's certainly right there... 
There is no moral distinction between fur and other materials made from animals, such as leather, which also is the result of the suffering and death of sentient beings. - Gary L. Francione 

In her mind it's all okay because we've always done it. "It's in our nature."
In the course of his development towards culture man acquired a dominating position over his fellow-creatures in the animal kingdom. Not content with this supremacy, however, he began to place a gulf between his nature and theirs. He denied the possession of reason to them, and to himself he attributed an immortal soul, and made claims to a divine descent which permitted him to annihilate the bond of community between him and the animal kingdom. - Sigmund Freud 

Their "love" it appears, is all about the devotion of confining these animals in tiny cages, denying them of their freedom, their babies and eventually - their hides and their lives. 

But of course this MUST be "love"... Of money.
Our economic order is tightly woven around the exploitation of animals, and while it may seem easy to dismiss concern about animals as the soft-headed mental masturbation of people who really don't understand oppression and the depths of actual human misery, I hope to get you to think differently about suffering and pain, to convince you that animals matter, and to argue that anyone serious about ending domination and hierarchy needs to think critically about bringing animals into consideration.” - Bob Torres

Whether it's fur, food or "fun". Please think critically. Please think kindly. Please think. Go Vegan.









4 comments:

David Ashton said...

I wouldn't be surprised if they teach classes in carnist logic - It's a wonder to behold. 'Love' the quotes!

veganelder said...

Anytime Dr. Freud is quoted...it is enlightening. He was and astute and erudite observer of human behavior and motivation.

Great post!

Supposedly it was Walter Scott who said we weaved a tangled web when we practiced deceit. It is also the case that we make ourselves sound rather stupid when we've practiced the deceit upon ourselves. The woman certainly seems stupid as she attempts to justify cruelty by noting that 1400 (or more) people confine and kill for money therefore what they do couldn't be cruel. She apparently thinks since lots of people do it then it can't be cruel? How sad and embarrassing.

Ruth Harrison, Brigid Brophy, Bob Torres...terrific.

There actually was a "debate" over whether killing for profit was different depending on whether we ate someone or used their skin only? Uh, as far as I'm concerned the "debate" itself was stupid. How grotesque and depressing. That's like debating whether child sexual abuse is different depending on whether the motivation is enjoying hearing children scream or moan versus enjoying the sight of frightened children.

"Debating" depravity and atrocity demeans the notion of debate...and the participants...and the victims. Period.





Bea Elliott said...

Hi David - I wouldn't be surprised either about some sort of twisted, contrary, illogical teachings aimed at keeping the public numbed and dumbed down. I hear those classes are held mainly on mainstream media and occur every ten minutes or so, by way of advertising. It's where everything from food to furs are pawned off as "must haves" to make one's life happy and complete. As long as sponsors rake in the cash who cares what victims are made in the process.

With the kind of world that has been fashioned to keep us blind to reality - It's amazing how any of us ever make it out the wiser. Yet some do. Glad we chose to play "hooky" on those carnist classes! ;)

Bea Elliott said...

veganelder I recall the "debate" you refer to. In fact I think it was you who tipped me off to how bizarre that whole notion of "debating" such a thing was! I was blind-sided by the topic without seeing the shear nonsense of labeling it as a "debate". I appreciate you redirecting me to what I was overlooking.

I agree that when people attempt to use mobs or numbers to justify wrong doing they look like fools. It's that group-think mentality where no one is ever sure enough of themselves without the back up of a mob. Personally I couldn't care less what the "majority" thinks if they're ignoring the individual rights of another. The woman in the video was just another thug who had might on her side and nothing more.

Glad you like the carefully chosen, relevant quotes... We certainly do have some wise thinkers who also stood alone against the force of the ignorant masses. And I sure think of you as one of those heroes as well. Thank you. ;)