Ooohhh! You'll never guess what happened yesterday. I was on the train, headed home after work. I'm sitting there, listening to my iPod, trying to rememeber which station I parked my car at, when guess what sits down right next to me. It was a woman in a full-length mink coat! I'm the very last person on the train to sit down next to if you're wearing fur, especially so much of it. My eyes bulged, my nostrils flared and my lips pressed themselves into a thin line of disgust. I didn't truly start fuming until I'd examined the coat to make sure it was real. Then, I stared at the woman, with the dirtiest look I could muster.
However, I couldn't bring myself to say anything. If it were just the two of us on that train, maybe it would have been different. But, it was crowded with people standing in the isles. I really dislike drawing attention to myself. I hate public embarassment. So, as angry as I was at this woman, I didn't open my mouth. But, I was upset with myself for not saying anything. "How could I," I wondered, "claim to be so anti-fur if I can't even speak up for this thing I believe in?" I started to hate myself for being such a chicken. So, I followed this woman off the train.
I walked up beside her, in the dark, and I told her that, if she had children, I hoped that they would die the same way that the animals used to make her coat did. She was visibly shocked. She didn't respond. I left. I hope that saying something to her will make her think twice about her choice of cruel fashion. I'm glad that I got over my fear and spoke out. But, I don't really feel any sense of relief or satisfaction from it. It's true that I hate fur and I really think it is a horrible crime to wear it, buy it, make it, etc. I honestly believe that it is wrong and I want to do what I can to stop it from happening. But, I didn't feel that yelling at this woman satisfied whatever I thought it was supposed to satisfy within me.
Maybe it takes practice. What I need is an anti-fur guru, who can guide me along the ways of the adamant.
7 comments:
maybe you could get some pamphlets or somesuch to hand out to people, just with "hey, i noticed you're wearing a fur coat and thought you might be interested in this" or something. a lot of people really don't think about the whole fur thing... they're just like "oh, pretty" and buy it without thinking about the conditions that the animals died under. stupid? yeah. human, though.
chastising people tends to make them defensive, and it's hard to change someone's mind if they're defensive. education, when presented in a neutral manner, can make people draw their own conclusions... and, really, is there any OTHER conclusion than "fur is ikky" once you are educated about it?
random - I agree with you as far as the majority of your comment goes. I just got a package in the mail of pamphlets and cards that I ordered expressly for the purpose of handing them out. However, scroll down a few posts to where I mention that the sympathy approach just isn't working. Some people just don't care, no matter how much "education" they get.
i saw a woman wearing fur yesterday. she asked me for help with her things at sams club. i told her i could not help her because she was wearing fur. she got all pissed off but i walked away thinking, that ones for you neko.
good for you for standing up in what you believe in. :)
ghost - Oh, thank you! *hugs* I'm so happy to hear that you turned her away!! Makes me feel like I'm making a little bit of a difference. *hugs*
moi - thanks! I try, but sometimes it takes guts (and I don't always have them). I appreciate the encouragement though.
as a follow up to my comment. it seems the lady filed a member's complaint with my boss. he asked me about it. i said "bitch was wearing fur". he laughed and threw away the complaint.
ghost - your boss freakin' rocks!
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