As the holidays approach I'm reminded of my days marching in New York on Fur Free Friday. Proudly walking behind one of the animal community's best friends, Mr. Bob Barker, I was sometimes horrified at what some of my fellow marchers shouted at fur wearing passersby. I felt as though our presence should be a reminder or wake-up call to shoppers who may be persuaded to make better, more humane gift giving purchases. Even if someone isn't an advocate for animal protection, everyone these days is concerned about finances. Isn't it a more prudent gift choice to purchase & give something that might actually appreciate in value instead of depreciate? I know of no fur coat that's worth more decades after being purchased, no matter how carefully pampered & stored it may have been. However exquisite jewelry-- if only for its gold content-- is certain to appreciate in value. Money aside, wouldn't it be a more spiritually gratifying & rewarding to know a beloved heir will be ecstatic that you made such a fabulous choice to have passed on, say, a lovely Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet than to open a moldy old box to find a decomposing fur coat??? Please read on to the letter I recently sent an organization I previously patronized. Happy Holidays!!!
"As a long-time supporter and patron of The Brookfield Craft Center (BCC), I was saddened last week when I entered your gift gallery to begin my annual holiday shopping. Always beginning at BCC because of the abundance of wonderful hand-crafted items that I love to gift to people. However this year as I began my pursuit of gifts I was shocked-- so much so I felt as though someone hit me in the face. The assortment of hats that have been assembled from vintage coats were a not-so-subtle reminder of the abuse of animals that I have found disturbing since I was a child. Recycling is wonderful-- my family has been doing it since the late 1960's-- however it is not wonderful when it is done with the remains of dead animals. Not that one animal is more important than another in my book-- I'm a 25+ year vegetarian as well as anti-leather apparel consumer-- but one of the hats in-particular is comprised of the "vintage" skins of seals. I'm not sure that those items are even legal for sale, without appropriate documentation, since seals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. When I mentioned my concern to one of your personnel-- who did respond respectfully & with courtesy-- her positive spin, however, failed to placate me. Although these animals were long-dead, as she pointed out, the fact that the remains of these animals-- the seals in particular, who were more than likely very violently clubbed to death in front of their loved ones-- are still being exploited is almost more disturbing to me than their original abuse decades ago. Although I'm sure I could have sold the very valuable vintage apparel that was designed by my mother's aunt-- a famous hat designer & milliner from the 20's through the 60's, I can share with you that it was my pleasure to finally let those animals rest in peace. Back to my unpleasant BCC experience-- as much as I tried to continue shopping by circling each floor of the craft center several times, I could not bring myself to focus on purchasing anything that day. Bad energy is bad energy, no matter how long ago the original atrocity was committed. I've decided that I no longer can support your organization as long as you continue to display items made from the remains of dead animals. Although I am a vehement supporter of the arts and whatever they express, I must draw the line at animal abuse, which is never, ever acceptable to me in any form whatsoever. I will also be posting this letter on FaceBook to inform my local friends of my concerns regarding the sale of animal remains in your establishment."
Once again, please make humane gift giving choices...all year long. Ever consider a philonthropic gift to a local animal shelter or protection organization in the name of a loved one who probably has every material item they need??? Or honoring the spirit of a loved one-- animal or humane-- by giving a gift in their memory??? Happy Holidays!
UPDATE: The Brookfield Craft Center promptly responded to my letter and removed the offensive merchandise and returned it to the artisan.
