Ferocious

Approaching this next month will be my one-year anniversary of moving to glorious, yet oft misunderstood and misrepresented New York City. I can't say it's been a perfect relationship thus far, but I can say that I've decided to stick with her. For all the tall tales that have been told, for all the poems that have been written, for all the movies and the television programs that have been based, she is still sometimes, to me, merely an island with too many buildings, too many people, too many lights and too full of herself to know any better.

The problem with this love-hate relationship we've got goin' on is that it leaves me with a constant battle between my "home" feeling and a relentless itch I can't scratch. When I'm within her walls, I am consistently stimulated and inspired, while simultaneously frustrated, irritated and angered. Being an activist in such a gigantic, bold, arrogant city is both a blessing and a curse. The curse part of it falls under the realm of "what to do and how to act against inconceivably powerful and unethical industries" when everyone in your city mostly wants to keep to him/herself and wants YOU to leave them the hell alone. Well, you gotta get loud, you gotta rally your allies, and you gotta act. No one ever improved anything by staying silent, and I'm willing to take a few snide remarks and dirty glares.

Fall is rapidly approaching, bringing the season of color, windy afternoons, and early sunsets. I've already broken out my scarves and sweaters. Winter will follow soon after, as autumn here doesn't seem to be much to blink at. Winter does not bring only the ice skating, tourist season, christmas trees, Home Alone references, parties and romanticized ideas of this city, tt also brings out the worst in humanity's carelessness.

I'm talkin' fur, y'all. I was in the Upper East Side last night, waiting for my bus home, and amidst the egregious display of over-priced fashionista ensembles on anorexic mannequins was a message hidden in the store window. It said "we care about looking good more than we care about ethics". Fur-trim, full-on floor length fur coats, fur hats, fur boots, fur purses (?!), etc. I had to wonder if women (and men) in NYC think they need to prepare for an ice age so much that it would be necessary to go out into the woods and kill all of these animals for their fur's protection. But that's just it. Are we hunter-gatherers in the 21st century? Were we EVER? Either way, those who are buying these clothes are paying other people to kill animals. For fashion. Can we just go ahead and say "biggest faux pas" ever?

[To the Left: Copper and I staying warm in a New York snowy winter without the use of fur. well, aside from his own fur for himself...]

But, the animal's die anyway, right? Why can't we use their fur.
Wrong. "More than 50 million animals" are killed for their fur every year by methods such as "include gassing, electrocution, and neck breaking. Fur-bearing animals are also caught and killed in barbaric body-gripping traps." FUR IS NOT A BY-PRODUCT and animals are killed solely for it. And if you have any companion animals, or are a self-proclaimed pet lover, consider this: cat and dog fur is no exception. And the kicker? You'll never be able to ensure that you aren't supporting the killing of cats and dogs for their fur- it's essentially untraceable.

It's no secret that the fur industry is cruel. Many arguments have been made for the use of fur because it is a luxury, renewable, represents our indigenous culture, etc. I'd like to think we've evolved past that. If we are such an evolved species, why the hell can't we think of better ways to live than to still rely on animals for our needs? Some of us have- we are waiting on the rest of society to catch up. If we can live decently in this world without violence toward other beings, why shouldn't we? Because it's more convenient not to? Because tradition is difficult to release? What sorry excuses for cruelty. What sorry excuses for evolved beings we are.

What's actually luxurious is roaming free in the wild if you are a wild animal without the fear that someone is going to end your life so a $500 coat can look "chic". What's luxurious is being the human who knows s/he is technically the dominant species, but knows this means protecting and caring, NOT exploiting and killing.

More and more designers are turning their backs on this cruel and unnecessary practice.
Here's a list of retailers that are NOT supporting cruelty to animals.

So get your faux earmuffs on, slap a non-wool scarf around your neck, tie up those pleather boots, and let's go ice skating. There is so much to enjoy in this amazing city and you can do it not at the expense of other sentient, living creatures.

As for you, New York City, it's taken time for me to adjust to the ways and means, but I think our relationship is getting stronger; there's a bright future ahead of us. Happy Anniversary, darling.