General Etiquette > Life...in general

Wearing Fur

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NOVA Lady:
Hi all :) I hope everyone had a great Holiday!

I have a question about the etiquette of wearing fur and people's response to it. I was out with a good friend a little bit back who wears a beautiful fur coat (I love the coat, I wish I had one!) and while we were exiting a restuarant and began walking down the street we picked up a heckler. Now the person didn't throw red paint on the fur or anything illegal he just followed us for a block or two making comments about her ("You're a murdered", "you must hate animals" "You're an awful person"). It was pretty distrubing!

Eventually she turned around and said something not too polite to him ("Leave me the xxxx alone") and he just continued harassing and following us, at which point she whipped out her cell phone and told him she would be calling the cops.

This made me wonder, is it ever OK for someone to express their personal moral opposition againt something you're wearing. Obviously not in the way this gentlemen (using the term loosely) decided to voice his protest. But is there an OK way to comment on something (fur coat, letter handbag, whatever)?

I thought it was never OK but I wonder if there is an acceptable way to do it.

kckgirl:
In my opinion, it's not OK to voice your opinion on another's choices unless they're illegal. If you (general you) object to fur coats, leather shoes and handbags, don't buy them, but it's nobody's business what your friend chooses to wear or carry.

Lisbeth:
Well, he could have written editorials, written to his political representatives, lobbied, picketed (although I'm not altogether sure that this is always legal and/or polite), made or helped to make a documentary film about the suffering of animals who are trapped and killed for their skins, off the top of my head. 

I realize that some of these aren't practical, but with the possible exception of picketing, they're all legal polite ways of protesting an action of ambiguous morality.

But I agree that accosting someone you don't know and calling them names or accusing them is definitely not polite.

IndianInlaw:
He's lucky she whipped out a cell phone and not a gun.

I once took one of those insurance company self assessment tests (for fun) and "arguing with strangers"  was considered a high risk behavior.

veryfluffy:
is it ever OK for someone to express their personal moral opposition againt something you're wearing.

1. A swastika or message inciting religious hatred

2. Revealing clothes in certain situations (eg house of worship) (some religions, of course, extend this to women wearing revealing clothes in any situation)

Is it "okay" to express moral opposition? It falls under freedom of speech, rather than etiquette, I guess. Politeness is in HOW you express your moral opposition. For instance, I think fur coats in general look ridiculous on humans, and look much better on their original owners. I think it is immoral to kill animals for their fur, unless it is a matter of survival. I would have no hesitation in telling someone so if I was presented with the opportunity, although I would try to be polite about it, and probably wouldn't harass them on the street. I would probably look at them with disgust.

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