vegetarians with leather bags?

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#138
vhdos said:
And I agree with you about the "labeling" associated with being called a hypocrite. You're exactly right, it solves nothing. However, the only reason it is being discussed (to this extent) is because the OP specifically asked if it was hypocritical to wear leather as a vegetarian. It's not even something that I would sit around and discuss - and as I said before, I don't really care what someone chooses to eat or wear.
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No, I know and my comment wasn't directed at you at all!

Whether or not other people are hypocrites isn't something I discuss either, lol. But I do face this a lot when people find out I don't eat meat. The next question is typically asking me if I have leather shoes or bags or whatnot.

It's frustrating!
 
#139
queennadine said:
If we really want to get technical, I would consider a hypocrite to be someone who would tell others that eating meat is wrong and eat meat themselves.

There technically is no contradiction between thinking the killing of animals for food is wrong but to be ok with the killing of animals for other products and goods because you're opposed/supportive of those purposes for different reasons.

I don't like calling people hypocrites, because it just serves no purpose. Maybe it makes the person doing the finger-pointing and name-calling feel better about themselves, but it doesn't do anything other than create hostility.

This has been discussed a million times before, but no one can really truly avoid animal products 100%. They're found in everything, everywhere.

Would you call someone who drives a Prius a hypocrite? I'm sure they're still using electricity and power and putting off carbon somewhere in their lives.

Would you call someone who tries to buy things made in the US a hypocrite because they have some 'Made in China' products in their home?

Calling someone who is trying to make a difference a hypocrite doesn't solve anything. It's just reprehensible, IMO.
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Best. post. ever. You are so right. :urock:

pickle said:
What difference does it make what people do? If they want to avoid eating meat, yet wear/carry leather, who cares? unless someone is pushing their ways onto others (and that goes for anything, religion, vegan-ism, politics, & so on), why does it matter? And even then, just tell them to p!ss off LOL. Everyone has their own opinions and ways of living.
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Exactly. The people that bother so much about putting labels on others just need to get out more. Hey, i don't believe in the use of real fur but i wouldn't be out calling an animal lover who has dogs, cats, whatever a "hypocrit" because they have a real fur coat. I personally don't give a flying f$%k what others do, i have myself to worry about :goodpost:
 
#140
r15324 said:
If a person is vegetarian due to moral or ethical uneasiness yet still purchases leather bags, then yes, I would be intrigued as to the logical fallacy upheld by such a mentality.
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The logic behind it is not a fallacy.

The logic is that one doesn't wish to be the PRIMARY cause for an animal having been bred and/or killed.

In most cases, animals are PRIMARILY bred and/or killed for their meat and things like the skins are just by-products of either that animal, or an animal that was itself born as a by-product of the meat and/or dairy industry (male calves and so on).

That is a perfectly logical position to adopt.

Where it would become somewhat illogical, would be if the person happily bought skins from animals that had been PRIMARILY killed for their skins; whilst still not eating meat.

Having said that, every little helps, as every animal is an individual (not just part of a cause), so one would still be contributing to less suffering and death than if one ate meat and consumed skins of that type; so, in a way, it's still somewhat logical.
 
#141
I think it's great when people try to help their causes as much as they can, even if they can't do everything.. because that would be impossible. but I'd like to echo previous comments that I would be wary of assuming that the animal your leather bag came from was also consumed for meat (and therefore not "wasted" or not "primarily" killed for leather) because I do think that animals raised for meat and animals raised for their skin may not be the same.. somebody mentioned that there are very different requirements of nutrition etc. for the two purposes, and therefore an animal raised for its hide might not be good for meat.

Regardless, I think it's commendable when people try to help any way they can. I'm a meat eater and I use leather products, so I'm not in a position to judge. There might be something a little logically inconsistent about not eating meat for moral reasons and still buying leather bags, but in the end as I said, do what you can and it's more than I do.
 
#142
I have such thoughts all the time. I was a nutritional vegan for many years, but I was still wearing leather shoes and holding leather bags. And I love fur but I would never buy new, I inherited my fur coat.
Sure I feel like a hypocrite. I feel compassion towards all animals and I don't want them killed for any reason but I still want to wear leather shoes. I'm weird like that. I think more animals are killed for food than for their leather and fur, so I don't feel the same guilt for the shoes and bags as I feel for eating meat and other animal products.
IDK I wish I was a better person and I could live 100% vegan, and not buy anything leather ever again. It is a hard decision.
 
#143
lily25 said:
I have such thoughts all the time. I was a nutritional vegan for many years, but I was still wearing leather shoes and holding leather bags. And I love fur but I would never buy new, I inherited my fur coat.
Sure I feel like a hypocrite. I feel compassion towards all animals and I don't want them killed for any reason but I still want to wear leather shoes. I'm weird like that. I think more animals are killed for food than for their leather and fur, so I don't feel the same guilt for the shoes and bags as I feel for eating meat and other animal products.
IDK I wish I was a better person and I could live 100% vegan, and not buy anything leather ever again. It is a hard decision.
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Just wanting to 'tread more lightly upon the Earth' and lessoning you individual carbon footprint by wearing (and appreciating) vintage clothing, eating less or no meat and purchasing less but better quality is admirable in itself.

There is no label for that approach to life (as yet) although I believe it is probably the most sensible and sustainable in the long run for humans, animals and ecology in general.

Plastic, pleather, vinyl, nylon etc are not friendly for the planet either.

If it were a decision between a vintage lather bag or a new plastic one I know which one I would choose considering ethical reasoning what ever my politics or diet.
 
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#145
chloehandbags said:
The logic is that one doesn't wish to be the PRIMARY cause for an animal having been bred and/or killed.

In most cases, animals are PRIMARILY bred and/or killed for their meat and things like the skins are just by-products of either that animal, or an animal that was itself born as a by-product of the meat and/or dairy industry (male calves and so on).

That is a perfectly logical position to adopt.
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It's a logic that may give someone a certain feeling, but a logic that doesn't in fact remove a consumer from the enterprise of animal harvesting. Any segment of the market for that animal--the third, fourth, sixth use--underwrites the system in which animals are used. The economics of animal slaughter depend on multiple uses; being "lesser" in that structure means you're still a reason for that activity.
 
#148
I stopped eating meat 35 years ago. I do however eat fish occasionally, as I was macro for nearly a decade. But, the reason that I stopped eating meat was that I feel a heck of a lot better not eating it. I used to be a meat lover, however.

I don't have problems with people eating meat. To each his own. And as for leather, I buy leather products as I like them and they hold up very well.
 
#149
I am vegan and I don't eat, use or wear any animal products.

I do think being "vegetarian" and using leather is hypocritical... but I used to do it too and am well aware of all the mental tricks for justifying it.
 
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