U.S. Figure Skater Johnny Weir Uses Tired Illogical Argument to Rationalize Wearing Fur: Let Me Take a Second to Tear the Horrible Argument Down

This story is a little old, as just today he came out with some jacked statements about how he loves to wear dead things. You can look for it if interested.

My point in talking about this is to expose the ridiculous rationalization people use when talking about issues like this.

Basically, they state that they don’t care about non-human animals because they care about humans. Or, put another way….I care about humans so I don’t care about non-human animals.

Do I really need to go on, or is this jacked up rationalization to keep carrying out cruel acts pretty clear now?

• First, do they really care about humans to the point that they actually do things for them? Are they human activists?

• And second, let’s say they do care about humans and do things for them. Does this necessarily mean that they then CANNOT care about animals?

• And third, they fail to realize that actually in the case of such issues as vegetarianism, being one actually effects human rights in relation to such issues as environmental improvement.

Hopefully this clears this horrible argument up. Stop talking Johnny Weir and focus on your hair.

Article:

US figure skater changes mind about wearing fur

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-weir-fur&prov=ap&type=lgns

By NANCY ARMOUR, AP National Writer Jan 28, 7:08 pm EST

CHICAGO (AP)—U.S. figure skater Johnny Weir will replace the fox on one of his costumes with faux fur after he and his costume designer were targeted by an animal rights group.
Weir received “hate mail and death threats,” agent Tara Modlin said on Thursday, and he doesn’t want anything to disrupt his performances at the Vancouver Olympics.

“He’s changing it because he needs to focus on skating,” she said.

Friends of Animals posted an open letter to Weir after he added white fox fur to the left shoulder of his free skate costume for the U.S. figure skating championships. On Tuesday, the animal advocacy group called his costume designer, Stephanie Handler, and faxed a press release about its open letter to her business.

Since then, Weir has heard from other anti-fur activists, Modlin said. Although People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals made its case in a professional manner, Modlin said others did not—to the point she and Weir were concerned someone might disrupt him at Vancouver.
Weir qualified for his second Olympic team by finishing third at the U.S. champs.

“I do not want something as silly as my costume disrupting my second Olympic experience and my chance at a medal, a dream I have had since I was a kid,” Weir said in a statement.

Weir makes no secret of his love of fashion—fur included—and he’s received letters and videos from PETA and other animal-rights advocates over the years. Although he respects their positions and was fully aware of how pelts are obtained, Weir has said wearing fur was a personal choice.

There are other causes that concern him more, he said, such as homelessness, soldiers dying and the devastation in Haiti.

“I hope these activists can understand that my decision to change my costume is in no way a victory for them, but a draw,” Weir said in his statement. “I am not changing in order to appease them, but to protect my integrity and the integrity of the Olympic Games as well as my fellow competitors.

“Just weeks away from hitting my starting position on the ice in Vancouver, I have technique and training to worry about and that trumps any costume and any threat I may receive.”

Humane Society of the United States files Lawsuit Against Lord & Taylor, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue: Falsely Label Fur Clothing Items

Just as with false advertising in general, failing to properly label clothing items as contacting fur is against the law. More specifically, it is a violation of the federal Fur Products Labeling Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act.

As stated below, “[t]he suit claims that Dillard's, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and designer Andrew Marc misrepresent fur products by labeling and marketing them as "faux fur," when they are not; or by advertising and labeling products as common raccoon, fox or rabbit fur, when they are really made from raccoon dog, a canine species from Asia….”

This isn’t the first time this issue has come up. We wrote a story here - http://geari.blogspot.com/2007/01/retail-company-jc-penny-knowingly.html about JC Penny knowingly selling items with dog fur.

In relation, I also wrote a while back on fur and China. Please see that post at:
http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/02/cruel-china-keeps-up-its-status-as.html

Article:

Humane Society sues retailers, designers over fur

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvG9dlIes0vYdnVcKDKSaLUYBLQwD94LLQH00

By GILLIAN GAYNAIR – 21 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Humane Society of the United States filed a lawsuit Monday against six major retailers and fashion designers alleging they falsely advertise and label fur garments.

The suit claims that Dillard's, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and designer Andrew Marc misrepresent fur products by labeling and marketing them as "faux fur," when they are not; or by advertising and labeling products as common raccoon, fox or rabbit fur, when they are really made from raccoon dog, a canine species from Asia.

The complaint also alleges that the retailers are in violation of the federal Fur Products Labeling Act and Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibit mislabeling of fur products.

Rebecca Judd, senior attorney with the Humane Society, said the group is seeking a court order to halt to what she called deceptive business practices by retailers.

"We filed this after we tried now for several years to have the fur industry stop their widespread false advertising and labeling," Judd said.

She added the group wants to alert consumers, especially those concerned about animal welfare, that fur garments are "best left out of the shopping bag."

Representatives from Macy's and Neiman Marcus said they don't comment on pending litigation. Dillard's, Lord & Taylor and Andrew Marc did not return telephone calls for comment. A representative from Saks could not be immediately reached by The Associated Press after calls seeking comment.

Judd said the suit was filed in D.C. under its Consumer Protection Procedures Act because the Humane Society focused much of its investigation in the Washington region. All the retailers named in the suit have stores in the area. Andrew Marc sells his brands online and in retail stores around Washington.

Since it began investigating in 2005, Judd said the Humane Society has sent dozens of letters to retailers — including those named in Monday's suit — informing them of their findings.

Some companies, including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger stopped selling fur products, Judd said. Others, such as rap artist Sean "Diddy" Combs, quit producing coats from his Sean John line that had raccoon dog fur; and rapper Jay-Z pulled coats with raccoon dog from his Rocawear label.

Raccoon dogs resemble oversized, fluffy raccoons and aren't kept as pets. According to the suit, more than 1.5 million of them are being raised for their fur in China, and have been documented to be skinned alive. Importing raccoon dog fur isn't illegal.

The Humane Society never received a "written commitment to stop selling mislabeled fur" from the six defendants after alerting them to the group's findings, Judd said.

The defendants are also among more than 20 companies named in two legal petitions the Humane Society filed earlier this year and in 2007 with the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces the federal fur labeling act.

In the petitions, the animal rights group ask the commission to fine the high-end retailers and designers of clothing that contains mislabeled fur. The group also would like inventories seized and, possibly, charges filed.

In 2007, Charles Jayson, chief executive of Andrew Marc, disputed the Humane Society and insisted in a statement that all fur on his coats labeled as raccoon contains "only farm-bred raccoon fur from Finland, and our items labeled 'faux fur' are a 100 percent synthetic fabric."

Mislabeling fur is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $5,000 fine or a year in prison. Fur valued at less than $150 doesn't have to be labeled.

The petitions are still pending.

The Humane Society said it began investigating mislabeled fur claims after the society got a tip from someone who bought a coat with trim labeled as faux fur that felt real. At the time, teams bought coats from popular retailers and then had the coats tested by mass spectrometry, which measures the mass and sequence of proteins.

The society said most of the fur came from China.

HSUS Take Dog Fur Issue to New Level: Asks FTC to Fine the High-End Retailers and Designers Who Mislabeled Jackets That Contain Fur from Dogs, Wolves

We wrote about this investigation recently. You can read the disturbing details at http://geari.blogspot.com/2007/02/
humane-society-of-united-states-found.html

Essentially, the Humane Society of the United States found that 24 of 25 fur-lined or trimmed coats contained dog fur. The coats were labeled as containing fake fur. So, an issue of mislabeling and lying to consumers.

Cited in this issue are the following companies and designers:

Designers Andrew Marc and Michael Kors; major department stores, including Barneys New York, Macy’s, Dillard’s, J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus, I. Spiewak and Sons Inc. Macy’s parent - Federated Department Stores Inc.

“The petition stems from a Humane Society investigation that turned up products that were made with fur from dogs, wolves or raccoon dogs, a species found mainly in China, that were sold as either fake fur or other types of fur in violation of the Federal Fur Products Labeling Act.”

Of course, the fur comes from China where they love to torture dogs. You can read more about that at -
http://geari.blogspot.com/2007/01/
sean-diddy-combs-admits-dog-fur-used.html

and

http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/03/
crash-course-in-unbelievable-cruelty.html.

For photos on the horrors of fur see
http://www.atourhands.com/furfarm.html

For additional photos and to learn why fur is so wrong see http://www.furkills.org/furfarming.shtml

AND PLEASE VIEW THE VIDEO IN THE STORY BELOW. TO VIEW IT, SIMPLY CLICK ON THE LINK TO THE STORY AND THE VIDEO OPTION WILL BE THERE.

Article:

Humane Society urges crackdown on dog fur
Animal rights organization wants FTC to fine retailers, grab inventories

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17584385/

NBC VIDEO
• Retailers accused on using dog fur

March 13: The Humane Society will file a petition against retailers who altered origin of fur. TODAY's Janice Lieberman reports.

WASHINGTON - A national animal rights group wants to put a group of fur retailers and manufacturers in the dog house.

The Humane Society of the United States will ask the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday to fine high-end retailers and designers of clothing that contains mislabeled fur from dogs, wolves and raccoon dogs. The group also would like inventories seized and perhaps charges filed.

“Consumers have a right to know what they are purchasing,” said Michael Markarian, the executive vice president of the Humane Society. “If they are truly getting a type of dog fur, they should be outraged.”
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

The documents filed with the FTC name designers Andrew Marc and Michael Kors, among others. Many major department stores, including Barneys New York, Macy’s, Dillard’s, J.C. Penney, and Neiman Marcus also were cited.

The petition stems from a Humane Society investigation that turned up products that were made with fur from dogs, wolves or raccoon dogs, a species found mainly in China, that were sold as either fake fur or other types of fur in violation of the Federal Fur Products Labeling Act.

Raccoon dogs look like oversize, fluffy raccoons and aren’t kept as pets. Importing their fur is not illegal, but activists argue they are still a type of dog.

Mislabeling fur is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $5,000 fine or a year in prison. Fur valued at less than $150 doesn’t have to be labeled.

Jim Sluzewski, a spokesman for Macy’s parent, Federated Department Stores Inc., said his company opposes selling dog fur but takes its vendors on faith that they comply with company policy.

“It is our vendors that label product, and we expect them to do so accurately,” he said in an e-mail. “We take immediate action whenever we find a violation of policy.”

Late last year, Macy’s immediately pulled from its shelves coats with raccoon dog fur but labeled as raccoon after the Humane Society raised the issue with the chain.

“Macy’s hasn’t done enough as far as we’re concerned,” Markarian said Monday, claiming that it is still selling other products with raccoon dog fur.

The Humane Society said in its petition that Barneys sold fur-trimmed jackets marketed as coyote fur when it was really fur from wolves. Barneys did not return a call for comment.

Josh Chapman, a spokesman for the manufacturer of the jacket, I. Spiewak and Sons Inc., said his company inspects the facilities where they purchase coyote fur. “We certainly know that everything is coyote, nothing could be anything else,” Chapman insisted.

Design company Michael Kors (USA) Inc. said it is conducting its own internal investigation on the sources of fur products it sold through Dillard’s stores.

“We certainly expect the companies to be discussing these issues internally, but they’ve had plenty of time to do that,” Markarian said.

Dillard’s did not respond to a requests for comment. J.C. Penney said it had no comment.

Neiman Marcus Group Inc. spokeswoman Ginger Reeder said her company removed all products with fur trim from their Web sites after the Humane Society investigation.

The Humane Society of the United States Found that 24 of 25 Fur-Lined or Trimmed Coats Contained Dog Fur: Coats were Labeled as Containing Fake Fur

Finally someone put this to the test. 24 out 25 were mislabeled! A huge scam. Or, you can use the word lie. This is something we’ve spoken about before, as just by looking at the coats you can tell it’s real.

Of course, the fur comes from China where they love to torture dogs. You can read more about that at -
http://geari.blogspot.com/2007/01/
sean-diddy-combs-admits-dog-fur-used.html

and

http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/03/
crash-course-in-unbelievable-cruelty.html.

As you’ll read below, these coats were taken from very reputable stores and companies. They all carried mislabeled items or misleading items with fur from DOMESTIC DOGS. Here’s a quote from the article below:

“The Humane Society of the United States said it purchased coats from reputable outlets, such as upscale Nordstrom, with designer labels — Andrew Marc, Tommy Hilfiger, for example — and found them trimmed with fur from domestic dogs, even though the fur was advertised as fake.

"It's an industrywide deception," said Kristin Leppert, the head of the Human Society's anti-fur campaign.”

Please read on to find out more about this disturbing issue.

Article:

Some coats may have fur from dogs

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070223/ap_on_re_us/dog_fur_4

By KASIE HUNT, Associated Press Writer Fri Feb 23, 7:45 AM ET

WASHINGTON - That fur trim on your jacket that you think is fake? Tell it to Fido. An animal advocacy group says its investigation has turned up coats — some with designer labels, some at higher-end retailers — with fur from man's best friend. Some retailers were set scrambling to pull the coats from shelves, take them off Web sites and even offer refunds to consumers.

The Humane Society of the United States said it purchased coats from reputable outlets, such as upscale Nordstrom, with designer labels — Andrew Marc, Tommy Hilfiger, for example — and found them trimmed with fur from domestic dogs, even though the fur was advertised as fake.

"It's an industrywide deception," said Kristin Leppert, the head of the Human Society's anti-fur campaign.

The investigation began after the society got a tip from a consumer who bought a coat with trim labeled as faux fur that felt real. Leppert and her team began buying coats from popular retailers and then had the coats tested by mass spectrometry, which measures the mass and sequence of proteins, to determine what species of animal the fur came from.

Of the 25 coats tested, 24 were mislabeled or misadvertised.

Three coats — from Tommy Hilfiger's Web site ShopTommy.com, Nordstrom.com and a coat from Andrew Marc's MARC New York line sold on Bluefly.com — contained fur from domesticated dogs. The others had fur from raccoon dogs — a canine species native to Asia — or, in one case, wolves. The single correctly labeled coat was trimmed with coyote fur, but it was advertised as fake.

Most of the fur came from China.

In response to the Humane Society's investigation, Tommy Hilfiger stopped selling the fur-trimmed garment and said it was looking into the matter. "We were quite concerned to hear of this finding," said spokeswoman Wendi Kopsick.

Nordstrom called the 62 consumers who had purchased vests with dog fur trim to give them the opportunity to return the vests "because we would never want to deceive our customers in any way," Nordstrom spokeswoman Brooke White said. She said Nordstrom no longer buys fur trim products from the vendor, who had marketed the vests as faux fur.

Charles Jayson, chief executive of Andrew Marc, disputed the Humane Society and insisted in a statement that all fur on his coats labeled as raccoon contains "only farm-bred raccoon fur from Finland, and our items labeled 'faux fur' are a 100 percent synthetic fabric."

Importing domestic dog and cat fur was outlawed in 2000. Intentionally importing and selling dog fur is a federal crime punishable by a $10,000 fine for each violation. Michael Markarian, executive vice president of the Humane Society, said his group had contacted all the retailers and designers selling mislabeled coats or coats with dog fur.

Raccoon dogs look like oversized, fluffy raccoons and aren't kept as pets. Importing their fur is not illegal, but activists argue they are still a type of dog.

"This is an animal that is routinely killed by stomping them, or beating them, or skinning them alive," Markarian said. Video produced by Swiss Animal Protection and posted on the Internet shows raccoon dogs clubbed or slammed on the ground and some writhing, gasping and blinking as they are skinned alive.

The discovery of domestic dog fur is the latest twist in the investigation that ensnared retail giants Macy's and J.C. Penney late last year. Both of those retailers were discovered selling coats with raccoon dog fur labeled as raccoon.

J.C. Penney initially removed the offending garments from its stores around Christmas — but eventually it had employees scratch out the 'raccoon' label with black magic marker and put the coats back on the shelves. Macy's immediately pulled the items from its shelves.

Burlington Coat Factory also pulled some coats with mislabeled fur from their shelves. Rap artist Sean "Diddy" Combs stopped producing and selling coats from his Sean John line that had raccoon dog fur, and rapper Jay-Z pulled coats with raccoon dog from his Rocawear label.

Mislabeling fur is a misdemeanor punishable by a $5,000 fine or a year in prison. Fur valued at less than $150 is not required to be labeled.

A bill introduced by Reps. Jim Moran, D-Va., and Mike Ferguson, R-N.J., would close that loophole by requiring labels for all fur regardless of its value. It also would ban fur from raccoon dogs.

"Americans don't want Lassie turned into a fur coat," Moran said. "In the U.S., we treat cats and dogs as pets, not trimmings for the latest fashion wear."

Other retailers the Humane Society said sold mislabeled raccoon dog fur included Lord & Taylor, BergdorfGoodman.com and Neiman Marcus.com. Designers whose clothes were mismarked included Donna Karan's DKNY and Michael Kors. A coat from Oscar de la Renta advertised as raccoon had raccoon dog fur.

Neiman Marcus, which owns Bergdorf Goodman, said it removed Bogner and Andrew Marc coats from its Web sites. Michael Kors said it was investigating, and a DKNY spokeswoman said the label was unaware that raccoon dog fur had been used.

Donna Karan's executive vice president for global marketing and communications, Patti Cohen, said, "While it is not illegal to use this type of fur, we have taken measures to ensure that it is never again used for any of our products."

A spokeswoman for Oscar de la Renta declined to comment.