Because they come from wild fur-bearing mammals not domestic cattle, which are aritifacts of humans.

Posted by Robin Sampson at May 14, 2006 09:59 AM

When was the last time someone was attacked for having a rattlesnake hide hatband? How about ostrich boots? And then there are the alligator belts.

Having actually been shot at, I am not real keen on folks that "hunt" deer with high powered rifles, scopes, corn feed, etc. but, I would note that there now seem to be lots more "wild" animals about than in my youth.

Speaking off point: How about everyone that REALLY wants to become a citizen....agree to enlist in the Armed Forces of the United States. Ha!

OK, OK, I know it wouldn't work. But, I did have some of you going, yes?

Semper Fi

Posted by tad at May 18, 2006 07:18 PM

Alligator is too easy to fake. You wouldn't want to attack someone with Alligator shoes, because they are probably vinyl. That would be kind of embarassing! :-)

I think the reason the animal rights activists condemn fur is because the animals are raised strictly for their fur and often executed painfully. (Anal electrocution is the preferred method I believe.)

PETA knows it will never stop Americans from eating beef, ever. So...if you can use the leather skin from it and make a jacket, it's not as "sinful" as killing an animal just for the fur.

The Native Americans would agree... Use every bit of the animal, they would say. To kill an animal only for fur would be against nature, they would say. I have to agree. If I can't eat Mink, I wouldn't want to wear it myself.

I've never been served Mink's Meat, thank God.

Posted by mike at May 22, 2006 05:16 PM

Mike, actually mink meat is used in animal foods such as dog food, not wasted at all. The native americans' were also not the "protectors" of the ecology either. There are multiple documented cases of Native Americans driving herds of Buffalo off of cliffs then harvisting the tongues and other delacacies and leaving the rest to rot. Then too, multiple cases of central american natives who used burn and slash farming techniques to the point where the land would no longer sustain them. And the trepidations of the Aztecs is well known to everyone, the proponents of Aztlan notwithstanding. ;-)

By the way, my Grand Dad was a POW of the Japanese during their occupation of the Phillipines and there were days when he thought rat and puppy were rather tasty. Guess it depends on what you have to do to eat.

Posted by GM Roper at May 22, 2006 06:03 PM

Oh God! You are kidding me! Mink meat is used in dog food. I'm going to check my dog food bags right now! I don't want my dogs eating that! I'll have 'em stick to horse meat, like good dogs are supposed to.

Never knew that about Native Americans. I'll admit, that info probably came from an old Lone Ranger episode or something.

My uncle- who won a silver star in Vietnam- once gave some kid in a village a couple of bucks and asked him to run home and bring him some food. He said the kid came back with a couple of sodas and a sandwhich on French bread, with mystery meat.

He was happily munching away, while the kid sat there smiling. He asked him what it was and the kid said "Jat."

He thought it was a Vietnamese word, but it turned out the kid was trying to say an English word. After some charades...my uncle figured out that he was trying to say "rat."

My uncle actually had his MRE's, so he wasn't starving that bad! Pretty funny really.

Posted by mike at May 22, 2006 08:35 PM