Figure Skating and Animal Rights

The world of figure skating is a troubled world; why, American skater Johnny Weir has felt it necessary to alter his costume for the Olympics in the wake of death threats. It seems he wore fox fur on an outfit, and now has to don fake fur lest his performance in Vancouver be affected by a sideshow of animal rights activists protesting his use of animal fur.

Not all animal rights activists have gone so far as to threaten him, but the fact that it happens at all is a reflection of the absurd lengths some folks will go to in defense of presumed rights. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing animal pelts, even for relatively unimportant and mundane events such as figure skating. It should not be an issue at all.

Yet it is. One wonders what those in favor of animal rights think of, oh, abortion and other human needs and issues. Surely the life of even one human being is far superior to that of a fox, or cow or horse or dog. But a figure skater gets death threats for his choice of costume.

It is craziness to believe animals have rights. It is insanity to threaten someone over the use of fur. That in itself tells us all we need to know about certain folks, and shows us the true absurdity behind the animal rights movement.