Brutality of fur
The ad suggested to “buy a broadtail coat” to show your loved one how much you care, but there was no mention of the unglamorous side of the fur story. After the Humane Society of the United States asked all U.S. retailers to discontinue sale of broadtail fur, also called Persian, lamb or karakul, Dateline NBC featured an undercover investigation documenting animal cruelty in the making of this fur.
Broadtail fur is produced by killing pregnant karakul sheep and skinning unborn and newborn karakul lambs. The fur of fetal lambs is wavy, lightweight and flat in texture, resembling crushed velvet. The fur of newborn lambs is tightly curled and glossy. Fetal lamb fur is most valuable and highly prized by furriers, who manufacture the fur into jackets, coats, dresses, skirts, pants, boots and trim on other garments.
Fur industry representatives claim this fur is the byproduct of the slaughter of these animals for meat or is removed from the dead bodies of lambs who are spontaneously aborted, but videotape evidence gathered by HSUS investigators, and statements made to investigators by karakul ranchers in Uzbekistan prove that these animals are bred and killed specifically to supply the luxury fur market in Europe and the U.S.
Four to five million karakul lambs are killed each year for this fur. Since the victims of this fashion also include the pregnant sheep, the actual death toll may be higher.
If you are thinking about buying a fur or fur trim, please think again. Are fur coats really worth the price? As more and more human beings become aware of the basic rights of their fellow creatures to live out their lives free from unnecessary pain, exploitation and slaughter, they are making compassion the fashion by opting not to support the cruel fur industry. As a conscientious consumer, you have a choice: the beauty of life or the brutality of fur.
Silvie Pomicter
president, Voice of the Animals
Chinchilla, Pa.
A crippling budget
What happens in Harrisburg does matter here in Fayette County.
A state budget plan has been proposed – and may soon be on the governor’s desk – that includes dramatic cuts in important programs such as human services, drug and alcohol treatment, behavioral health, economic development and environmental protection. Some programs have been cut by 90 percent or completely eliminated. These funding reductions cut to the quick and will cripple many agencies in Fayette County.
These state tax dollars were earmarked to help people overcome addiction and put their lives back in order. Our clients are real people – your friends and neighbors. They aren’t numbers or statistics that can be cut or manipulated for the sake of politics. They need our help, and the state needs to take responsibility for its fair share.
I have worked at the Fayette County Drug & Alcohol Commission for almost 25 years. I have seen the devastation caused to people and their families because of alcohol and drug addiction. I have seen children as young as 8 and 9 years old come to our agency for help.
I have also been fortunate enough to see how lives have been turned around and lives saved. These proposed budget cuts will stop hundreds from receiving treatment in Fayette County. Drug abuse is on the rise – not declining. Fayette County residents will surely suffer if this budget is passed. People will be forced to resort to drastic means if the help is not there.
The people of this community should speak out. Tell Sen. Richard Kasunic to be responsible with his vote on the state budget.
Valarie Barnhart
Uniontown