Most vegetarians who stop eating meat for ethical

reasons also take measures to avoid contributing to the

suffering and death of animals (and even insects) in other

capacities. For instance, a number of vegetarians refuse to

wear leather and silk because they see it as an ethical

violation of their respect for all living things.



Vegetarians who refuse to wear silk argue that the process

involves unnecessary cruelty to moth larvae. Rather than

allowing the moth to grow and leave the cocoon, silk

manufacturers boil the larvae alive, causing them to suffer

and writhe, in order to obtain longer strands of silk.



Leather, by contrast, does not directly contribute to the

suffering of animals in most cases. In most cases, leather

is made from the byproducts of animals that would be

slaughtered for meat, rennet, and other animal

products.



This is precisely why many vegetarians who have an ethical

dilemma with meat have no problem wearing leather: because

they do not see it as the primary reason for killing the

animals, but instead a byproduct of the slaughter.



However, certain groups of vegans oppose wearing leather

on the grounds that it indirectly contributes to the

suffering of animals.



These vegans argue that contributing money to the companies

that own the slaughterhouses (and sell the byproducts for

leather, etc.) is just as bad as actually purchasing and

eating meat yourself because you are still contributing

money to the continuation of institutionalized animal

suffering.



This is certainly something to consider if you are

currently a vegan or a vegetarian for ethical reasons.

It may have been tough to give up meat in the first place,

but if you are truly committed to the cause and you

believe the arguments are strong-enough, you may want

to avoid clothing purchases that will aid institutions

that cause animal suffering.













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