I'd rather go naked than wear down or fur

Welcome to our first video!

It's been cold and snowy in Lakewood. A lot of snow in the last couple of days.

I decided to make a quick video. Although I would have loved to do it in front of a fur store, my chances of getting arrested were a lot less by doing it in my backyard.

I wanted to remind people that they do not need down or fur to be warm.

Animals who are part of the fur and down industries, well they are tortured, beaten, go through intense pain, and live in fear.

My winter jacket is down-free. I got it from Patagonia. They also sell down jackets but have some awesome non-down versions.

Like I say in the video, if you love even just one kind of animal, you do not want to buy down or fur. You just don't want to be a part of that!

I hope you like the video. It's my first.

Thanks for reading and for watching the video!

Never give up

It's not easy.

Bigotry all over the place. The worst is the hidden type. Folks make you believe they support equality and hide their disgust.

Violence is everywhere. The numbers will drive you crazy. Whether you fight for all animals or fight especially for dolphins in the cove or rhinos in Botswana, cows in a local factory farm or geese in a down operation.

Tens of thousands of refugees around the globe.

Filthy rivers and lakes.

You might be involved in fighting for an end to AIDS or supporting the homeless.

Rape that seems to have become an accepted part of our culture.

In the year, almost two years, of writing this blog we have met people who are fighting the fight, fighting to make the world a better place for all living beings and being a voice for the voiceless. We are privileged to know you and to know that you read our blog and take the time to get to know us.

Sometimes the amount of cruelty we experience or know exists can be too much. I wrote a blog post about self care recently as we as activists must take care of yourselves.

We also must never ever give up.

Never.

It may seem impossible. It can definitely be overwhelming.

Don't give up.

Take a breathe. Or take a break. Go for a run or take a vacation. Take care of yourself.

And don't give up.

To all of you who every day speak for the voiceless and work towards a world that is safer for all living beings, thank you.

You rock our world. Wherever you are, whatever you are feeling at this moment, please know that you are a rock star.

Never give up.

Thank you for reading!