Today I received an email that made me feel very sad. All I can really say is that as vegans all we can do is try our best not to use animal tested and derived products. Unfortunately there will always be a rotten apple who feels the need to be unkind and judgmental.
> Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2011 16:43:47 -0400
> From: Carla_simp@hotmail.com
> To: creepcake@hotmail.co.uk
> Subject: [Santa Macabre] Vegan?
>
> I just wanted to send you a message to let you know my discussed with your website! You claim to be a vegan site and yet you sell cameos that are made using polymer clay! although it does not contain any animal biproducts, this material was tested on animals where they were fed this material to see what amount would be concidered toxic. As a vegan i am absolutely appauled by your complete lack of education on this subject. Just google it its the 4th link down, really not that complicated. I actually dont believe your a true vegan. You are selling items to people under the pretence that it is vegan friendly, thats like giving a diabetic Sugar. I find you a terrible representative of the vegan community and i will be contacting all your previous press to notify them that they need to make a full retraction on your 'vegan' advertisement. Next time a little research would do you the world of good.
My reply:
Hi Carla, firstly I was unaware that polymer clay was not vegan, which obviously is an error, but not a purposeful one on my part. I will msot definitely look into it now. However, I really don't understand your aggression and hateful attitude. It is great that you feel the need to educate vegans that are unaware of certain things, but I found your message to be abusive, spiteful and upsetting.
I am not going to explain myself to you except as to reiterate that I was unfortunately unaware of this error on my part. You can feel free to contact people about my apparently appalling vegan lifestyle, but to be honest would you not be better placed to spend your time doing something to help the cause and not hinder it?
I am also wondering how you manage to get by on a daily basis, if you 100% never use anything that may have unfortunately at some point been tested on animals? Unfortunately all we can do as vegans is try our hardest. Research is brilliant, and a helping hand toward this is always appreciated but not in the abusive manner you have done so.
I am going to post this correspondence on my blog as I have nothing to hide, and if you truly believe your appalling manner is helping the vegan cause, then I really am disappointed and saddened.
*EDIT*
As advised, I decided to do a little research on polymer clay:
"5). Does that mean polymer clay is vegan?
Short anwer is that yes, according to my e-mails with the manufacturers, Sculpey, Fimo and Kato clay don't contain animal products or by-products, and aren't tested on animals. Long answer, as all you vegans out there know, is that we can never be 100% sure because of reliance on information from suppliers. There's a certain amount of trust needed, because unless one lives in a self-built house with nothing made by anyone else, no-one can be certain that a non-vegan element hasn't snuck in."
I agree with Maria, no-one can ever be 100% certain that products haven't in some way or form been tested on animals. The point you try to put across Carla may be viable, however your tone and choice of words leave much to be desired. I should imagine if you choose to speak as you write you would not impress many people or encourage others to the vegan way of life. Perhaps a bit of tact and better choice of wording would have put your views across more appropriately. I personally know that Maria follows veganism as closely as possible. If we are being judgemental here perhaps you could also look at your spelling and grammar before you launch into attack mode. At this point I should apologise for bringing myself down to that level also but I feel so strongly that you are being unjust and unfair on a person you know nothing about. Life is a learning curve and no-one knows everything. A bit of leniency and tact wouldn't go amiss.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually get involved with things like this but this really struck a cord.
ReplyDeleteI will have to bullet point the issues i have with this as there are so many problems!
For Angela
- You state that your santa macarbes friend, so wouldn't your opinion be slightly biased?
-You attack the persons spelling and grammar, which i see as a small victory for you as its petty and childish and I don't think you should be throwing stones in a grammatical glass house!
-As for the persons tact, i see the message from someone who is passionate about something and not pussy footing around and is angry that you are not what you claim to be which will make every TRUE vegan angry, wouldn't you agree?.
-You ask for leniency...Maria may well try her best to follow vegan-ism as closely as possible but when you involve the public 'trying her best' doesn't cut it she has to be 100% certain that something is animal friendly, its not just her 'views' that are on the line. To me it would be exactly like someone selling a beefburger to a vegan and telling them its quorn....you tell me the difference.
Santa Macarbe -
- Polymer Clay WAS tested on animals to check the level of toxins that it had, they force fed animals to see how much they would have to digest until it poisoned them. Its not tested on animals anymore BUT you are still funding a company that supported everything you are apparently against!
''Other less studied phthalate compounds including BBP and DnOP (both discovered in the polymer clays), have been linked with reproductive disorders in animal studies, including alterations of
sperm-producing organs and reduced testis weight.6 Some phthalates, including BBP, are also
suspected carcinogens in animals, though the evidence that they are carcinogenic in humans remains
inconclusive.7 DnOP and DnHP have been shown to affect the liver and thyroid,8 and BBP has been
linked with nerve disorders in lab animals and in exposed industrial workers.''
-A question for Santa Macarbe...do your journals come from a renewable source? or are you unsure if the trees used to make your items destroyed wildlife and its habitats?
To be completely honest with you i think that this company is a joke if you are claiming to be vegan. You romanticize fur buy selling faux tails and collars.
I think selling yourself as a vegan company is so far fetched even Disney would have a problem getting their head around it.
Do your research or dont claim to be something your not!
Hi Julia,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I would like to ask if you are vegan or vegetarian?
I only ask as often a lot of non-vegans like to challenge vegans on whether everything they do/use is totally sustainable etc.
Anyway to answer your, what I can only call, accusations and insults. I am vegan, but I do not 'sell' Santa Macabre as vegan. I just happen to try promote veganism as this is a platform where I can reach people.
I sell faux fur indeed. But that does not mean I encourage real fur. This is quite ludicrous. If anything, promoting faux fur is good as it shows people you do not have to buy real fur. You also fail to mention that for each FAUXtail sold, $5 is donated to the Anti-Fur organisation.
Vegans come in all shapes and sizes. To me, a vegan is somebody who does not consume or use animal products or animal tested products, or similar. A vegan is someone who trys their best to live a compassionate lifestyle, free from cruelty to other species.
With the polymer clay, although this has already been discussed, unfortunately it does appear to have been tested on in the past. Which is the point. In the past. Unfortunately in the world we live in, most things have once been tested on animals, made from animal byproducts or affected the human race in negative ways also. We but products every day which have once had a negative impact on the world. Unless we live on a desert island, it is unavoidable. This is very sad, but something we simply cannot get away from.
I use materials that are NOW not tested on animals, that do not contain animal derivatives and that, as far as I am aware, do not abuse the planet.
I am not perfect, as I'm sure most vegans and humans aren't. I can only try my best, and if that means I occasionally make mistakes but have good intentions, I would rather be that way than be spiteful and aggressive.
I'm not sure why you have come on here merely to continue a debate that happened weeks ago. If anything it seems a little sad. Negative things happen, and there is no reason to carry on. Unless you enjoy such things?
With regards to Angela commenting on this post. Firstly, you calling her opinion 'biased' etc is a little unnecessary and downright unkind. But also, for all we know you are the original woman's friend!
If I had anything to hide, I would not make this discussion public. I do everything I can with good intentions.
Veganism IS a big part of my life and people like you judging me will never change that. I have never claimed that I am sponsored by the Vegan Society, but as I am vegan and as I am also Santa Macabre, I consider SM to be vegan!
A large portion of my customers, and people in general, are not vegan. So if they see a blog post on veganism on here, and it makes them think, I see that as a good thing.
I don't know whether you are vegan or not, but if I'm honest, if you are, you are the type of vegan who will alienate people and make them go the opposite direction to the cause! Judgmental, aggressive and unkind are not traits of a truly compassionate person.
I am leaving this post on here for now, but if this continues I will be forced to remove it as I do not intend to make this blog a public slanging match.
I assume you have better things to do with your time, as I know I do, such as making items that can raise money for the anti-fur movement. I'm sorry if you have intended to make me feel small or feel guilty, but I AM vegan and I do love animals, and hateful comments and negative attitudes will not change my views on the subject.
This country was built on good intentions and that's exactly what maria has. So julia please go suck a fuck and take your aggro vegan anger approach and aim it at a real animal abuser not a fellow vegan. Stop shooting your own men. dumb ass.
ReplyDelete