U.S. figure skater Johnny Weir says he received threats from anti-fur activists that made him fear for his safety, causing him to scrub any plans to stay at a hotel while in Vancouver for the Olympics.
"I felt very threatened," he said Saturday. "I'm not allowed to say how everything got through, but my agent got letters and faxes and e-mails. I got letters at the ice rink, somebody found my phone number.
"All these crazy fur people. Security-wise, to stay in a hotel would be very difficult. There have been threats against me. I didn't want to get hurt."
Weir is sharing a suite with U.S. ice dancer Tanith Belbin in the Olympic village. The longtime friends have their own bedrooms and bathrooms.
Belbin won Olympic silver in 2006 with partner Ben Agosto. A three-time national champion, Weir, who finished fifth in Torino, was third at this year's nationals to gain the final spot on the U.S. team.
The men's short program is Tuesday with the free skate set for Thursday.
"I'm just an easy person to pick on because I like fur," he said. "It's easy to put your case against an athlete who is going to the Olympics. It's a very good, easy thing for these activists.
"It's a very scary thing. I'm a figure skater, I'm not some huge politician who gets these things all the time."
Weir was criticized by animal-rights activists after he donned a costume in nationals with white fox fur on the shoulder. He said after the event that he would wear faux fur in the Games, but has since changed his mind.
"It was not because I was pressured to change it, but because I don't like faux fur," Weir explained. "I didn't change the costume, I'm just switching back to another costume."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
http://sports.espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2010/figureskating/news/story?id=4913557&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines
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OK... Can we please have the facts about these alleged threads.
What was said or done?
Criticism is not the same as threads.
If speaking out against the torture of animals and criticizing people for supporting it by wearing fur is now considered a "Thread" then we are in deep trouble. With these standards the civil rights movement would have never been able to take place.
Generalizations like "All These Crazy Fur People" sounds to me I am the one that should feel threatened. I advocate against fur, but I know I am not crazy. Caring about animals and fighting for peace and non violence does not make you a crazy person.
What seems to me, you got to be crazy to think it's OK to strip and animal of it's natural skin often while the animal is alive, or keep animals in tight cages with wire bottoms where animals go crazy and finally they get electrocuted, something every fur wearing human should watch sometimes, all this, so another animal the humans can wear the skin for reasons of vanity, and those that kill those helpless beings and those that wear fur and act as if it is the most normal thing, I say THEY ARE CRAZY! I say anyone who can cross that barrier of compassion and torture an animals for ANY REASON is CRAZY!
Looks to me like he is whining and being a crybaby. He does not want to be criticized, so he says "I'm being threatened". Grow up. Criticism is NOT a thread. Can we please have the facts! What was allegedly said, what was allegedly done?
Change only comes through criticism. Free speech still allows us to criticize.
So unless someone specifically told him "I am going to kill you, or beat you up!" this is a drummed up, blown out of proportion, if not blatantly invented story to once again cast a negative light on all animal rights people. I wouldn't be surprised if some fur organization is behind it.
It's the same when people stand up for the unborn babies. You have someone who acts criminally and the whole movement is demonized and vilified.
Just as they did when people stood up against segregation. Vilify those that fight injustice. After they try to vilify, criminalize and discredit and don't succeed, they kill you outright, as they did with Dr. King. They murdered him because they did not like his message and wanted to stop the civil rights movement. If anyone should be afraid it is us the Animals Rights people who are in the governments cross-hair for nothing more then speaking out against cruelty and injustice for those that do NOT HAVE A VOICE.
If anything I feel threatened when I learn that the office of National Security is targeting folks like me and are trying to intimidate us in to silence.
Make us the bad guys to shut us up. As a matter of fact one animals rights advocate that I know was attacked by masked hooded men, beaten and had his face stuck in dog excrement for being what he is, an outspoken animal rights advocate, he uses words only, words you can agree with or disagree, he's not sugar coating anything, and he has a right to speak the truth, he never laid a hand on anyone.
But yet those that disagree with his activism seem to be given a free rain to beat him up. I'm not sure what the police is doing about that but you can learn more here. http://veganschool101.com/
It won't work. I for one will continue to "Criticize" people for wearing fur!
I am NOT watching the winter Olympics because of the fur controversies that are part of it and teh Canadian seal slaughter.
Boycott the Olympics, Boycott anyone and anything that buys sells or wears fur!
and One more thing..
Here is a quote what he supposedly said according to this article above.
"I'm just an easy person to pick on because I like fur," he said. "It's easy to put your case against an athlete who is going to the Olympics. It's a very good, easy thing for these activists.
"It's a very scary thing. I'm a figure skater, I'm not some huge politician who gets these things all the time."
"I'm just an easy person to pick on because I like fur," well yes, people that advocate for animals to keep their skin, won't be criticizing people that do not wear fur, so duh they criticize YOU for wearing fur. Weir is not very bight.
then he said "It's a very scary thing..." interesting he knows what it feels like to be scared. What about each of these animals, do you think they are scared, when they are crammed in to tiny cages, running in circles, seeing their kind killed in front of them, smelling the blood, hearing the screams, death all around, can't escape, not being fed or given water, do you think they are scared???
We tread animals like garbage not because they committed any crime and unforgivable sin, no we do it JUST BECAUSE WE CAN and because of GREED!
Unlike you Mr. Weir they can NOT GIVE INTERVIEWS, THEY DO NOT HAVE A LOBBY, they have only us crazy animals rights people trying to speak for them.
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Something has got to change. We kill animals that can't defend themselves for vanity and greed, we prostitute children for personal gains and fanfare... this is all so wrong.
You just can't say there is nothing wrong with putting a bustier like top on a seven year old girl and put her up at the carnival. This poor child is too young and not ready for such attention. It is immoral, it is wrong. Our society is becoming more violent more sexual, while LOVE and RESPECT for ALL LIFE is not promoted, not at home, not in school.
Sex has become unanimous with love. Violence has become a way of life.
It's all going to end badly unless we wake up and start doing the right things.Seven-year-old Rio carnival queen bursts into tears
