On August 17 I had a letter published in the Manx Independent about Halloween coming months too early to TK Maxx.

The following Sunday I attended Broadway Baptist Church and the guest speaker coincidentally mentioned TK Maxx in his anti-capitalist speech.

He mentioned the old argument about how people in other countries are exploited like slaves to provide us with he clothes we buy in local shops like TK Maxx.

We have heard this argument before, so what is the answer?

Should we go around without wearing clothes?

Should we raise sheep so we can make woollen clothes from their wool?

Should we raise cattle so we can make leather jackets and shows from their skins?

Should we raise minks so we can make coats from their fur?

Should we hunt animals and make our clothes from the creatures we kill?

It is not easy to live by our consciences is it?

Four decades ago I went along with those who said there was no justification for killing animals for the fur trade.

Now moralists seem to say manufacturing clothes is always unethical, however they are made. (We cannot win.)

Vegetarians and those who support animal rights say it is wrong to wear leather. Environmentalists say it is wrong to wear plastic or rubber. So what are our shoes supposed to be made of?

There is always something wrong with our clothes, whether an animal was killed for them, people were exploited to make them or they are environmentally unfriendly.

If we try to live by our consciences we hardly live at all.

One last word about my previous letter ‘Goods in shops at the wrong times’, I made a prediction which turned out to be incorrect.

I said I could safely predict Christmas cards and other Christmas items would be in the shops i September.

In mid-August I went into the post office in Onchan, I noticed models of Santa on sale there.

Then I noticed they had already started selling Christmas cards.

Then I went to the cafe nearby for a tea and discovered there were Christmas designs on the takeaway cups!

No wonder people say Christmas is over-commercialised

Ian Ellis

Richmond Grove

Douglas

This letter was first published in the Manx Independent of August 31.

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