Is it OK for a vegetarian to wear leather?

I am posting this because I have alot of vegetarian friends, and what is more interesting than the actual article, which in my opinion is a fair and honest one, are the comments that follow. People are fiercely opinionated when it comes to meat, and the by- products of meat. Furthermore, there are alot of people who have some thoughtful insights and good advice in general. Also, there are the people who just want to get angry because not everyone agrees with them or is just like them. These people are the kind that just want to attack, and not accept, that everyone is different. There is alot of grey area in our world. Thank God we are all unique and most of us are not just following some dogma or doctrine but rather finding the best ways to live for ourselves, our families and our own peace of mind. It may be great to be of one worldly community, but in the end, being human means having our own decisions to be responsible for, and not waiting for someone else to show the way. I have thought for a long time that being a non meat eater is a healthy lifestyle, but never personally made it my own until about 1.5 years ago. This with a few occasions of meat indulgences, all home cooked, all my faves. I am still trying for a 100% meat free household, and everyone is on board. Our only flaw is we get lazy, and think that the flavors we like are only found in meat...so we expanded our spice and herb drawers immensely, and grill and roast vegetables more than ever, and include more cous cous and quinoa to our diet.

I like reading articles this like because it shows how imperfect we all are, something I think alot of people forget in the age of the internet...which makes everyone an "expert". I say, be your own expert, share good information if it's useful and positive, but let us all alone enough to find our own paths. And, the argument that leather is actually greener than plastic shoes is a good one, because there are a ton of commentors who argue both sides, who are vegans even. Do we buy leather and keep it nice and reuse for decades as some people do (pointing out that their shoes when they do go into a landfill are organic and will return to the Earth) , or do we buy plastic thinking that the leather can only come from the cruel slaughter of animals. This is a great argument. It's good to debate these things while our Earth gets filled with more junk. Read, and ponder.

Great link below from Salon.com!!!

Is it OK for a vegetarian to wear leather?