The whole fandom is aware of the recent loss of a beloved fur Lemonade Coyote. Twitter has been mourning over his loss constantly since his tragic fatal encounter with a drunk driver, his life taken too soon. The city where he lived has flown its flags at half mast, the fandom that knew his beloved fursona, doubt anyone hasn't heard of this. Sadly I didn't get to know him and now thanks to the selfishness of another human being, I never will personally. But I know he wanted to make others happy. Something he approved of and wanted to keep peoples spirits up, to ignore the drama because the fandom is better than that. That life gets better and can't be spent tearing each other apart. To live life to the fullest. Live your dreams. Be happy, spread love. The simple stuff. His wish to the rest of us living after him. Such a generous spirit will always be missed.

I wake up today to find the fandom completely ignoring that wish today. A friend of mine, Skrat, YES A FRIEND OF MINE. JUST. WAIT….and read on. He had an idea to make a shirt shirts to distribute to anyone who wanted one in Lemonade's colors saying 'It gets better' on them, as in the video he posted. He didn't have the money to afford these shirts currently and had the idea of donations to make these and give them away for free to anyone who wanted one….and because it was Skrat, his account was instantly suspended, his fursona put up on the preverbal cross and stoned for this idea….do I need to refer to the paragraph above this? Do I need to quote something here, did I miss something? Am I the only one who seems something wrong with this? Not with Skrat, with EVERYONE ELSE!? I never understood why people hate this guy so much. 'He's an attention whore!' Well who doesn't like a little from time to time? Isn't that why we dress up so pretty and expensively? A form of self expression? Those who hate his guts of course they stay far away from him and fume. I went to his party last MFF briefly and enjoyed myself. Nothing bad happening there. I got to know the guy personally. Ive chatted with him, video called him. We talked about magic tricks, fur suits, conventions and a few more topics here and there. I didn't see a radiating being that deserves the entire fandom's sights pointed at. Did you know of the hug fundraiser thing he did recently? Just went out with other fursuiters and got tons of hugs from other people, making them happy and brightening their day. But Im sure theres something there thats fishy there too. The suiters he was with doing exactly what he was doing? They're fine, but Skrat? Hugging? In a fursuit? In public? You reading this closely?

So this person decides in his own form of expression to make some simple shirts in yellow, pink and black colors to give away for free and if any money received would be given to charity. Some people like it, the majority deem it a disgusting abhorrent disgraceful dishonorable idea, suspend his FA account and people who are known to despise Skrat decide to raise a hailstorm of drama over this idea and it spreads like wide fire because it its disrespectful to our fallen furry friend…now heres the kicker. Tim talked about in his 'It gets better' video about to live life to the fullest, to ignore anything to get you down. Know you are better than those who start the drama, to get over it….so in others way of respecting him they decide to do the exact opposite and crucify another furry in their own way of remembering him….um..WHAT? I personally find this a lot more disrespectful than what Skrat was doing and more offensive. Unfortunately it spread too much to be ignored. Im not going to name any other names, can count that many high known furs currently. But…he didn't slander Tim's name in anyway negatively, i won't give any examples. Didn't lash out against him, he wanted to share in the remembering in the mourning but the rest of our family deems him unworthy to do so in his own way, even those who didn't know him either…this completely baffles me. So what if I liked the idea? Maybe because I like free stuff or I needed a new shirt? If I was to wear it, would I suddenly loose all my friends for wearing a yellow article of clothing? What if I was a highly respected individual in the fandom and had a group of friend all around me then suddenly put on this shirt, would I suddenly become disowned and kicked out too? Over a shirt? No religious matters or offensive materials on it, but just the fact it was made by Skrat, would that make me a hated individual? What about my dream to get a fur suit head? I want to get one from him, I like his style in suit making. I was supposed to suit with him last MFF but timing got in the way. So If I got a fur suit by him, made by him, would I be an icon of hate too? Would I be deemed worthy enough to have my accounts suspended or banned because I embrace everyone? This more seems like human mob mentality than has anything to do with the fandom. And I do not like that at all. I love the furry fandom because we try to separate ourselves, to better ourselves than the rest of the world, the hate and anger. But when that gets brought in because of the primitive barbarian in each of us…thats when I start to crack. When what I seek to escape gets dragged into my safety zone. When what we stand for becomes a disgusting act. I can embrace anyone I want except this one person?…Why? I don't get it! He has not hurt anybody but some furs who are known to have actually physically hurt others in the past are still accepted and praised and loved..but this one individual who has an IDEA, abstract thought, nothing made yet, he gets beat up again and then HE is called the monster! And the rest of the fandom refuses to look at themselves and think maybe they aren't the ones who are in the wrong. They praise acceptance but reject it for this one reason and see nothing wrong with that. Thats what makes people leave the fandom. Not being physically kicked out but to see no morals standing anymore like that. Skrat does not deserve this. So now Tim, wherever he is, leaves us with something to think of and now watches us toss it aside and beat down this one fur who is thinking of him too but not in the way everyone else is. Shame. Am I the only logical sensible person thinking today who sees this? Its making even the most gentlest of furs I know aggressive and negative! The hell!?

Some claim he plans using the money to buy another fur suit….where did he say that? Point me the direct quote and Ill believe you. Otherwise, clam it.This reminds me of 'The monsters are due on maple street', classic Twilight Zone. Power goes out on a street, people wonder about it, one kid suspects aliens but just laugh it off till later when paranoia starts to creep in. Car starts up briefly but dies, everybody wonders why the guys car worked but nobody else's did. Then power comes onto some peoples homes but not others, they start pointing fingers and accusing others of treacherous deeds. Then a lone figure quietly creeps into the town as the paranoia escalates by the fear of monsters, people being blamed as a scapegoat for their own fear. The stranger is shot but happens to be one of their own neighbors who went out to seek help. Now a life has been claimed, suddenly the power starts fluctuating all over and aggression sets out, rocks at thrown, windows broken, people injured, guns shot. The camera pulls back to show two aliens discussing the human condition. The mob mentality. How they will single out on one individual or more in their pits of despair. Their test would show this act as they moved from own town to another. I see a similar problem here. One friendly individual is picked out and assaulted because he is who is is. Who's more aggressive? The one sitting and taking the blame or the one threatening to beat all his teeth out if they ever met face to face? Who seems the more dangerous of the two? The one who wanted to draw shirts or the one who wants to start a fight? Who seems more in the wrong? The belief or the bashing? The bloodied or the bruiser?

Some believe he was planning on buying a suit with his money that he gained. This was a rumor spread by those who hate him passionately. Those same people who told me 'don't believe everything you hear on the internet'. What If I was to donate $10 towards this and end up with a shirt that supposedly was a scam? Who would look like the fool then? There were many others who would appreciate something to remember their friend by but thanks to the selfishness of others that might not happen. So thanks for ruining their hope. I don't know how long his account will be suspended but it was not from a threat, not from a PROVEN scam, not from any website violations. It was just an idea that got him slammed hard. Nothing donated or set or bought yet and he's being punished? I find that wrong. But sadly I cannot change that. Only wait till his profile returns. I hope I can go fur suiting someday, Its a dream of mine. I would like to go suiting with him. But other people would like to put a stop to that…for what? To protect me? To keep me from being in the wrong and becoming a fool? If I gave him money and nothing came out of it, that would be MY FAULT ALONE. And I would accept the blame for that. BUT If something did come out of it, then what? Only one way to find out. But that will have to wait. For now I can only hope this works itself out for the better or just fades away. Im sorry the human urge to lash out is too strong with others to handle or have a passion to do it. I just want to be that one voice to stand out. if not overshadowed. This was supposed to unite us all not tear us apart. That is not what our fallen friend wanted. I hope he knows this and we can put this behind us. I would put my neck on the line to stand up for my friends beliefs. I hope you can too, but not with pitchforks and torches. Turn the other cheek. Show your brightest side and shine as bright as you can. Your candle is already burning. Don't fuel that flame on unneeded rage, use it to light the way for others and shine on them. They will then shine brighter with you. We all shine in one way or another and I want to with each and every one, including those who are shunned. Lets show everyone how bright we can make tomorrow for everyone..