toxic masculinity in factory farming

an anecdote from jonathan safran foer’s book eating animals has haunted me since I read it in 2010. in it, foer describes documented treatment of chickens at a slaughtering plant that supplies chicken to KFC. sadistic torture of animals is commonplace in this environment. everything from urinating directly on the slaughter line, to stomping and beheading live birds has been documented as occurring at a farm that also has the superlative “supplier of the year” under its name.

while the animal cruelty is appalling, the real issue is much larger than that, as I see it. the violence that is documented at factory farms illustrates what people—men—will do under distinct circumstances. the circumstances that the factory farm created were: relying on underpaid, less educated workers, putting those workers under increased stress, desensitizing those workers to acts of violence, and indicating to those workers that because of lack of regulation and accountability, workers were free to act however they wanted without fear of punishment.

similar circumstances exist in police departments across the country. where violence isn’t only tolerated, it’s expected. corruption and toxic masculine culture has permeated into so many aspects of our lives, without any check of power.

a culture has been created, and empowered, where men feel emboldened to exhibit violence, act on impulse, and demonstrate force over the weaker.

this culture can be found in our laws, our entertainment, our rhetoric, and more. in my eyes, there is no way to move forward with justice and equity in any industry or faction of life without first dismantling the white patriarchy.