Dear Editor:
The American Psychological Association’s new protocols for treating men and boys were prompted by the toxic toll that “traditional” masculinity takes on our emotional, cognitive and physical well-being. Its assessment that both groups demonstrate “disproportionate rates” of violence, bullying and other public-health issues should give us all pause.
Aisling Henihan in "Cure toxic masculinity by going vegan?" is right, there’s no cure-all, but there’s also no question that our perverse need to “prove” ourselves reaches beyond the office, classroom or a nightclub. Every time a trophy hunter slaughters a lion, a matador stabs a bull through the heart or a “sportsman” guns down a deer, a bully wins.
Reexamining our relationship to all others, including the animals whose flesh we pile on our plates, is key to changing how we choose to move through the world. Feeling better about who we are and the decisions we make has a way of catching on.
As for PETA’s point about meat-eaters and sexual stamina, the science is solid. The cholesterol in meat clogs all of our arteries, a diet high in fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) scrubs them clean. You don’t have to study physiology to see where going vegan can lead.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Montville
Manager, PETA
Norfolk, VA
