Week 5-Esther Perng A01

While reading “Empire of Death and the Plague of Civic Violence” by Darrell Y. Hamamoto, my immediate thought was that this culture of violence in America definitely has not subsided over the years. The majority of the killers that were mentioned targeted either people of color or women, which speaks volumes on the way white men have contributed to the foundation of violence that America was built upon. By inflicting sexual and physical abuse on minorities, these men gain a sense of power and control that they believe will not be achieved anywhere else, which is an immensely toxic mentality that is, unfortunately, still being taught to young men today. Telling boys that they have to behave and speak a certain way in order to be socially accepted as a “man” only leads to furthering toxic masculinity, which often develops into very sexist views. Similarly, not teaching white men about white privilege only breeds a racist mindset where being white is viewed as inherently superior and the be-all and end-all to societal dominance. I think because of this lack of education, misogyny and racism coupled together is the main reason why so many white men have committed so many atrocities that they, in their mind, believe is completely normalized and justified. 

 

Question: Is there any way for toxic masculinity to be completely rid of in the future?

References:

Hamamoto, D. Y. (2003). Empire of death and the plague of civic violence. Taylor & Francis.

Photo: S. Retrieved from pinterest.com