Recently I attended a vigil not only for animals but also for slaughterhouse workers. What workers go through will never compare to the violence and suffering animals go through but nonetheless systemic oppression does exist in animal agriculture. Industries that abuse animals also take advantage of marginalized groups and typically these are people of color, immigrants and people in low income communities. In the animal rights community oftentimes many are quick to blindly vilify slaughterhouse workers and ignore the nuance of how these industries prey on disadvantaged people.
When attending these types of vigils I've noticed that the kill line workers are almost exclusively Black or Latino and sadly that isn't an accident. Systemic racism is embedded in American and world culture but in America this has led to Black men being placed in prison at far higher rates than any other race. Animal ag and slaughterhouses often work with prisons to create work release programs for prisoners with limited job opportunities. Killing animals for products isn't just an exploitation that impacts animals it fuels other forms of exploitation because exploitation is the driving force of these industries.
I can never defend any form of animal abuse but I also know that animal violence is normalized in our society so virtually everyone has willingly contributed to the systemic violence towards animals on a regular basis, myself included. For 34 years of my life I wasn't vegan. Although I wasn't as informed as I am now I knew bacon came from killing pigs and I knew leather came from killing cows but I still chose to support these products. In my lifetime I've paid for thousands if not millions of animals to be killed and I feel it would be hypocritical for me to forgive myself for the cruelty I willingly paid for but vilify slaughterhouse workers.
This isn't a pass to excuse animal abuse but if we're going to blindly vilify slaughterhouse workers then we have to also vilify our loved ones who still purchase these products and we also have to vilify ourselves just as much for all the animal suffering we knowingly paid for and contributed to.
video by @treymorrow
