10 Questions For The Hashtag #AllLivesMatter

For everything I love about Twitter, there about 20 things I hate. I hate the fact that the favorite button was changed to like. I hate the fact that adding a picture takes away from how many characters you can use. I hate the fact that there is a subdivision of Twitter called #BlackTwitter, even though a larger percentage of Black Americans use Twitter than White Americans. In a sense, #BlackTwitter is just Twitter. We are the majority. Above all else, I hate the fact that for almost every popular hashtag, users feel the need to create a counter hashtag.

For #WasteHisTime, there is #WasteHerTime. For #OscarsSoWhite, there is #OscarsSoBlack. However, the winner for most frustrating counter hashtag goes to #AllLivesMatter. Yes, you know that one person. That one person that is so offended by the concern for Black lives that they feel the need to let you know that no, all lives matter. However, uttering the phrase #AllLivesMatter, doesn’t say much about #BlackLivesMatter, but it says a lot about the people who take the time to remind everyone that all lives matter. With that being said, I still have a few questions for the people that take the time to type #AllLivesMatter.

1. Do you live on a different planet than me?

Since when have all lives mattered in the eyes of the public? From the earliest days of the African slave trade, Black lives have been valued less than their European White counterparts? If all lives mattered equally, then why were some of my ancestors left for dead during the middle passage, while their White slave owners were able to make the entire round trip in good health?

2. Do you feel intimidated by Black life?

If someone creates an entire counter culture to the concern for Black Lives, it is clear that they are intimidated by Black life. Black people can go to college. Black people can own businesses. Black people can open up for and give the State of the Union Address. They didn’t even want Black folk to read; how much do you think it scares some people to know that we know are caring about Black life?

3. Do you like inserting yourself into every single conversation?

The same type of people that like to remind you that #AllLivesMatter are the same people that love to insert themselves into everyone’s conversation. They are the type of people that will walk up to a group of people they don’t know and try to inset themselves in the group conversation. If their friends are talking about a party they didn’t go to, they try to insert themselves into the conversation.

If they’re friends are talking about personal matters that don’t involve them, they will insert themselves into the conversation. Most importantly, if someone is having a conversation about police brutality against unarmed Black Americans and they have never experienced police brutality and are not Black, they will insert themselves into the conversation. See #AllLivesMatter for more info.

4. Do you have a life?

I may be jumping to conclusions here, but I feel like if you have enough time to create an entire counter-culture to the concern for the safety of Black Americans, you have way too much time on your hands. You can get a dog, a significant other, a job, or even a Netflix account. Just get something because the hate or in some cases, ignorance, in your heart is just not healthy. I'm only trying to help.

5. Do you create a response for everything?

The same type of people that will scream #AllLivesMatter will be the same people that will run into a cancer research fundraiser shouting, “All diseases matter!” They just like being difficult. It’s like having a little brother that just likes being annoying for no good reason.

6. Do you follow Stacey Dash and the RZA on IG?

I only ask this because I feel like you all would have so many ignorant ideas about the world to share and I just love uniting like-minded people.

7. Do you support Donald Trump for President?

8. Do you know that a mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife, etc. are grieving today because their loved one’s life didn’t matter to law enforcement?

Each and every week, unarmed Black Americans are killed because they are perceived threats to law enforcement. Often times, their melanin is seen as a weapon that is ready to fire at any moment. As a result, someone loses their husband, father, sister, wife, etc. You can never get those moments back with those loved ones. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. No pulling the bullet back. No reversing that moment. No reversing that grief.

9. Do you know that Black Americans typically make up 12% of the population, but nearly 25% of police killings each year?

In one of the most telling reports of 2014, a USA Today article showed that from 2005-2012 there were approximately 400 police killings a year of which 96 were Black Americans. If all lives mattered, then all people would be killed at the same rate and that ninety-six deaths would be closer to fifty.

10. Do you also support the hashtag #BlueLivesMatter?

I may be reaching here, but I feel like the same people who support lives matter support the #BlueLivesMatter campaign. Police officers risk their lives everyday for our safety and they should be commended for their work, but the “war on police” isn’t really a war. A Washington Post report showed that the number of "felonius" killings per 100,000 officers is at an all time low. Moreover, the number of gun related us police deaths with respect to the overall population is also at an all time low. Yes, blue lives matter, but their lives are not in the same danger that police officers often put black lives in.