"If reality doesn't kick in on the fact that we are being mutilated one by one we will never be able to achieve peace. We will never succeed because we fight against the unity that we so desperately need. What is justice without peace? Killed for the most simplistic things our lives have become a mere myth because we don't matter and at the rate they're going we never will. Why kill at the risks of committing a sin? Are the taking of our lives worth it, is it worth the fiery wrath of someone who is not our king? Because it seems like you build yourselves up and establish a life made to be powerfully above us, you know of your entitlements and thrive off the fact that we are automatically placed beneath you. From the moment we exit to womb, skin glowing with melanin... we aren't beautiful, we are deemed yet another problem. A weight placed on society to assist in its demise, none of us are truly meant to rise because when faced with the gun eye to eye... Our accomplishments do not suffice.." - Amanda Blake
As a black female living in America I am beyond outraged by the ongoing deaths of my brothers and sisters, the shootings that have been occurring of late have become more and more unbelievable. The fact that an individual could be caught on film dying by the hands of another and it can still be up for debate and/or justifiable is absolutely insane. Yet the "other" seen as everyone that thinks otherwise wonder how individuals like myself can think like that and why we're so angry but why not?
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. With that being said if we're constantly being mutilated and we respond through what is seen as rioting, something that no likes... why continue to hurt us? An even better question that I have is why is our peaceful protesting also an issue?
Should we just sit quietly while our people are being exterminated?Should we stand for nothing simply because you see us as such? Well, I think these questions are all solely based on individual perspective and I for one say ABSOLUTELY NOT!
I will Not be silenced nor will I allow anyone to belittle me while also diluting the issues that are present because if no one cares about me and those closest to me I will, if no one will stand for us, we must because doing anything else simply wouldn't be just.
With that being said lately many people have been seeking what seems to be "revenge" by deciding that if they're going to deal with losing people they'll have to retaliate by taking down those responsible. So because African Americans have been dying because of the mere complexion of their skin rather than anything that is actually arguably just; individuals have made it their duty to take the lives of anyone that is Caucasian with a police uniform on.
It's sort of like reverse profiling.
Now this is where #Bluelivesmatter came into place.
Because of the senseless shooting of both Alton Sterling and Philando Castile
Individuals in the community were left at a lose after watching both incidents because both men died without reason, both innocent, and harmless. They were merely misjudged and had to pay the consequences of losing their lives because of it. Killed within 24 hours of each other, a man emotionally affected by the incidents took it upon himself to retaliate by going after a few men in blue.
What was the outcome of that you ask? Well death and injury and the #Bluelivesmatter movement was born. People from all over the world were both puzzled and infuriated by what had occurred while many were also a bit unbothered because they felt like justice was finally being served. They felt like everyone needed to know how it felt to lose someone out of mere hatred of something out of their control (their race). Now personally, I don't have a definite opinion on this particular aspect of everything that has been going on because while I feel like the killing of officers aren't right, I don't feel like a human being should be allowed to take the life of another. Through observing everything that seems to be evident on both sides of the spectrum, making it all inhumane.
#Blacklivesmatter is seen as far more than a platform for African Americans. It is seen as something that we live and breathe. Something that is beyond important because it's a plea from all us simply asking that we aren't killed, that we are allowed the opportunities everyone else is allowed, that we can be happy knowing that although life happens and anything can happen, tomorrow might be possible for us because those placed in the position to protect us will do just that.
#Bluelives matter is seen as something that is a platform to promote the fact that there are good/fair police officers out there, ones that will do their jobs correctly, and lack of knowledge on who is and is not shouldn't justify the killing of any of them.
Both hashtags are interesting and meaningful in one way or another but I'll cut this article short and close by saying that the reality of the society we live in today is that #Bluelives will always matter because of the way those "in blue"/officers are painted and because of the privilege most of the officers are born with. But on the other hand at the rate things are going and have always gone in this country #Blacklives will probably never matter because SOCIETY has made it okay. The law has failed us many times and sometimes we fail ourselves by giving up on our fight. Some may have been born into "skin" privilege but others are just trying to live in theirs.