Black Lives Matter Opponents Are Missing Key Points For Why The Movement Exists | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Black Lives Matter Opponents Are Missing Key Points For Why The Movement Exists

Let's focus on the recent kidnapping in Chicago.

42
Black Lives Matter Opponents Are Missing Key Points For Why The Movement Exists
Pexels.com

Most of us have heard of the recent hate crime that happened in Chicago. If you haven't yet: four black people kidnapped a mentally ill man, bound him in a building where they essentially tortured him, physically and mentally. One of them posted a video to their Facebook for everyone to see. In the video, the attackers were heard yelling things such as "F--- Donald Trump!" and "F--- white people!" which essentially proves that this attack was a hate crime. That's just how words and definitions work, considering the hate that had to go into this action.

Thankfully, the attackers were caught, arrested, and were appropriately charged. This actually presents an issue and outlines another. First, it outlined the issue of a system that groups, like Black Lives Matter, criticize constantly: That it treats black people as if they don't matter. There was little doubt that the attackers were going to be charged. It was a brutal crime that was treated as such.

Essentially, there was little doubt that the justice system would fail the victim. We can safely believe that the attackers will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. This is nothing new, as black people tend to receive much less forgiving treatment in the criminal justice system than their white peers, even when faced with similar crimes. We can safely assume that they will be prosecuted appropriately and jailed for what the justice system will deem an appropriate amount of time. This is- give or take a few things pertaining to the treatment of criminals- what the justice system should look like and how it should work: An impartial consequence that isn't softened by how much money a person has or what snap judgments could be made based on their appearance.

Of course, there are factors other than race that could be the cause of this discrepancy in treatment, but considering the amount of examples where race is the common difference between the severity of judicial action, and the ease of finding such examples, it's undeniable that race plays a large factor. To say otherwise seems more like a case of wishful thinking and the desire to look the other way. While it's a bit early to say whether these four attackers will avoid jail time or not, aside from the confidence that they won't, it might be good to compare this case to one that happened some time back. In this case, the assailant was a white football player, while the victim was a mentally disabled black teammate of the assailant. The assailant avoided jail time through a plea deal, but only time will tell if this will be the result of this current case.

The problems presented are those of false equivalencies and misunderstandings. When this case was fresh, many people on twitter used the attack to get out their narrative on the BLM movement. The general message was "Had the attackers been white, there would be public outrage, riots, protests, etc." While they're not entirely wrong on the outcome of events, they miss the reasoning for the outrage and the basis of the argument being made: The outrage is not that these events happened. It's a matter of treatment.

This is why this attack and other cases where a black person is attacked, but the white assailant goes without jail time can't really be compared. Had the attackers been white and the victim been black, there would be justified skepticism on whether or not they would receive any kind of consequences considering past examples. The argument being made, or at least part of it, is simply: Black people are treated differently/unfairly, and would like for that to stop. We can't change that these things happen, but we can control how these events are treated, and when they're treated differently for different groups of people with one of the main differences between these groups being the color of their skin, in a country where skin color taints the morality and progression of our history, how baseless is it to assume that this difference in treatment has a basis in race? I really do hope that anyone reading will keep these words in mind going further.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

129878
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

29669
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

27408
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments