I’ve encountered many types of people on Facebook. As time and time again my news feed filled with stories of unarmed black men and/or women being killed as a result of police brutality, I read a lot of articles on the subject. There were times I could not resist the temptation to read the comments, the small voice telling me to stay away from the vileness I knew I would find suppressed by my voracious curiosity.

Although now I know better than to devote my energy to those who refuse to be educated, over the summer I would read these comments. My blood would run hot through my veins, my passion boiling over and spilling out into a comment section full of those excusing the injustices I saw. As the weeks went by I noticed I was seeing the same types of comments over and over again about police brutality against black people, Black Lives Matter, and protesting racism.

I put together my responses here, statements to refute the points full of faulty logic I constantly saw. People need to care about issues like these and the oppression of black people in the US because that is what society needs to do for justice, for peace, for equality, for freedom. To people responding otherwise, those I confronted on Facebook and more, here is what I say.

-To people saying All Lives Matter:

Black lives matter doesn't mean black lives matter only. It means black lives matter too; it’s calling attention to something that has been constantly undervalued in society. If someone said let's save the whales, you wouldn't tell them to not say that and it's wrong because they need to say let's save all animals. There is no verbal implication that "black lives matter" means black lives matter only. It's just a statement of fact. People are adding an only where there is none. If I say oranges are tasty, no one is going to think I meant oranges are the only tasty fruit, excluding say apples, just because I didn't say "oranges are tasty also." Saying all lives matter as a response/critique to black lives matter is not only diverting attention from the lack of value for black lives that has been perpetuated throughout society, but a refusal to acknowledge it.

-To people bringing up “black on black crime” or shootings in Chicago:

Bringing up black on black crime as reasons black people and/or people in general shouldn't care, are wrong in caring about, or shouldn't focus/fight against institutional and societal racism, implicit and explicit bias, racial profiling, the problems in our police especially when it comes to race, and more is completely missing the point. There are organizations dedicated to stopping gun violence in places like Chicago, and just because there is violence in once place does not mean we should ignore violence or injustice in others. It's like saying to someone who is saddened that Americans were killed in a terrorist attack why do you care, Americans are killing each other everyday.

-To people saying they had a record:

The police do not have the right to shoot people for being guilty of a crime. We have a legal system. Having a record or being guilty of a crime does not give the cops the right to hand out an immediate death sentence.

-To people saying people convicted of crimes are disproportionately black:

People do not have the right to be prejudiced and take action based on stereotypes. Correlation does not equal causation. If most people who committed murder had brown hair, would it be right for cops to disproportionately pull them over for driving an expensive car, or stop and frisk them, or give them harsher sentences for the same crimes that people with blond hair committed?

-To people saying stop the “war on cops”/Blue Lives Matter:

I am not saying there aren't good cops. But there is a problem in our police system when it comes to race. Institutional and societal racism, implicit and explicit bias, racial profiling, and/or more are all large factors in many unjust killings by the police. When cops break the law they need to prosecuted for it and be called out on it by their fellow officers. We need reform. The lives of police do matter. But you can take off a uniform; you cannot stop being black. While just last year Dylann Roof massacred 9 people for being black, the number of cops killed internationally in the line of duty has been steadily decreasing; loggers and fishermen are ten times more likely to be killed on the job than a cop.

The legal system does not always address unjust crimes. My summer Facebook experience showed me there are many out there who are convinced that police brutality, racism, and more are not issues. When it comes to crimes involving police brutality and black people, officers are rarely held accountable by the law.

Because of racial profiling, explicit and implicit racial bias, racism, etc often when a black person is unjustly killed by the police the officers involved are let off without a conviction or even an indictment. There are inherent flaws in our society when it comes to race that need to be addressed.

Black Lives Matter. The deaths of people such as Eric Garner, Philando Castile, and even more recently Tyre King and Terence Crutcher illustrate that all too well. We need justice, we need equality, and we need reform.