Scrolling through social media, you've definitely seen articles, comments, or arguments about #BlackLivesMatter. Some people, agree, disagree, or are just confused about the topic in general, so I’m here to help you out. The Black Lives Matter movement is a way to shed light on police brutality and racial injustice and it is utilized as a way to help all civilians attain equality. I firmly believe in equality, so therefore, I believe in the BLM movement. When I say this, it turns heads and I receive responses like:

1. What about black on black crime?
2. Are you saying Blue Lives don’t matter?
3. Don’t all lives matter?
4. You don’t know the full story.

Well, I know I’m not the only one who believes in the movement, and I am definitely not the only one who receives such responses. Here’s a way to demystify these questions and respond:

1. What about black on black crime?

Well that wasn’t the issue at hand, but if you want to get into it, let’s dive right in. First of all, addressing the issue of black on black crime suggests that people of color don’t care about the issue of gun violence. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In 2012, studies showed that 53% of blacks are democratic, meaning that they believe in some sort of gun control. In Chicago, there is an organization called Cease Fire, which intervenes on local gang and street fights. Also, if you want to get technical, “black on black crime” is a really small percentage of crimes committed. 84 percent of white murder victims are killed by white criminals – but for some reason “white on white crime” isn’t ever a topic of discussion. It’s clear the term “black on black crime” is a diversion or a way to say that black citizens don’t have the right to be angry about police brutality because they should be focusing on the issues of their own communities. Of course, these communities have problems due to the fact that institutional racism has oppressed them: black communities have higher poverty rates, lower public school funding, etc.

2. Are you saying that blue lives don’t matter?

Of course not! I am so grateful to be protected by good cops every day, and I’m sure most people are too. However, we already know that blue lives matter. When a cop dies due to civilian violence, the perpetrator is arrested, indicted, and then convicted. When a civilian dies due to cop violence, the cop goes on full paid leave for further investigation, even if there is a video of the incident. Again, let’s get technical: becoming a police officer is a choice. It is an occupation. Race is not optional. So saying that Blue Lives Matter in response to Black Lives Matter doesn't exactly make sense. Also to be clear, when saying Black Lives Matter, I am not by any means saying that I am anti-police. I am both pro black and pro-cop, and that’s okay.

3. Don’t all lives matter?

Yes! They do! Every life on this planet is important! And the BLM movement isn’t taking away from that! It’s simply implying that black lives matter just as much as any other life. It is not a superiority movement but rather an equality movement. When someone raises money for breast cancer research, it’s not saying that all other cancers aren’t just as bad. When one of your tires is flat and you put air into it, that doesn’t mean the other three tires are flat and need air as well. Mind you, this response was created by someone who thought that saying Black Lives Matter was racist. It purposely tries to take away from the apparent inequalities the black community faces.

4. You don’t know the full story

You’re right, I wasn’t there, but neither were you. Here’s what I do know:

Failing to signal a lane change — Sandra Bland

Driving his girlfriend’s car with a child in the backseat — Philando Castile

Selling cigarettes outside of a corner store — Eric Garner

Selling CDs outside of a supermarket — Alton Sterling

Wearing a hoodie — Trayvon Martin

Holding a toy gun in a park in an open carry state —Tamir Rice

Sitting in his car before his bachelor party — Sean Bell

These people and so many more died for minor incidents. Maybe they weren’t complying with police, but maybe they were. If they weren’t, there probably was a way to de-escalate these people without a gun. I wasn’t there, and I didn’t see it with my own eyes (except for the ones that were videotaped), but what I do know is that no one deserves to die, especially over such inconsequential things.

Now I, a white, blonde haired, blue eyed, teenage girl, do not face racial inequalities on a daily basis. I do not know the struggle of being black in today’s society. I have never been pulled over by the police without reason. I have never been followed or questioned by security at the mall while shopping with my friends.

I have never been turned down anywhere because of my name or skin tone. I do have eyes that see racial injustices in the media, and I understand that there is a problem, especially in the criminal justice system. I use this hashtag to address these issues, though they may not affect me personally. Just because it's not happening to me, doesn't mean it's not happening. The first step to fixing the problem is addressing the issue, so I use my voice to do so.