#BlackLivesMatter #AllLivesMatter #BlueLivesMatter

That’s what a multifaceted and multi-layered issue has been reduced to on social media and by various news organizations.

As I’m writing this piece, I realize that I have had experiences that are unique to the way that I grew up. I was raised in the East Mount Airy section of Philadelphia, a section of the city that has a 0.08% violent crime rate. I attended archdiocesan and private Catholic schools from 1st-12th grade. I have never had to walk through a metal detector on my way to class. I also am the son of the law enforcement officer.

And with the experiences that I did have also come the experiences that I have not had. I have never been pulled over, stopped, or questioned by a police officer. I have never had “the talk” that many Black families give to their young sons and daughters. I have never been scared to walk from school to my house because of a fear of violence.

However, just because I haven’t had those experiences does not mean that I can’t acknowledge the reality that happening ever more frequently. If I can acknowledge the reality, then also can my friends and so called “brothers” who post the ignorant hashtags of #AllLivesMatter and #BlueLivesMatter.

I get why many are called to post the #BlueLivesMatter. I also understand why so many want to change their profile pictures to a police shield with black tape across it. But those who do are forgetting a truth. There is no such thing as a Blue life. Having black or brown skin in the United States of America is the result of being a people. We are birthed, nurtured, and educated in a culture. Wearing a police uniform is the result of a profession. There are not similar struggles of access or profiling when one puts on that uniform, regardless if you’re black/brown or white.

However the ignorance does not stop there. The ignorance continues to those who believe that we can’t be outraged for the senseless killings of the Dallas Police Officers but also at the same time be outraged for the lives lost in Louisiana and Minnesota. Death is death and violent death is all the more tragic. Those who only change their profile picture when a police officer dies and does not also speak out on the violent deaths of young black men are only enforcing the division.

My last point on #BlueLivesMatter is about the hypocrisy of the people that are posting the hashtag, On my Facebook profile, the same people posting this hashtag identify themselves as conservative Republicans. So this paragraph is for you. Whenever there is a terrorist attack in this country or anywhere, you all say, “Where is the Muslim community? They should condemn this terrorism.” Why don’t you ask the same question of our police officers. The senseless shooting on African-American males and females is a form of terrorism. African-Americans don’t feel safe in their own streets. Why aren’t you calling for police officers as a whole to condemn the actions of few?

#AllLivesMatter. The concept is simple. We all as Americans should have the opportunity to live in peace. However, life is not that simple. Where were the #AllLivesMatter thoughts when slaves were picking cotton in the fields? Where were the #AllLivesMatter thoughts when Black people were having dogs bite them in the streets during the Civil Rights Movement? Where are the #AllLivesMatter thoughts when African Americans are disproportionately arrested and convicted for minor level drug offenses yet rich White Americans party with the same drugs in their college residence halls with little to no punishment. Do you see why this hashtag is trivial? If you don’t let me try some more examples.

Where was the #AllLivesMatter sentiment when African-Americans were being bullied for being in inter-racial relationships and marriages? Where was the #AllLivesMatter sentiment when a former Republican member of Congress tweeted a threat to the life of the President of the United States of America? Where was the #AllLivesMatter sentiment when banks were giving higher loan rates to African Americans when they knew these same people could not afford the rates? Where was the #AllLivesMatter sentiment when the NRA refused to make a statement on the rights of Philando Castile in an open carry state, yet makes a statement when white Dallas Police Officers are tragically killed.

Do you see now that all lives DON’T matter in this country to many people? By consistently posting the hashtag, you are the problem. You are erasing the realities of what it means for some to be Black in the United States in 2016. It’s completely fine for you to think that all lives SHOULD matter, but the reality is that they don’t so stop pretending that they do.

Our country is at a crossroads. If you are going to try to be a social media activist, remember that your hashtags are powerful and pick which ones you use. Your choice not only has to chance to be illogical, but also has the possibility to erase the realities that so many people face in this country.