There are various points I could make on why the trend #AllLivesMatter is at the very least hypocritical. It’s common knowledge that the hash tag arose from the popular & culture shifting movement known as #BlackLivesMatter, which has put emphasis on the extreme discrimination when it comes to the lives of black people. If you are under the assumption that all lives do matter allow me to expand on why the phrase isn’t absolute.

First off the phenomena known as Black Lives Matter only exists because obviously all lives do not matter. Based on evidence gathered from videos, number of fatalities, and the consistency of the acts black people feel as though their lives aren’t valued the same as their white counterparts. So when someone says “Black Lives Matter” they aren’t saying their lives matter more than others, they are simply stating that based off the actions of this country their lives don’t seem to matter and a change needs to be made so that all lives do indeed matter. That being said, using “All Lives Matter” as a rebuttal to BLM logically makes no sense. Black lives are apart of all lives so you’re essentially agreeing with BLM when you say “All Lives Matter”.

In order to truly analyze and dissect the meaning of something you must first understand what it is. There is no dictionary definition of ALM (All Lives Matter), but from inferring, the best way I could define the belief is that all lives matter equally. The name pretty much speaks for itself. So the question I would raise to someone who believes that is, if you truly lived by that and believed it then why don’t you stand up for the atrocities you see minorities go through? Are they not included in this philosophy? Before you declare someone else’s stance irrational first question your own viewpoint.

During breast cancer awareness month you don’t see people yelling “All cancers matter!” because they would sound crazy. Black Lives Matter is addressing a specific problem, so to disregard them and state a general problem is just as crazy. If you believe ALM there is no problem with that, but when you only say it as a reason to belittle BLM then there is a problem. You should follow a belief because that’s what you truly stand for not only when it benefits you.

When you disagree with someone no matter what the subject of the dispute it's very important to identify with your opposition. You will not always concur with another's point of view, but instead of forcing your will upon them take a second to attempt to relate to them. Black people have a reasoning behind them saying "Black Lives Matter". Take a second to comprehend what their rationale is rather than dismissing their stance entirely. All lives do matter but all lives aren't unfairly discriminated. Change can only be achieved when a common goal is identified.