All lives matter. We are promised that in the Constitution. We are told by the government that every man and woman are equal under God and the law, yet it is inequality that is wreaking havoc and ripping our social infrastructure apart.
For some reason, there seems to be a misconception on All Lives Matter. Ideally, all lives are supposed to matter, but there’s always a theory vs. reality argument that has be made. Black lives don’t matter because of the toxic rates of incarceration for petty and minor crimes that white people tend to avoid, because of the televised police brutality that somehow proves the victims are at fault, because the disenfranchised communities that are not taken care of by government funding (Hello, Flint!) and the constant perception of the black population through inconclusive stereotypes. Latinx lives don’t matter because many Hispanics are told to go back to Mexico, because Mexico is our neighbor yet are treated as “aliens,” because there are more than at least 21 countries that have Spanish as the national language, yet their culture has been erased wrongfully and only attached to Mexico. Muslim lives don’t matter because Islam is a peaceful religion, yet the entire Muslim faith is being represented by violent radical Islamic terrorists. LGBTQ lives don’t matter because there have been laws enforced to prevent them from living like any normal American; ironically, America showed love to the LGBTQ community only when a Muslim attacked an LGBTQ nightclub, furthering xenophobic propaganda. Native American lives don’t matter because they are the real inheritors of America, yet are forced to preserve their history and traditions in reservations that are a shameful mockery of what they are entitled to have. The government and the law have neglected taking care of these citizens, and despite what is promised to them, are purposefully denied access to the full spectrum of rights and opportunities in this country.
All Lives Matter is used as an antithesis to Black Lives Matter, to uphold the image of American unity and a false sense of equality. In reality, All Lives Matter is ignoring the struggles individual populations are facing. It’s almost like saying, “I see there’s a problem here, but let’s just focus on everyone, not just you.” Not everyone is going to be persecuted for their race or gender or religion. Not everyone is going to feel safe around those who are meant to protect. In order to have progress, there must be an acknowledgement on all parts, not just those who are at a disadvantage, that there is a problem in order to work towards a solution.
Black Lives Matter was created in response to the death of a black individual, Trayvon Martin. However, it does not mean that only black lives are important. The hashtag can be applied to any oppressed social group, and in the wake of injustice, it has been. Black Lives Matter has been highlighting the transgressions against the black community, but from one oppressed group to another, we share each other’s pain. We have a unifying enemy, and it is not white people. It is injustice, discrimination, inequality. Claiming everyone equally has access to that is promoting ignorance, and it draws the lines of the two different worlds people live in — illusion vs. reality.
For many people, the death of the officers in Dallas seems to confirm the idea that Black Lives Matter is anti-cop. It is not. BLM calls for the end of police brutality, more accountability from police officers and a reform in the police departments. This means better training for officers to reduce the amount of deaths caused by the police and community respect between civilians and officers. Not all officers are doing their job correctly, and that is becoming a danger to others.
While the tragedy in Dallas so far has been the height of the tension between civilians, especially the black community, and law enforcement, that cannot be used to overshadow the terror they have inflicted on the black community. At this point, both sides have had casualties. Both sides have suffered losses that were so unnecessary—the police department has lost officers who were doing their duty by helping keeping the rally safe; the black community has lost children, to say the least. None of the deaths have been warranted, but no one could fairly say that both sides are being treated equally. When Philando Castille and Anton Sterling were killed, the recordings of their deaths were broadcasted all over the internet and the TV networks. Their deaths were up for speculation, different angles, and even why it happened. The validation for their -deaths was a debate in public and private, a conversation to be had anywhere. The police officers were allowed to mourn in private. There has been no footage of the officers’ bodies; their death has been spoken with the utmost reverence and respect. Their deaths have been the final straw to violence, since an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
All lives don’t matter. They should, but they don’t. When people say black lives matter, it is not a statement for being the only people who matter. It is a reminder that even though society and the law and the economy has made an insurmountable effort to keep the black community disadvantaged, we are important. When we lose members of our communities, how can we feel safe that anyone can die at the hands of someone else and their death is written off as an accident. How are those lives important? As much as people hate hearing “Black Lives Matter,” don’t you think people are tired of always having to defend it?
