We have all heard the quote "Black Lives Matter" especially during these past several months, in light of different events pertaining to police brutality and cases of injustice. In rebuttal to that, "All Lives Matter" came into the story, but it disregards the point. Yes, all lives do matter. Police lives matter, white lives matter, infant lives matter, but the campaign and movement of Black Lives is not to say that only black lives matter, it is to say too many times those lives are disregarded and they are no less than any other.
There is apparently some discomfort with only focusing on the discrimination and violence too many times only encountered by black people. Maybe some don't want to seem too divisive, or that maybe there really are still lines of difference. Recent events demonstrate that these experiences being experienced by black people too many times are centered around law enforcement. This is why attention towards black lives has gained so much momentum.
These are reasons why we need to rethink taking an "All Lives Matter" approach to the real problem.
When we continue to say "All Lives Matter" we are taking away the original context of the problem. Black lives are the focus because there is an ongoing, unending terrible trend of them being killed. I don't mean justified crimes or acts of self-defense, I mean unfair and unjust meetings. Unarmed, innocent black people who are being treated unfairly and killed without reason. The entire point of the movement was to not doubt the importance of any life. It was to bring attention to these unjust crimes that half the time don't get the attention they deserve.
Another reason, it is used to mock the issue. In 2014, we saw "Hands up, Don't Shoot" and "I Can't Breathe" this was in light of Brown and Garner. We saw people come along with jabs of "Pants up, Don't Loot" and "I CAN Breathe." When did it start becoming okay to mock injustice with a new slew of words? People try to bring up black on black crime, which yes, is a thing about which everyone is aware. People try to use this as a reason of validation for what truly is happening, and it's sickening honestly.
When we bring up this issue, we no longer have to deal with the realness of privilege and what that entails.
Yes, I do understand that some people use "All Lives Matter" to truly show that every life has a value, a proposition and place on this Earth. I respect that. "Ideally, social conditions would allow for an environment where law enforcement and everyday people treat each individual with positive regard and respect. Unfortunately, that’s not the real-world experience just yet, but it’s most certainly an aspiration. One can recognize and understand that all life is valuable while taking the time to examine how social systems and institutions—including law enforcement—treat black people differently."
I cannot and will not be okay with seeing another name, with a hashtag in front of it, pleading for justice in something that has already happened. We must put a stop to this, put our feet down. We should not have to live in a society that when we hear about another shooting or killing spree it isn't a big deal.
Before I end this, I want to say, no I am not black. Actually, I am a Hispanic female who has grown up with everything I could have ever needed and more. I have never been racially profiled nor treated unjust, but the fact that I see it happen to peers and others is enough to make me stand up for it. It doesn't have to be happening to me to have some type of effect on me. I hope the case is the same for you.
Remember: United we stand, divided we fall.
