The 'Black Lives Matter' movement is many things. It's a voice for oppressed Blacks. It's an opportunity to fix the system that's been rigged against non-whites for longer than anyone can remember. It's protected by our Constitution's First Amendment. But what it isn't is uniting the country. And here's why:

Blame can be held on both sides. For those not involved in the movement and are against its message, they offer a plethora of rebuttals. One is the argument that the term 'Black Lives Matter' is racist because it fails to recognize other races. Raven-Symoné on 'The View' said,

"I understand what the ‘Black Lives Matter’ hashtag means. It came in conjunction with everything that was going on with the police in Ferguson. You have to be sensitive in that statement, but he is right, all lives matter… I think you have to open yourself up. It should be all lives matter."

People who argue that Black Lives Matter is racist because the legitimate phrase to sum up the movement does not say, "All Lives Matter" is not listening to the message. Of course, all lives matter; if all lives didn't matter there would be no basis of respect that the movement is looking to achieve for the Black community. And even if the movement decided to change its name, it would not change the movement itself, so the argument to refuse to recognize 'Black Lives Matter' on the basis of its name is invalid.

Additionally, the people who believe that saying 'Black Lives Matter' is racist is wrong. On the official website for 'Black Lives Matter,' run by the people who coined the phrase--Patrice Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza--it says, "Contained within the statement is an unspoken but implied ‘too,’ as in ‘black lives matter, too,’ which suggests that the statement is one of inclusion rather than exclusion" ("11 Major Misconceptions About Black Lives Matter").

Many people also argue against the movement because a majority of crime in the Black community is committed by other Black people. They ask, "Why do they try to fix the problem with police officers if they can't even fix themselves?" While this may be true, many fail to recognize that most crime is intra racial, and the same argument can apply to the White community. Derived from the U.S. Department of Justice's sponsored website is a data table that categorizes all recognized murders in 2013 based on gender, ethnicity, and race of the victim and the murderer. Out of 2,491 Black victims, 2,245 murderers were also Black. That means that 90.13 percent of Black victims were killed by Black offenders. However, out of 3,005 White victims, 2,509 of those murderers were White. That means that 83.49 percent of White victims were killed by White offenders("Murder"). This information in it of itself should completely invalidate the argument of "fixing themselves." But, if this information doesn't prove it to you, then maybe this will: In one of Chicago's predominantly Black areas, some local members of 'Black Lives Matter' created a group called "Violence Interrupters," where they attempt to stop escalating violent events from transpiring("11 Common Misconceptions").

Those that do not listen to what 'Black Lives Matter' is asking for are ultimately isolating the movement and the Black community. Instead of making excuses for not listening to the movement, listen to the struggle. Understand the fear that they hold close to their hearts. Their feelings and beliefs are not invalid just because you refuse to listen. When you start to listen to the voices screaming for justice--when you start to really listen to those that demand to be heard--with open ears, unity in this country will come naturally.

Now, on to the side of the movement. While it is not the whole movement to blame for the disunity, it is those within or outside the movement who support its message of equality--but turn to violence--that are to blame. 'Black Lives Matter' is a movement composed of local leaders and organizations, so the overall movement is not to blame when violence is provoked; however, these groups and organizations represent the movement; and, when violence in the name of 'Black Lives Matter' is incited, it creates a negative image of the movement and discredit all it works for.

You cannot ask for an end to violence by starting violence yourself. The movement works hard to bring to light the deaths of innocent people like Alton Sterling, who shouldn't have been assumed to be violent by the police that killed him. By stirring violence and upholding the 'eye for an eye' ideal, you are not listening to the movement's message any more than those against it. Of course your life matters; that is why so many people support and are a part of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement. That gives you no right, however, to turn and kill another innocent man just because of the uniform he wears. That is just as bad as the police killing an innocent man just because of the color of his skin. Take 25-year-old Micah Johnson, for example. While he was not a part of the 'Black Lives Mater' movement, he used their peaceful protest in Dallas, Texas this past July as an opportunity to kill 5 white police officers and wound 7 others that were protecting the organization's right to peacefully assemble. During the standoff, the New York Times said that he specifically cited the 'Black Lives Matter' movement as a reason he felt compelled to kill white police officers(Fernandez). To blame and punish the innocent is arguably the exact same thing that the 'Black Lives Matter' movement is fighting for for their community. There should be no 'sides' in this fight: we should all be able to support and uplift the police officers that bravely put their lives on the line everyday, and still be able to recognize the struggle of the Black community and bring to them the safety and justice they deserve. 'Black Lives Matter' wants to ensure that all lives matter, especially the Black lives that seem to not matter in our society. Their message is inclusion, which means police lives matter, too.

Those that want to incite violence, listen to what the movement wants. Listen to what you want. The only thing violence does is instill fear into those who are not in the same situation as you, and isolates the innocent from helping the movement. Violence does not bring the unity that the movement seeks.

So, no. 'Black Lives Matter' is not uniting the country. But it is not the movement's fault. It is the fault of those that fail to listen to what it really wants: "liberty and justice for all." Until we learn to open our ears to their voices, open our hearts to their struggle, and open our minds to social change, we will never be able to come together as one people, one community, looking towards a brighter future.

Works Cited

"11 Major Misconceptions About the Black Lives Matter Movement." Black Lives Matter. #BlackLivesMatter Organization, n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.

Fernandez, Manny, Richard Pérez-Peña, and Jonah Engel Bromwich. "Five Dallas Officers Were Killed as Payback, Police Chief Says." The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 July 2016. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

"Murder: Race, Ethnicity, and Sex of Victim by Race, Ethnicity, and Sex of Offender, 2013." FBI:UCR. U.S. Department of Justice, n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.