Black Lives Matter.
Really?
To whom?
And when?
Under what circumstances?
Three words.
Black. Lives. Matter.
Started off as a rallying cry used to express the frustration and pain felt by members of the black community over the police violence perpetrated against them.
Three words.
Black. Lives. Matter.
Loved to be hated by conservatives both black and white, because of the implied notion of black exclusivity, reverse racism and political correctness.
Three words.
Black. Lives. Matter.
Now embraced by large corporations, liberal groups, celebrity activists and politicians.
The “words” black lives matter, whether used as the name of a social / political group, a slogan on a tee shirt or the clarion call of a movement, has caused people to think about ways to change the system. They’re saying George Floyd changed the world.
Well, as they say, “Time will tell”.
But.
Is this Over correction? Overreaching? Agitation by outside groups?
Maybe. Maybe not.
And at the same time, critics are demanding proponents of the “black lives matter” movement answer what they feel are “tough questions”.
And the question, rhetorical or not, is this:
”If black lives really matter so much, then why is it that in black communities, black people are killed daily at the hands of other black people and nothing is said? Do black lives only matter when the perpetrator is not black?”
Great question.
And, one that is not entirely true.
Let’s examine…
First
“Black people are killed daily at the hands of other black people”.
True statement.
You don’t have to be a research scientist to find stats and figures on the numbers of black people killed in the black community by other black people. A quick Google search can bring up the numbers in Chicago in a matter of seconds.
Unfortunately, as Childish Gambino says, “This is America”, and violence is an integral part of the American experience. So, contrary to what has become popular belief, the black community does not hold a monopoly on violence in America.
The so-called “black on black” violence that is always mentioned is simply what sociologists refer to as “intra-racial” violence.
In plain language this means:
Whites perpetrate violent crimes mainly against whites (white on white?)
Blacks perpetrate violent crimes mainly against blacks (black on black?)
Hispanics perpetrate violent crimes mainly against Hispanics (Hispanic on Hispanic?)
and etc.
So , in light of this information, another rhetorical question could be posed:
If any of the above-mentioned racial groups engage in the “intra-racial” violence thing, where they kill their own members, is it now ok for the police to kill them too?
(Remember folks, the question is RHETORICAL)
Second
“Nobody is saying anything”
There is nothing at all true about this statement.
The black community is in a constant battle with the elements among them that do most of the violent crimes. Numerous community groups exist to combat this. One could start with naming the typical groups like the N.A.A.C.P. or the National Urban League, but that would be too easy. How about naming some of the grass roots organizations in Chicago like:
Action Now Institute
American Friends Service Committee
Logan Square Neighborhood Association
And this is just a fraction.
Ever heard of them? Probably not. But it’s not your fault. When local organizations like this engage in the good that they do, they get very little press, or no press at all. Which then makes it easy to believe in a statement like “nobody is saying anything”.
Black Lives Matter as an organization was created to specifically address matters of police misconduct, not “intra-racial” violence. As you can now see, there are many organizations to address that, and they do a pretty good job at it.
Third
“Do black lives matter only when the perpetrator is not black?”.
Well, based on what we now know about the many grass roots organizations working to prevent the dreaded “intra-racial” violence, the answer should be a resounding “NO”.
And once again, the rhetorical question is asked:
If any of the above-mentioned racial groups engage in the “intra-racial” violence thing, where they kill their own members, is it now ok for the police to kill them too?
Well, as they say…
Time Will Tell
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