I have been sitting in the cut listening and reading people’s views on the concept of #BlackLivesMatter. I sat silently because its times like these you truly learn about the people in your circle. They expose their true thoughts and many don’t think before they speak or write. Thanks to social media everyone writes and once written it’s extremely difficult to retract. Why? We have all created a historical tag for ourselves.
Individually we write our own chapter in history, then like minds come together and there begins the creation of the collective which leads to segmented chapters. Now these segmented views can’t fit all into one book so volumes are created. Each book cannot stand on its own, as each contains its own problem(s) and spill over. If we can solve the problem(s) before the spill over it can lead to the resolution in the next installment.
For those who know me one of my common answers is “just get over it” or “it is what it is.” However, that doesn’t work for every situation, definitely not when the issue relates to the countless mishandling of black people by law enforcement. I have seen my Facebook “associates” (all of them are definitely not friends) write “all lives matter so get over it”, “they need to grow up already it’s not just black people”, “omg they are getting on my nerves with Black Lives Matter, what the fuck about the rest of us”… and on and on.
So “what the fuck” about you? Well here’s the “fuck” about you and trust me I’m beyond grown up and you’re not that significant to get on my nerves. Maybe if you removed your horse blinders, rose colored glasses and stepped out of your respective ivory towers, looked at a reflection other than your own you would understand what the #BlackLivesMatter movement is truly about.
For the record I’m of mixed race, light skin, a woman, an immigrant, fully educated, have been subjected to racism and sexism from all walks of life. People find a way to section me like an orange and stick me into their group of choice and make me a target, be it good or bad.
Targeted lives matter does not ignore the fact that all lives matter. What it highlights is that we need to focus on resolving a problem in one of the volumes in the history books we have written to stop proliferation of it from one volume to the next.
You cannot ignore the fact that this country was built on lies, theft, immigrants, blood, sweat, tears, discrimination and it all seems to be stuck in a loop with a distinct emphasis on discrimination and blood. Who gives anyone the right to make the decision of who lives or dies based on color?
You are offended by the #BlackLivesMatter movement but when the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando became a one man killing spree which was clearly targeting the LGBT community you did not resound with such negative support. You even temporarily changed your Facebook profile picture with the rainbow overlay…
Wait, my bad because you have homosexual family members so it’s different.
When there are campaigns for Cancer, ALS, Lupus you don’t respond with “all diseases matter”…
Wait, Cancer runs in your family; your son’s girlfriend has lupus; you’re neighbors’ mother passed away from ALS.
When there are campaigns for Autism you don’t respond with “all birth defects matter”…
Wait, your son/daughter’s teacher has a child with Autism.
Things cannot only “matter” when you have a direct connection to it.
Interestingly enough you accept that people have different religious views and you may not agree with their practices. However, you don’t say “their religion doesn’t matter.” You may challenge translations but you dare not say “your belief doesn’t matter.”
Women of color are invisible victims at the hands of police brutality. Often times those cases go under the radar, so should the #BrownLivesMatter movement for women be snuffed out, just like those women have been unjustly snuffed out?
Recently I hosted an event in conjunction with Truth Healing Urban Girls which focused on the human trafficking epidemic of children. Where we wrong to focus on the sex aspect of human trafficking and only the children? We are fully aware that human trafficking impact men, women and children. It’s not limited to sex but labor, yet we chose to focus on our children.
If we don’t have people coming together to address a particular need we will never have hope for a resolution. Life is about numbers we don’t tackle the full problem we break things down into components. It’s elementary, in life is an order of operations.
So while you may view the #BlackLivesMatter movement as “ignorant” or “childish” many view it as necessary just like all of the many non-profit organizations that were formed to tackle a component of the bigger issue.
Better yet, every modern convenience we enjoy today is based on someone trying to solve a problem that will bring order to chaos or reduce the labor required to bring us comfort. We are so comfortable we take for granted what we have at the expense of another’s labor: indoor plumbing, electricity, transportation, stoves, washing machines, refrigeration, educational facilities, medical institutions, summer camps, backyard pools, clothes, shoes, technology… the list is infinite
I cannot tell you how to feel, think or what to accept nor should you tell those affected by modern day racism to “get over it.” When a bully attacks someone you know, your child, your family or you directly, try telling everybody “get over it.”
This is not a paper cut. Supporting a cause is a choice so you can choose to support or just stay silent. Just remember there are many warped minded people and at any time you can become a target because some feels “your kind” is not worthy to walk “their” land.
The same way there is a subset of racist law officers there is a subset of people who hate law officers. In both cases it’s the innocent until proven guilty who are walking bullseyes.
Yes we must address lives that are targeted in an effort to reduce bullseyes, restore order and weaken the enemies. Every war has a strategic focus and does not by any means devalue the needs or issues of others.
On a side note I don’t like abbreviating #BlackLivesMatter. Too many lives have been wrongfully abbreviated so let all the words for the cause be spelled out for as long as justice takes.
© Soulmuze 2016
Soulful Storytellers LLC 