Dear #AllLivesMatter folks,
I know you mean well. I do, I really do. I know you think you are being politically correct by tearing down a wall which you perceive to be there. I know you feel you are preaching a message of love, and peace, and unity for all. I know you truly believe promoting a totally inclusive message of fairness is stronger than just focusing on one minority group. You whole heartedly believe down to your very core that you are doing the right thing. However, please stop.
Your attempted message of unity and inclusion is misguided. It implies everyone is currently treated the same, and everyone has the same problems. This is blissfully ignorant at best. Saying all lives matter is a simply a false veil of tolerance, and attempts to prove some form of equality, when the fact is...there isn't any.
Now this isn't directed at white people in particular, because I've seen many people of several different races post the same cute little message all over social media. I will say I haven't seen many (and I mean I can't recall one) black people promote ALM. The reason behind this is simple; you don't get what #BlackLivesMatter really means.
First lets talk about what BLM isn't;
I know you mean well. I do, I really do. I know you think you are being politically correct by tearing down a wall which you perceive to be there. I know you feel you are preaching a message of love, and peace, and unity for all. I know you truly believe promoting a totally inclusive message of fairness is stronger than just focusing on one minority group. You whole heartedly believe down to your very core that you are doing the right thing. However, please stop.
Your attempted message of unity and inclusion is misguided. It implies everyone is currently treated the same, and everyone has the same problems. This is blissfully ignorant at best. Saying all lives matter is a simply a false veil of tolerance, and attempts to prove some form of equality, when the fact is...there isn't any.
Now this isn't directed at white people in particular, because I've seen many people of several different races post the same cute little message all over social media. I will say I haven't seen many (and I mean I can't recall one) black people promote ALM. The reason behind this is simple; you don't get what #BlackLivesMatter really means.
First lets talk about what BLM isn't;
BlackLivesMatter does NOT mean BlackLivesMattermore
BlackLivesMatter does NOT mean BlackLivesMatteronly
BlackLivesMatter does NOT mean BlackLivesMattersofuckoffeveryoneelse!
BlackLivesMatter does not promote violence either. Please stop accusing them of that. Incidents involving violence against police has nothing to do with them. At best, the only connection with them is skin colour. BLM repeatedly has denounced violence against others for their cause. BLM is not for promoting the elevation of anyone.
To put it simply, it means BlackLivesMattertoo. It's a promotion of equality, not elevation over anyone else. It is to say there is a social disparity among the races and it needs to be addressed. Saying ALM just shows someone's lack of understanding of the issue. Saying 'Save the Polar bear' doesn't mean 'Fuck the Rhino'!
There is still a racism problem ESPECIALLY in the US. This is fact. There are too many examples to deny this. If you choose to, it's because you simply haven't done any actual research on the matter. The other issue is people love to throw around the word 'racism' so freely as if it were a pokeball. It's as if people try to work it in regular conversation now. However, the majority of folks don't even know what racism even means.
Racism is the belief that a particular race is either superior or inferior to another. The key is there has to be some form of negative bias involved which diminishes someone else for it to be racism. Saying something like "Asians are good at math" isn't racist because saying something complementary about a race did no harm to them, and more importantly it did not mean "Other races are bad at math". Saying "Asians are better at math" is racist, because it diminishes others with a non factual argument.
BlackLivesMatter does NOT mean BlackLivesMatteronly
BlackLivesMatter does NOT mean BlackLivesMattersofuckoffeveryoneelse!
BlackLivesMatter does not promote violence either. Please stop accusing them of that. Incidents involving violence against police has nothing to do with them. At best, the only connection with them is skin colour. BLM repeatedly has denounced violence against others for their cause. BLM is not for promoting the elevation of anyone.
To put it simply, it means BlackLivesMattertoo. It's a promotion of equality, not elevation over anyone else. It is to say there is a social disparity among the races and it needs to be addressed. Saying ALM just shows someone's lack of understanding of the issue. Saying 'Save the Polar bear' doesn't mean 'Fuck the Rhino'!
There is still a racism problem ESPECIALLY in the US. This is fact. There are too many examples to deny this. If you choose to, it's because you simply haven't done any actual research on the matter. The other issue is people love to throw around the word 'racism' so freely as if it were a pokeball. It's as if people try to work it in regular conversation now. However, the majority of folks don't even know what racism even means.
Racism is the belief that a particular race is either superior or inferior to another. The key is there has to be some form of negative bias involved which diminishes someone else for it to be racism. Saying something like "Asians are good at math" isn't racist because saying something complementary about a race did no harm to them, and more importantly it did not mean "Other races are bad at math". Saying "Asians are better at math" is racist, because it diminishes others with a non factual argument.
"All Latin people are good in bed" - not racist
"All Chinese people can't drive" - racist
"People from Israel are good with money" - not racist
"All middle easter people are terrorists" - racist
What many people mean to say is prejudice, which is the larger term which also involves racism. Black people are rarely racist because they don't believe they are superior to anyone. Look at the message coming form the black heroes throughout history, they spoke of equality, and not superiority. The reason is simple, there is a bias. Ignoring such bias is actually a form of racism because one is saying "I like the way things are, and I don't want to change". What's wrong with that? Well answer this question; Would you like to be treated the same as any black person in America today? Someone...anyone? Your hand probably even dropped a little. It's racist because you know there is a division, yet you "choose" to not acknowledge it.
Ask a black person if they'd like to be treated the same as a white person in America, and you'd see an overwhelming majority of them (if not all) put their hand up. THERE IS A BIAS.
The other point of "Well I am oppressed as well" is all good and all. As a matter of fact, it's just as important as the topic at hand. There is room to deal with all issues. BLM doesn't mean we stop discussing the oppression of women, gays, jews, muslims, terrorism, and who's football team is better. All of things can be on the docket and with equal priority.
I really don't care how many black friends you have, I don't care how cool you are with black folk, or that you once dated a black guy. If you've ever said the words "I don't see colour, I just see people. I don't see you as a black person" is absolutely racist because you are admitting there is a negative connotation to being black, and yet you just want to ignore their issue which they are bitching about. You are associating black the same way much of american society has, but you feel you are being more mature and enlightened by treating your black friends as the same as you. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not calling you a racist for saying it, I'm saying it's racist to say it...difference!
Physically, black people are the same as everyone else. Socially, black people are no where near the same as everyone else. Now of course this can be said for many other races, but the issue here is BLM and their message. There is an obvious disproportionate amount of violence in the US towards blacks when it comes to police officers. It was always there, but now we have cameras everywhere.
If all lives really mattered, why aren't you protesting alongside them? Because it's not really your problem? Because you are afraid of something happening to you? That right there is exactly why all lives don't seem to matter. If it did, this wouldn't have to be a thing. It's not the other way around.
ALM would be ideal, but right now we need to focus on the black ones! If you're also a minority, your issue is still being looked after. If you're white, don't worry, no one is blaming you in particular for what's happening between the cops and black people.
All lives matter, but apparently not everyone realizes that.
What many people mean to say is prejudice, which is the larger term which also involves racism. Black people are rarely racist because they don't believe they are superior to anyone. Look at the message coming form the black heroes throughout history, they spoke of equality, and not superiority. The reason is simple, there is a bias. Ignoring such bias is actually a form of racism because one is saying "I like the way things are, and I don't want to change". What's wrong with that? Well answer this question; Would you like to be treated the same as any black person in America today? Someone...anyone? Your hand probably even dropped a little. It's racist because you know there is a division, yet you "choose" to not acknowledge it.
Ask a black person if they'd like to be treated the same as a white person in America, and you'd see an overwhelming majority of them (if not all) put their hand up. THERE IS A BIAS.
The other point of "Well I am oppressed as well" is all good and all. As a matter of fact, it's just as important as the topic at hand. There is room to deal with all issues. BLM doesn't mean we stop discussing the oppression of women, gays, jews, muslims, terrorism, and who's football team is better. All of things can be on the docket and with equal priority.
I really don't care how many black friends you have, I don't care how cool you are with black folk, or that you once dated a black guy. If you've ever said the words "I don't see colour, I just see people. I don't see you as a black person" is absolutely racist because you are admitting there is a negative connotation to being black, and yet you just want to ignore their issue which they are bitching about. You are associating black the same way much of american society has, but you feel you are being more mature and enlightened by treating your black friends as the same as you. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not calling you a racist for saying it, I'm saying it's racist to say it...difference!
Physically, black people are the same as everyone else. Socially, black people are no where near the same as everyone else. Now of course this can be said for many other races, but the issue here is BLM and their message. There is an obvious disproportionate amount of violence in the US towards blacks when it comes to police officers. It was always there, but now we have cameras everywhere.
If all lives really mattered, why aren't you protesting alongside them? Because it's not really your problem? Because you are afraid of something happening to you? That right there is exactly why all lives don't seem to matter. If it did, this wouldn't have to be a thing. It's not the other way around.
ALM would be ideal, but right now we need to focus on the black ones! If you're also a minority, your issue is still being looked after. If you're white, don't worry, no one is blaming you in particular for what's happening between the cops and black people.
All lives matter, but apparently not everyone realizes that.
No comments:
Post a Comment