While a quick glance to the right might indicate that I鈥檓 not the first person you would ask about race relations, I feel as though we need to talk a little bit about the words 鈥渁ll lives matter,鈥� and why they鈥檝e become very controversial in spite of 小蓝视频 a fairly innocuous and, honestly, completely accurate statement.
The problem is all due to context. The rise of 鈥渁ll lives matter鈥� started after the 鈥淏lack Lives Matter鈥� movement began to gain traction, back in 2013 following the shooting death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of George Zimmerman. That statement was a way to call attention to the men and women like Martin, who were killed or beaten by people in authority who didn鈥檛 face serious punishment for those crimes. It was a way to call attention to the disproportionate amount of violence faced by black people in America, especially by police. People ignoring that call meant that the violence didn鈥檛 actually stop, and the widespread protests in America right now, sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the knees of Minneapolis police, are a direct result.
The problem with 鈥渁ll lives matter鈥� was that it was a way to ignore that call. It was a way of 小蓝视频 dismissive, someone saying 鈥渂lack lives matter鈥� could be just ignored completely instead of 小蓝视频 engaged with. It was a fairly effective way of drowning out the real concerns, and that鈥檚 why it became extremely controversial. It鈥檚 not the meaning of the words, it鈥檚 the context in which they are used.
Because saying 鈥渂lack lives matter鈥� isn鈥檛 saying that other lives don鈥檛 matter. It鈥檚 instead saying that because black lives do matter, we should be doing more to prevent unnecessary violence and their premature end. It鈥檚 calling attention to the threat that those lives are under, which is relatively unique, since black people in America are at a disproportionately high risk to experience violence at the hands of police.
I do recognize that Canada isn鈥檛 perfect, even as I reference America above, because we have our own issues, especially surrounding Indigenous people in our country. Canada鈥檚 crisis surrounding murdered and missing Indigenous women is something we haven鈥檛 dealt with enough. Their lives matter too.
And, let鈥檚 be honest, if we need to listen, because their point extends beyond race. It is dangerous if there is a police force that can kill with impunity, even if it鈥檚 an unarmed person, even if it鈥檚 someone who鈥檚 still in bed, such as the case of Breonna Taylor, an EMT shot to death after police went to the wrong apartment. However, in saying that, we鈥檙e not all at risk to the same degree, and nobody should pretend that we are, but it鈥檚 still vitally important that police violence, in general, is brought to a minimum.
鈥淏lack Lives Matter鈥� was meant to function as a reminder that there are millions of people who don鈥檛 feel safe going about their daily business. It鈥檚 a reminder that their lives are treated like they don鈥檛 matter, and that鈥檚 a travesty.
Equality doesn鈥檛 exist so long as one group continues to be more at risk than another, and equality doesn鈥檛 magically exist because you have ignored their concerns and pretended that their issues, their fears, their risks that you don鈥檛 necessarily share, don鈥檛 exist.
That鈥檚 why 鈥渁ll lives matter鈥� has a toxic reputation. Because we know that all lives matter, and we want a world where all lives are treated equally. And by saying that right now, you鈥檙e trying to pretend that the problem is already solved. It isn鈥檛, the last couple weeks have been proof of that. All lives might matter, but instead of brushing inequality under the rug we have to treat those lives like they matter. That means remembering black lives matter, indigenous lives matter, and doing what we can to ensure they鈥檙e not only safe, but feel as though those of us with privilege aren鈥檛 looking down on them and their struggle. We have to listen and make real changes. Ignoring the problem just makes it worse.
When someone says 鈥淏lack Lives Matter,鈥� listen to them, don鈥檛 dismiss them with an innocuous platitude. Because right now the people saying 鈥淎ll Lives Matter鈥� in response are actually saying that they don鈥檛, because they鈥檙e not willing to engage and ensure that they do.
