In the wake of recent, horrific events, it's not uncommon to find at least a couple of people on social media who insist that All Lives Matter among others who express outrage over the injustice and racism plaguing the country. While certainly the notion that all lives matter is a wonderful thought, it is far from accurate, and won't be until the Black Lives Matter and other movements are heard.
Here are some of the best internet analogies for why all lives won't matter until black ones do:
1. Bob is sitting at the dinner table. Everyone else gets a plate of food except Bob. Bob says, "Bob Deserves Food." Everyone at the table responds with "Everyone Deserves Food" and continues eating. Although Everyone Deserves Food is a true statement, it does nothing to actually rectify the fact that Bob doesn't have any food.
2. Do people who change Black Lives Matter to All Lives Matter run through a cancer fundraiser yelling "There are other diseases too!"? Do they crash strangers' funerals shouting "I too have felt loss!"?
3. People who are passionate about saving the rainforest aren't considered hypocrites for not saving all the trees of the world.
4. When a house is on fire, no one shouts that all houses matter. Instead, they just water the one that's on fire.
The Black Lives Matter movement is the cancer fundraiser––the rainforest––the burning house––Bob. The perfect retort to All Lives Matter?
"Not yet."