Do #BlackLivesMatter or do #BlueLivesMatter ?

Some members of law enforcement see the "BlackLivesMatter" hashtag as an anti-police movement to insult and disrespect them. This is clearly not the case as it is possible to acknowledge that the society we live in needs law enforcement to protect the rights of the people. This does not mean that they are not open to criticism like everyone else. To combat this, people have risen up with the “BlueLivesMatter” hashtag to advocate for police officers during times of political and social discourse. One thing that should be noted is that this does not mean that law enforcement shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions if they do break the law or abuse their power.

Now let's get something straight here. Blue lives do matter, but let's not forget that they can take off their uniform at anytime. This isn't the case when discussing skin color. The lives of the police are just as valuable as any other person, but simply because you support the police does not mean you need to overlook and continue to make excuses for them when they are in the wrong. After the Dallas shooting at the BLM protest, people have been screaming Blue Lives Matters and incriminating BLM as a terrorist organization, as if the shooter had acted on behalf of the movement. Calling it the worst attack on police since 911. First off all, 911 was an attack on civilians. Some of the civilians there were officers, but they were not killed because they were police officers. They were killed because they resided in America.

The shooter had stated that he acted alone and was upset about BLM and the recent shootings of black men, in the media. He wanted it known that he hated and wanted to kill white people. This is not the case for BLM. Of course, the deaths of these five officers is horrible, but don’t act as if simply because this person, who had previously supported the movement, now dictates what the movement stands. He is an individual that acted alone, not on behalf of colored people or BLM.

Do #BlackLivesMatter or do #AllLivesMatter ?

Granted, some individuals in the black lives matter movement have taken their philosophies a little too far. An example of this would be the recent activities how Black Lives Matter halted a gay pride parade in Toronto. There’s no excuse for that, and they were honestly out of line.

Though, its important to take into account that some people have completely missed the purpose of the hashtag. It is called ‪#‎blacklivesmatter‬ not ‪#‎AfricanAmericanLivesMatter‬. In this sense, black = people of color. The label black includes many different types of people. Africans, African Americans, Haitians, Jamaicans, etc. It implies that people of color need justice from the continued effects of racism and prejudice created by colonization of these countries by whites/Anglo/Europeans.

So this hashtag is deeper than most people see. There are nearly 2 billion people of black ancestry in the world. African American, on the other hand, is specific to just America. The reality is that blacks across the world have been dehumanized by whites, and other races in various parts of the regions. With that being said, the problem at hand here in America is that the blacks (African Americans) have long been stigmatized, and treated unfairly because of the color of their skin. In a country (America) that prides itself on being "the land of the free" and a "developed" "sophisticated" country. Black people are tired of living and not being treated fairly because some people think that they are superior or better than they are simply by existing. We do not know about the struggles of African Children or Haitians being killed in the Dominican Republic, but we know about our own struggle so we are fighting against the unfair treatment of African Americans in America, and other minorities who may experience similar situations. This movement is important and it is important for black people in America to not think that this hashtag is only for African Americans. White people should not walk around saying ‪#‎alllivesmatter‬ because you are unhappy that black people feel the need to make something for themselves. That indeed is racism. #alllivesmatter came as a response to #blacklivesmatter which shows why it is racist. Being supportive of your own culture is not being racist, having a problem with someone doing that is.

Why would anyone be mad that black people believe that black lives matter when for centuries those are the lives that have been taught to matter less? If you truly believe that ‪#‎alllivematter‬ you would have been saying that way before #blacklivesmatter came about. If you were true to yourselves you would see that you are only upset that black people are taking a stand for themselves, not that they aren't "including everyone”.

Saying our lives matter does not mean your lives matter any less. People are free to create their own organization to support whatever group they like. It's just kind of funny that All Lives Matter wasn't created until directly after Black Lives Matter came about.

#BlackLivesMatter is the new KKK

Black lives matter is not a terrorist organization. Some of it’s members and supporters do get out of hand and end up letting their passions paint an ugly picture for the group, as a whole. Some see BLM as an uncivilized group of people that doesn’t have the ability to hold an intellectual debate or conversation, but the main goal of the movement has always been to advocate for black and brown people during issues that can be classified under social justice. Some members may be disruptive, but you don't see them trying burn down entire neighborhoods and lynch families.