Black lives matter. It's actually as simple as that, but I know a lot of people don't quite understand what that means or why the hashtag or the movement needed to be created in the first place. A lot of you, myself included, don't have to worry about certain things that many Black people worry about on a daily basis. I am a white 19-year-old woman who, if pulled over by a cop, could probably just flash a smile, apologize, and go about my day. I don't have that extra worry in my life that someone is going to target me because of the color of my skin or worse, shoot me for it. Black people, along with other people of color, face so many injustices in our society that no white person will ever have to think about. White privilege is very real and extremely detrimental not only to people of color but to society as a whole. It is time to recognize and understand these injustices, educate people about them, and put a stop to them before any more lives are lost at the hands of bigoted, racist, fearful individuals and groups.

I'm sure you're wondering, "Where's your proof that this is happening? How are you going to convince me that this is an issue?" I promise I won't fail to deliver. Turn up your AC kiddos, because it's about to get heated.

Now, keep in mind that the events you're about to read about are the most recent ones I could find, which also means these aren't the only cases relevant to this topic. These instances happened just within the past week. Within not even 48 hours of each other. As you read through these cases, really think about why these things are happening. Try to look at it from a point of view other than your own. Think outside the box, outside everything you previously knew, or thought you knew, and consider what I'm about to tell you.

Alton Sterling, 37 years old, was selling CDs outside of his friend's shop. Just imagine the confusion he felt when two police officers approached him, made accusations and assumptions based on his description, physically assaulted him, and ended his life with multiple gun shots. This man, who was doing nothing other than trying to make some money to support his family, was singled out and shot. For what? What possible purpose was there for the arbitrary murder of an innocent man? No matter how you look at it, these individuals took advantage of the power and weapons they were given and used them both to end another human being's life. If you've seen either of the videos you know that the cops had him subdued; he was laying on the ground with them on top of him when one of them said "gun" which in turn caused everything to go haywire and ended with multiple bullets imbedded in Sterlings chest. Clinging to what little life he had left you see his hand brush over his wounds and then one of the police officers reached into Alton's pocket and pulled out — his gun. So why was the gun their reason for killing the man? How was a gun that was in his pocket, out of reach, a threat to the situation or the cops' lives? Last time I checked, I couldn't very well reach into my pocket and successfully shoot someone who is sitting on top of me and restraining me. Why is it that when 49 people were brutally murdered in a gay club in Orlando, Florida, so many people said it could've been prevented or significantly diminished if the people in the club had guns. Why was that not the case for Mr. Sterling? Why was his gun the reason his life was ended instead of the reason he was able to survive?

Philando Castile, 32, was a public school employee trying to make a difference in children's lives and make a living for his family. Imagine you're him, pulled over for a busted taillight. All right, no big deal, you reach for your license and registration like you've been asked and as you do so you think it best to inform the officer that you have a license to carry a concealed weapon. Seems reasonable, right? To let the officer know there is a weapon on you so they aren't caught off guard when they happen to see it. This responsible choice had the opposite effect for Mr. Castile because instead of simply getting a ticket for the busted taillight he was shot. Multiple times. In front of his girlfriend and her daughter. Why? For obeying orders? For informing a police officer that there was a weapon in the vehicle? What did this man do wrong, aside from trusting that a cop wouldn't shoot him for complying with his requests? This incident was also caught on video, not in full, but the aftermath of it. The officer was clearly distraught and for good reason. Who wouldn't be a complete mess after realizing they just shot an innocent man and most likely took his life for doing exactly what you had asked him to do? Why was this officer so afraid of this man? What reason did he have for thinking Philando would pull a gun on him in broad daylight, with his family in the vehicle, because he got pulled over for a busted taillight?

Would either of these situations have had the same outcome if these men had been white? What must have been going through those police officers minds to make them pull their guns out. You can hear the fear in their voices in all the videos and for what? What were they so afraid of?

Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tanisha Anderson, and Tamir Rice are just a few of the many. How many more names need to make the list before we admit that there's a problem in this country? There is a problem with discrimination, fear, corruption, and the thing so many people are afraid to admit is still a problem in this country: racism. Although there is a vast majority of people who deny that racism and white privilege exist, that doesn't mean it doesn't. There is still racism in this world, there is still white privilege in this world and nothing will change unless we acknowledge that fact and do something about it.

We have come a long way from how things were in the past but should we really be proud that we no longer make people with a darker skin color drink from separate water fountains? Just because Black people have the right to vote, and we don't have segregated bathrooms anymore, and we have a Black president doesn't mean that racism has suddenly ended. Racism is still alive and well here in America because Black people are still viewed in a negative light; there are still negative perceptions about the kinds of lives they are assumed to lead, or the type of actions they will perform (i.e. pulling a gun on a cop) and it is this kind of stereotyping and making assumptions that is getting innocent Black people killed for no reason.

I will continue to shout #BlackLivesMatter until people realize that it isn't a movement about superiority, it isn't a movement about hating police officers or law enforcement. Black Lives Matter is simple: It is the notion that Black people matter; is that such a crazy concept to grasp?

For those of you that like to counter this movement with #AllLivesMatter, we know that all lives are important. Nobody is trying to tell you that black lives are more important than other lives, but we're focusing on Black lives right now because they are the ones constantly persecuted for the color of their skin, and that is an injustice we won't stand for anymore. All lives will matter when black lives matter, but until then we can't continue to deny that fact that we still aren't equal.

To quote a piece from Macklemore's song "White Privilege II," "Black Lives Matter, to use an analogy, is like if there was a subdivision and a house was on fire, the fire department wouldn't show up and start putting water on all the houses because all houses matter, they would show up and they would turn their water on the house that is burning, because that's the house that needs the help the most."

You wouldn't save a group of people that doesn't need saving. You would't donate money to someone who has plenty of their own. Likewise, we don't need to help "all lives" at once because not all lives are in danger at this point in time. This whole equality thing. It really isn't that radical of a notion.

We need to stop generalizing people. Cops, blacks, whites, Muslims, Christians — we are all people and it's time we start standing together against all of the injustices we face in this country and in this world today.

Fear, hatred, emotion, authority, and weapons are not a good combination in any situation. I will stand with those who face injustice, I will listen to what they have to say, and I will not stop saying their names. I will not rest until there is peace among us all and these hate crimes can be a thing of the past. We must not harbor hatred nor fear of any other human being no matter what they look like, how they dress, what religion they practice, what foods they eat, or even on previous encounters with people similar to others in your life. We are better than our recent events, we can be better and must do better, not only for our people today, but for future generations.