Why I Have a Problem With "All Lives Matter" | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Why I Have a Problem With "All Lives Matter"

Black Lives Matter does not mean non-black lives don't matter.

1840
Why I Have a Problem With "All Lives Matter"
Debra Cartwright

My heart aches. I'm terribly sick and sad over last week's shootings. It almost feels as if we have entered some kind of time machine and are stuck in 1963. So many conversations have started and people are discussing what is happening in our country. One major thing I hear over and over again is the argument of how All Lives Matter as opposed to Black Lives Matter. This argument is so tiring and draining. I'm tired of people not understanding what Black Lives Matter is about or thinking it's something that it's not.

One thing that people have to understand is that Black Lives Matter does not mean that non-black lives don't matter. Unfortunately, the issue is that we are 190 days into 2016 and 136 black people have been killed by cops this year. Black lives have less value when it comes to the judicial system. Black people are literally being killed for no apparent reason, and we are forced to watch video after video of black people being viciously attacked on almost every news channel. Black people are living in fear and mothers are having conversations with their children telling them to be extra careful because they don't know if that's the last time they might see them. Racism is well and alive and black people are suffering especially when it comes to police brutality.

Unfortunately we live in a country where a white male can go into a church and kill peaceful churchgoers and be offered Burger Kiing after, while a black male who is following the law can end up dead in a second. This is why Black Lives Matter. It needs to stop. The senseless killing, the trigger-happy cops, the racial profiling... all of it needs to come to an end.

I personally want people to understand that what is happening isn't OK. I should not be going to bed worrying about my family and friends because they might be shot due to the color of their skin. I'm so sick and tired of watching dead body after dead body be spread across newspapers and television. I'm tired of being called racist for saying that black lives matter. I'm so sick of it all and the worst part about it, is that I have absolutely no idea how America is going to fix this. I have no idea what I can do to stop this.

Right now in America, black lives are being threatened and that is why Black Lives Matter is relevant. That is why I have an issue with All Lives Mater.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
college just ahead sign
Wordpress

1. You will have that special "college" look to you.

2. You will feel like an adult but also feeling like a child.

3. You will have classes that are just the professor reading from their lecture slides for an hour.

4. You will need to study but also want to hang out with your friends.

5. Coffee is your best friend.

6. You don't know what you're doing 99% of the time.

7. You will procrastinate and write a paper the night before it is due.

8. Money is a mythical object.

9. It is nearly impossible to motivate yourself to go to classes during spring.

10. The food pyramid goes out the window.

11. You will have at least one stress induced breakdown a semester.

12. Most lecture classes will bore you to tears.

13. You will not like all of your professors.

14. You will try to go to the gym... but you will get too lazy at some point.

15. When you see high school students taking tours:

16. You will try to convince yourself that you can handle everything.

17. Finals week will try to kill you.

18. You won't like everyone, but you will find your best friends sooner or later.

19. You actually have to go to class.

20. Enjoy it, because you will be sad when it is all over.

girl with a hat

This is for the girls who have dealt with an emotionally, mentally, physically or verbally abusive father.

The ones who have grown up with a false lens of what love is and how relationships should be. The ones who have cried themselves to sleep wondering why he hurts you and your family so much. This is for all the girls who fall in love with broken boys that carry baggage bigger than their own, thinking it's their job to heal them because you watched your mother do the same.

Keep Reading...Show less
Blair Waldorf Quote
"DESTINY IS FOR LOSERS. IT'S JUST A STUPID EXCUSE TO WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM HAPPEN." - BLAIR WALDORF.

The world stopped in 2012 when our beloved show "Gossip Girl" ended. For six straight years, we would all tune in every Monday at 9:00 p.m. to see Upper Eastside royalty in the form of a Burberry headband clad Blair Waldorf. Blair was the big sister that we all loved to hate. How could we ever forget the epic showdowns between her and her frenemy Serena Van Der Woodsen? Or the time she banished Georgina Sparks to a Christian summer camp? How about that time when she and her girls took down Bart Bass? Blair is life. She's taught us how to dress, how to be ambitious, and most importantly, how to throw the perfect shade.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

11 Moments Every College Freshman Has Experienced

Because we made it, and because high school seniors deserve to know what they're getting themselves into

644
too tired to care

We've all been there. From move-in day to the first finals week in college, your first term is an adventure from start to finish. In honor of college decisions coming out recently, I want to recap some of the most common experiences college freshmen experience.

1. The awkward hellos on move-in day.

You're moving your stuff onto your floor, and you will encounter people you don't know yet in the hallway. They live on your floor, so you'll awkwardly smile and maybe introduce yourself. As you walk away, you will wonder if they will ever speak to you again, but don't worry, there's a good chance that you will make some great friends on your floor!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

21 Things I've Learned About College Life

College is not what everyone expects it to be.

332
laptop
Unsplash

The college years are a time for personal growth and success. Everyone comes in with expectations about how their life is supposed to turn out and envision the future. We all freak out when things don't go exactly as planned or when our expectations are unmet. As time goes on, we realize that the uncertainty of college is what makes it great. Here are some helpful reminders about life in college.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments