It isn't an argument of whether black lives matter or blue lives matter — it's that lives matter. And I am not the only one who feels this way.
"It is so important that everyone -- regardless of race or political party or profession, regardless of what organization you are a part of -- everyone right now focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further." - President Obama.
In his speech on the Baton Rouge shooting, President Obama urged American citizens to unite. I understand that the black lives matter and blue lives matter movements were made to show support of different groups, but these movements have only caused a division. There are people from both sides who are genuine and only trying to show their support for that particular movement, and there a people from both sides who have motives that aren't as pure. There have been crimes and wrongdoings from both parties. Whether these movements were started with good intentions or not is irrelevant, because all they've done is divide us. That is why, instead of separating ourselves into groups, we should take hold of our neighbor's hand and recognize that life matters, regardless of race or uniform.
"We don’t need careless accusations thrown around to score political points or advance an agenda. We need to temper our words and open our hearts. All of us." - President Obama.
I am not typically a person who agrees with President Obama, but I have to applaud him for this speech. Earlier in his speech he mentions that "around the clock news cycles and social media sometimes amplify these divisions." And he's right, they do. Each news station has an agenda, and they broadcast things that help to enhance that agenda. Trending topics like black lives matter or blue lives matter work to do the same. Our president is urging us to stop throwing accusations, like all cops are killers and all African-Americans are criminals, and to start leaning on one another. The only way to fix this division is to stop dividing each other with our words.
We are not born with biases. Biases are learned, and anything we learn we can unlearn. We divide people into different races -- African, Caucasian, Hispanic, European -- when, really, we're all apart of the same race: the human race. It's time we start acting like it. Do not judge your fellow man by the pigmentation of his skin or his occupation, but by his actions and words.
