As a white male, I cannot proclaim it my right to speak on behalf of those who face systemic oppression from which my privilege grants me immunity. I do speak however, because I want to encourage the propagation of truth and well-being in our society. Every demographic faces stigmas and prejudgments, but the stigmas that minorities in America live with are immeasurably biased to their disadvantage. I am white, the only passion I have on the issue is my firm belief that justice should exist for all of us. It is an object, not an opinion, that American minorities face harder lives than those of white people. It is not belief but fact that the same prejudice that cause white-folk to be suspicious of black men is the same prejudice that incites disproportionate amounts of violence against men of color by cops. I have nothing to gain from saying that this society is skewed; I could happily live in a white-bubble and ignore the plights of those around me but I take issue with that. I speak because I hold a position in society that gives my voice power, power that is not held by the people who’s words I am echoing. Black Lives Matter and this is how to talk about it.

Nobody in this country is unaware of slavery. It happened, and it has affected our society and culture ever since. The idea of white-superiority has two sides, the side aforementioned and the parallel notion of black-inferiority. These sister beliefs have tangoed with our society for its entire history: from the crimes of slavery, to the enforcement of Jim Crow, to the embodiment of systemic oppression in the destruction of black men by law. Because of these ideas, terrible things have been made excusable. This nation was built on land stained by the blood of POC. The white man used their lives to create a world for himself. It’s hard not to see, if one is truly looking, that that racist world still exists. Whiteness is encouraged as the standard of beauty, white actors are hired to play the roles of minorities, white-flight out of cities into suburbs destroys communities, white offenders face less risk than those of color, the evidence is clear that the privilege is real. The cushy world we have access to can’t be denied anymore. The majority of Trumps support comes from people who want to separate themselves from the real world and reside in that bubble. They want to isolate themselves and maintain the current system that by default disadvantages those with dark skin and non-European lineage. By no means is it excusable, but for many of those supporters they do not see decisions like, voting for trump, or using insensitive language as stepping on anyone else life. From within the bubble it is incredibly hard to see the reality of the current situation, it’s not a conscious act of oppression. White-folk do not know the pressures associated with their race, they do not have to advocate for their race; In any situation where race is an issue white people are allowed to be individuals and speak on behalf of themselves. “I’m not a racist” , “I have plenty of black friends”, “I don't see color” sound familiar? From within the bubble they are perfectly comfortable making those statements and believing that it excuses them of reprimanding the injustice that exists. “I’m not a racist” but I prejudge a man based on the color of his skin and his cultural expression. “I have plenty of black friends” but I use them as examples to embody an entire race rather than as individuals. “I don't see color” but I judge a persons decency based on their assimilation of white ideals. These thought are what sustain the bubble, they are subversive and sinister in nature. They are the ideas that keep a fragment of those terrible sister beliefs unconsciously lingering through our society. The fear of those who do not mold to fit white standards instantly labels those people dangerous, and worthy of destruction. The white-world has existed since before this countries inception, but there has never been a moment that the white world has been a true representation of America. This land bears all of us, and its or duty as citizens of this country, that declares equality for all of it’s citizens, to be united with one another and hold the same respects and values for everyone regardless of race, sex, or culture. Its basic patriotism. There is no white-America, not in the sense of an America that meets the expectations of white idealism, the concept of a white- America is very real and thats the entire problem.

So what does any of that have to do with being able to talk about Black Lives Matter? I’ll tell you right now. It may come as a shock to many, but the BLM movement is a very narrowly-focused movement. It seeks to specifically address the biased destruction of POC by police. It does not focus on any other topics regarding the current societal imbalance. This extreme focus on one aspect of the problem is intentional, its designed to be clear and efficient. It is quite literally a movement to express the injustice that currently exists and nothing more. When talking about Black Lives Matter it is imperative to stay relevant to that topic, and it makes no sense to deviate from it. Frequently you will see topics like “black-on-black crime” injected into these discussions by people who fundamentally misunderstand what the movement is addressing. For a number of reasons those types of distracting arguments are problematic. Firstly the argument is a non-sequitur, meaning it does not logistically make any sense. If a group of people is trying to fix the undue use of excessive force and profiling by police, then what sense does it make to address the amount of violence that goes on within a community. It is a problem that exists, but its not the problem at hand, and rather than trying to debunk the validity of a problem with another problem maybe constructive discussion towards a solution be proposed instead. A number of these distracting arguments have surfaced, All Lives Matter is a very good example. All Lives Matter, though true, was incepted as a response to Black Lives Matter. It would be okay to say in a separate context but when used in relation to Black Lives Matter it detracts from the focus of the movement and in it carries the connotation that all people are valued the same in our society when that is simply not the case, thus the need for BLM. Secondly, often in the discussions that you see on Fox news there are white people of some ordained authority speaking on issues that they do not understand. In layman's terms those white people don't know what being black is like, so they do not have the right to argue with someone about their experiences. It is extremely distasteful for someone who has privilege to disregard the plights of those who don’t. It so frequently happens and it honestly seems intentional. Being considerate and owning your privilege with modesty is the only justifiable way of going about it. Thirdly and finally, probably the most problematic aspect of distracting rhetoric is that is stems from defensiveness. For some reason white-folk are intimidated by any societal influence that disrupts their bubble. Maybe it’s because they are afraid of change, maybe its because they want to live ignorantly in their imaginary world because they are safe there, maybe they don't want to be on the same terms as those around them, but regardless of reason its not right, it’s not what is real. We all live together in this country and we all live together on this earth and we have more things alike than unalike. It’s time for white people who live in that world to wake up. It’s time for them to see that the world is diverse and they need to stop separating themselves and participate. They need to stop talking about BLM in ways that they could not possibly have the perspective to understand.

One misconception that has frequently been the subject of my own personal discussions with people who are on ill terms with the movement is the unseemly behavior that is highlighted by the media. With no authority, all I can say is this. Those who take up violence and destruction in the name of the movement are not in alignment with the codes set by the movement. They are not representative of the movement though they may hold the same sentiments. The BLM movement clearly defines it’s disinterest in violence and vandalism. Again in no way is that sort of destruction excusable, but people are angry, for very good reasons. Fathers have been taken away from families, children have been taken away from mothers, lives have been ruined, lives have been lost all in a fashion that has shaped the way black parents fear for their families. These are Americans, they are people, they are us if only we would wake up and stop pretending like they are something different. I want to see a world where blackness can be celebrated in a way that doesn't compete or offend white-folk. I want to see a world where white people realize and acknowledge POC as equals and pay them the respect they deserve. There are too many destructive sentiments in this country. The solution these problems is not to kill cops and its not to pretend like there is no problem. Identifying the problems one at a time and mending the divide is what will bring this country together in a brilliant revolution. BLM to me seems like a practical start to those reparations. It’s focused and aimed like an arrow at the bubble of white conventionalism. We must all be made equal so that needles like BLM can work to sow us back together as a united people. Not black folk and white folk or muslims and christians or queer folks and straight folk but as Americans, as people, and as equals.