As a privileged white woman, I feel as if I have no room to comment on the controversy on which lives matter. My life is not endangered solely because of my skin. I do not understand what it is like to worry about the justice system abusing their power due to the pigment (or lack thereof) in my skin. I can drive down the road without worrying about being arrested solely because I “look suspicious”. It hurts to think that my friends and neighbors have these things on their minds each day.

Every week there is new controversy in this falling nation. Lives are being lost and taken prematurely. Are we seriously arguing about whose life does and doesn’t matter? Every single life on this planet matters. Each life is an important gift from God.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in the movements around me, Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, etc. But not all lives are at stake right now. We need the protests. We need the attention on racism and prejudice. How can we call ourselves a nation in which all men are created equal when no one is equal?

These movements, especially the Black Lives Matter movement, are necessary for the growth of our nation! As a woman born and raised in the Bible belt, I believe we are all equal. Jesus died for everyone, not just for us white folk. Even if you aren’t a Christian, your morals should include allowing everyone the right to their life. We all deserve to shop in the same stores, drive the same roads, and live in the same neighborhoods without worrying about being raped, beaten, or murdered.

If you preach a certain movement, you are a representative of that movement, which is wonderful! It is beautiful to have the first amendment, the right to free speech. However, I don’t want to see people saying “all lives matter!” then bashing another movement. If you are a part of a movement, don’t post something claiming your life is more important than the lives of other races. We are fighting for equality here, not dominance.

The problem is hatred. We hate what we do not know. Remember when you were a child and your mother made you to try the food on your plate? You hated that certain food before you had even tasted it. But, after you tried it, you realized it wasn’t what you thought it was. It tasted good! Just like this, we must not judge before we know.

This hatred ingrained in our society stems from our fear of the unknown. We do not truly know one another. We know stories, legends, myths, and lies. However, our differences make us diverse, not inhuman. We forget where we come from. We are one people, unequal, but beautifully diverse.

If you consider yourself a Christian but practice this hatred toward other races, you need to revaluate your thought process. God created all; me, you, every race, every gender, every profession, every life. And he sent his son to die for ALL OF US.

If you believe all lives matter, let the oppressed lives fight for their equality. This violence has gone on too long. Do we want to continue as a nation of hatred, murder and viciousness, or fight to be the land of the free?