As soon as I mentioned anything about it on Twitter, I got white-knighted in DMs just because I said, concerning the situation, that not every police officer you meet is bad.

The thing is - while most police officers are fine people, to someone who has dark skin that just doesn't matter on the surface.

Imagine you had a row of five apples, and they all look identical. Three of those apples are delicious and healthy and good, but two of them will kill you.

You probably wouldn't eat any of the apples, right?

For black people in the US, cops are the apples. And white people tend to be immune to the poison in the bad ones.

And following that analogy, for cops (or whites in general), African Americans are the apples. (Irrespective of how real the poison is, that's the perception)

I grew up across the street from a family of Mexicans, and while I only ever met the kids (various ages), they were...not the best people. They stole things from us and others, and when we were on vacation one time, they broke into our house to watch our VHS movies.

I'm still having to deal with the psycho-social ramifications of that to this day.

(And to be fair and balanced about this, a white family up the street wasn't much better. Those kids played chicken with my mom's van one day. My mom stopped and blew the horn at them for 20 minutes and no one even came to find out what all the noise was).

Well, the reason for that perception is because of a constant barrage of media for centuries telling people that African-Americans are the apples here.

It's one of the biggest tools of institutional racism - convince the populace that one section of it is "bad".

Right. :\

Right. Blame the media entirely, and never the bad experience some people might have had with certain races in their past that could also shape their mindsets.

Every race has their dickheads and assholes that give the race a very bad name. No matter what that race is.

I mean

My statement about media depiction of blacks and such isn't even remotely controversial. It's the literal actual truth.

Also, what you're saying here kinda helps illustrate part of why "race" is such a horrible concept. One person with a certain skin color does something bad and then that gets blamed on all people with that skin color, irrespective of anything else. Just a surface-level judgement. It's... not good.

And what I am saying is that media is not fully to blame on the perceptions that anybody could have on any race. Life experience also plays into that. If a child gets mugged by a group of a particular race chances are that child just got scared for life against others of the race shared by that group.
Like what happened to my aunt.

I'm really sorry that that happened to your aunt, but lots of people have traumatic experiences at the hands of someone of another race and don't use it as an excuse to harbor race-based biases.

That is unfortunately more of an even split. So while a lot don't a lot do develop aversions. Not saying it is right. Only that it just happens, and that media is not only to blame.

Or, people are referring to crime statistics to build their perception. The whole 13%/50% problem.

Oh - you mean how people fail to understand that it's not that black people commit 50% of homicides, but that they're arrested for 50% of the homicides?

That's... not what those numbers are. 13% of the population, 52% of the crime. Crime in general, not murder. Buuut, I could look up the murder ratios, if you really want to dig deep into the numbers.

But, the point being made is this: statistically speaking, there is a degree of truth behind the stereotypes, leading to prejudices that do not exist without reason. You know how many white people have attempted to mug me? None. Black people? Two, within three months of each other, when I lived in Jacksonville, NC. (A city with a high concentration of the demographic in question.) They, as a general stereotype, are dramatically more inclined to violence than most of the other races. It can't be disputed; it's a fact they they themselves have produced through action.

Participating in an organization that enforces systematic racism and oppression is unequivocally bad. So called 'good cops' protect the bad ones, lie and hide the truth for them, turn a blind eye to abuse and injustice and so much more. Even if someone's initial desire for joining has been idealized, a person who truly has good intentions would not remain part of such an organization.

Ah, yeah, the "Paradox of the Good Cop."

On one hand, a good cop would want to stay so that they could personally make a positive difference in the lives of people, and because they know that leaving means one less decent person in the force.

On the other hand, a good cop would want to leave so that they are not supporting an organization that oppresses people on such a level, and because remaining means that they sometimes have to protect bad cops.


It's an incredibly cruel Catch-22.

(The real solution to that problem is to reform the system so that bad cops are actually held accountable, which requires rooting out tremendous amounts of corruption. It's the kind of change that has to happen at a local level, which is why local elections are REALLY DAMN IMPORTANT for people to vote in.)

I appreciate this post. While I recognize why people say Black/All lives matter, I feel like it detracts from the issue at hand and instead focuses on the ethics of being black, white, etc. instead. It's also a very broad phrase to use, which is easy to misinterpret and simplify a very complicated matter.
It's unfortunate that these things have to happen in the first place. :c

Glad I could help!

Here's the thing - I despise the concept of "race". Like, it was literally invented to justify slavery and oppression by erasing cultural distinctions between different groups of people. It tramples all over the heritage of different ethnicities and does nothing but encourage in-group/out-group thinking, and it has no logical or scientific basis. It's arbitrary and capricious and stupid.

However... the sad reality is that as long as we have institutionalized racism, we have to deal with race. :/

It is confusing. It does parade the concept that their lives are somehow MORE important and pisses some off. I get annoyed myself and I justify that ALL lives matter, equally. Period. As racism is literally my number one piss off thing. I just cannot fathom it. People are people. It likely would stop being misunderstood if as well was added as you said. And as you said, racist assholes would still find a way to belittle it. The problem with black lives matter slogan is just that. Some, myself included cause I didn't hink of it till you pointed it out, will think its trying to make black lives matter MORE, since in our minds we do not see anything but equal.

I think that it comes down to miscommunication, and people reading into things that weren't stated.

The phrasing is literally just "Black Lives Matter". There's no "more". But people who are opposed to the idea tend to mentally insert that "more" and people who support the idea mentally insert "also".

I'm glad I could clear it up though!

There's nothing about "Black lives matter" that implies that other lives don't matter. The point is that people often act as though Black lives *don't* matter, and this movement is drawing attention to this lack of equality. I'm honestly confused about why so many people feel offended or defensive about it.....

People feel offended and defensive because of misinformation. My reason for making this journal is because I honestly believe that most people just don't understand, and that by clearing this miscommunication up then we can make a lot of progress. =)

Worked for me! I've always been against these kinds of movements because in my mind everyone is already equal and I don't see it as necessity but just like toxic mentality. That's not how the world works but with more people with a mind like mine, these movements won't be necessary ever again. Gender, religion, color, none of that matters, we are all human, end of story.

The term that I've seen used for situations like the "all lives matter" response is "center-stealing" - as in, the dominant group (whites in this case) defensively interpret the BLM movement as taking attention away from them and placing it on a minority (Blacks in this case), and are trying to steal the attention back with comebacks like "all lives matter".

Unfortunately center-stealing is a common response to any situation in which a lack of equality is highlighted. It happened a lot when women's rights first started being discussed - "but what about men?"

You're almost totally and completely right here. It's a defensive reaction.

I would however modify slightly to say that it's not about the dominant group being defensive, it's about a vocal minority within that group being defensive. The minority that has power and wants to retain it at all costs.

The vast majority of people are chill and just wanna get along and not have to worry about scary stuff, but that also means that they are sometimes easily lead astray.

Well of course I don't mean to imply that *everyone* in *any* social group feels a particular way - I was speaking more in terms of the social hierarchies in society, rather than individuals.

Oh! Yes, that makes sense! Thanks for clarifying. <3

No problem

I'm intentionally not on social media because it tends to be toxic AF. The only part of the BLM protests I heard about and questioned was the intentional blocking of traffic.

No matter your cause, standing in the middle of the highway and hoping a driver isn't too distracted to stop is a bad idea.

I'll agree with you though on the branding. There needed to be and still needs to be a lengthy discussion regarding police brutality but the branding of the movement was easy for its opponents to attack in a very superficial way.

Maybe it'll make a resurgence with BLM2 to infer the 'as well' at the end.

This journal is my way of trying to help enact even a tiny bit of social change. Feel free to re-link it or even reword in your own way or whatever if you want to help!

The more people who understand the meaning behind the phrase, the better off we are. <3

(And I'm totally with you there about social media)

how about just all life matters

but it has to be learnt from birth to have that respect so thats a bummer

That's the thing - when people say "Black Lives Matter" they're not saying that other lives don't matter.

And I don't think it's something that has to be learned from birth.

As a species, humans are inherently social and cooperative and have empathy.

Things like racism and so on are inventions that were created specifically to override that natural empathy.

instead of arguing about something that we pretty much agree on but fight over how we agree on it

ill just be happy that atleast the guys in minnesota got fired and arrested killing that guy

Well - one of the officers was arrested and has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Both of those stipulate that there was no intent to kill. Despite what evidence we've seen so far showing that there was definite intent.

And the other officers involved still remain totally uncharged. :/

But it does not help to think that people try hard to intentionally misunderstand it either, it kind of convinces them that there is a "Side" with this movement and is not inclusive. Especially since arguing over the name is such a small cause compared to what it is really about. If you are a part of it, then just keep doing you, you know?

Regardless, the race debate for you Americans imo is grander than just BLM. The unfortunate death of George Floyd gave a real reaction. I know this is a dangerous opinion to have, but I honestly think Protests and Riots for a good cause is needed over there. There will be people that abuse the opportunity, but if this same exact racial discrimination is going to keep happening even after 50 years, it should be clear that the police/Society are just not listening and are going to keep making the same "mistake". Which is a though change, America is a big country compared to any country in Eu,. A movement in a big country can catch on and stick very well, but it needs a hell of a lot more work.

Should be obvious that im not american, im just stating what I think from what I heard.

I agree that the protesting and rioting in this situation is... well, it was bound to happen. Rioting especially is a method of last resort.

I've seen a clip of this video being passed around but those omit the very important first part. And I agree entirely with the sentiments in this video, which I'll link with that missing part included: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ph5g0jb8cE

I was worried I'd have to unfollow when I saw this journal title, I'm so used to artists turning out to be reactionaries filled with all kinds of bigotry.

Very happy to see that you not only 'get it' but also are taking the time to talk about it. There's a good comic I saw on this, somebody saying "But ALL houses matter, why doesn't MINE get any water!?" while the firefighters are trying to put out a burning house and the speaking character's house isn't on fire.

If we don't talk about these issues then no change happens. =)

I believe that people at their core, as a whole, are pretty decent. In places where there's no real classism and people have food, shelter, education, and can feel safe... crime drops down to almost zero.

And I believe that every country has the potential to get to that point. Sure it might take a long, long time, but lasting social change just kinda works that way.

Oh I absolutely agree; combine with a good universal education that includes civics and some manner of working with one's hands (woodshop and home ec should never have gone away) and you can get really vibrant communities that are politically involved and solve problems. But I'll avoid a ramble about this.

One way or another, change needs to happen, and the longer voices are ignored the louder people will have to speak their mind. Riots are the natural result of having no other method of being heard.

I like the description of that comic, too bad you don't have a link.

I googled around and found what I was remembering. I didn't remember it perfectly but: https://chainsawsuit.com/comic/2014.....gs-considered/

Honestly even so All lives matter ignores the fact it's not all lives in danger it's black lives in danger, so when someone says that in response it's insulting.

That's also a fair point. It ends up coming off as insulting and escalates things.

I think it's also a shame that many anti-white racists have co-oped the title "BLM" in an attempt to justify their own personal bigotry. Another case of hatred simply creating more hatred, since the white racists are only doubling down in response to the black racists and so forth.

Frankly I feel it's a shame that more than 150 years after the civil war we still live in a country that needs a movement like BLM. At this point I don't think humanity is capable of betterment. We either don't live long enough to learn, or are just inherently evil creatures. Maybe what we think is life is Hell and we're all already dead.

In regards to that first point - it's not "black racists vs white racists". It's not about individuals, not really.

It's about an entire system that fosters and breeds and encourages racism as a whole.


And while it's depressing that our country needs movements like this, it's also important to keep hope up. Change does happen. Things do get better. It's slow, painfully slow at times, but it's steady.

Situations like this help - they expose the ugliness so we can burn it away.

You might've misunderstood what I meant.

Sorry about the short reply, I was in a hurry.

I just meant that those individuals who are in it for their own race biases are putting a real hindrance on the movement as a whole. I wish they'd either stay out of it, or think about the bigger picture.

Believe me, I understand what BLM is. Which is why I take such umbrage at those who only create more tension and resistance through selfish acts, and falsely claim the banner.

I hope that clarifies what I meant.

Sadly I am short on hope, personally. The state of the first world in general has pulled all of the soul out of me these last four years.

And we have to keep repeating that, because apparently reading comprehension was an optional subject in grade school XP

The issue I find with any leftist group, is that though it may start out to mean well and good and bring attention to real issues, inevitably and very often very soon, the group is taken over by the more extremist who thrive on causing negative acts such as racisim and hate. Too often i ask, if Black Lives matter truly cared for "black lives", then why are they not working to stop black on black violence and murder, which accounts for far more violence that police on black violence.

Yes, black lives matter, but so does white lives, hispanic lives, asian lives, native american lives, jewish lives, and so on and so on.

I... pardon?

You're telling me that leftist groups thrive on causing racism and hate?

I am confused by the point you're making here - it sounds like you're saying that because Black Lives Matter focuses on one specific sort of thing that it means they don't care about other black people?

I think that the initial wording was poor and unfortunately the phrase has been co-opted by groups that don't actually have the best interests of the black community in their mind that are somewhat just using it as a shield to do terrible things. This seems to be the younger, richer demographic doing this end, while the poorer and middle to old demographics appear to be more interested in peaceful protest.
On the surface it's a completely innocuous thing to say, and it really shouldn't stir up anything, but for the same reason that the "it's okay to be white" situation stirred up so much nastiness I understand why that provokes a similar response of "oh, so the other isn't/doesn't?". I'm no psychologist or linguist, but I would Hazard a guess as to something in the human brain reading that type of statement far deeper than its surface, specifically.

I think that specific phrase just needs to be ditched and a new one found, as I think it's going to do more harm than good to continue using it, at this point. Just my coin in the hat though, I'm some drunk slav, so what do I know?

It's an interesting point here - what to do when one's slogan becomes co-opted by other groups? It's shitty situation to be in, for sure.

I'd just get rid of it and perhaps find a new one, to be honest, otherwise it just complicates what you're trying to do for no real benefit for sticking with your guns. Not like one is concerned over brand recognition, just dividing yourself from the people engaging in domestic terrorism while using your ideals as a shield for their shitty behaviour.

Part of the problem is that there are hyperbolic, racist fruitcakes—ie: Yusra Khogali—sapping the foundation of the movement and poisoning public opinion.

I would argue that a much bigger part of the problem is the systemic racism that leads to things like our President calling for black people to be shot.

One racist fruitcake does not make another racist fruitcake less so. Look at it this way: do you respect Trump supporters?

It really was a poorly chosen slogan. Like the whole #metoo tag too.

We are all human, too. We are, all, human too. We, are all human, too. BLACK, WHITE, BROWN, RED, YELLOW or some other unnecessary moniker for a government that cares more about how we vote rather than who we are should be irrelevant in the eyes of man. For the starving find food and community in cooperation and the lives of those we raise on the way are our bonds we make with our fellows of humanity. The moment we use the bonds to not raise us up but raze the homes and lives we worked so hard to build, to break the bonds we made in the name of false titles of inequality to the rest of humanity do we stop being human. We become the very animals they call us. The teeth at the end of the leash they made for us. We become the fire that burns the crops and breaks the chains we guard and hold sacred. You have been placed in the box they made for you. The cause of humanity falls in division, and division takes many forms of causes we praise as "Just" and "True". The truth is always; We are all human, too. Any derision or diversion from this truth is the path to hatred and contempt for and to your fellow man, no matter how dark or light their complexion. We all have hearts that beat and pump the blood we all bleed in the struggle we endure daily. We are all the same on the inside under the covers that we see, for We, are all human, too. Every day we live off the backs of others. Every day we make a new collar for another, and a leash to set upon some other we decide to call "enemy." For our minds and hearts are all clouded by grief and fear. It is up to us not to place those collars and leashes. It is up to us not to give into that hate. We must deem our "enemy", human. This is the true way to keep the chains away from our own hearts and our own necks. To keep the fire from our homes and out of our hands. To call someone you hold in such hatred and contempt "human", is how we all remain human. An enemy is just a friend you haven't made yet, because you have deemed them an animal first. You call them evil before you never stopped or thought to consider who they really are. We strip them of their beating hearts and place collars on their necks. You give them leashes and call them names that deny them the simple fact of We are, ALL, human too.

Black lives matter is important. We must say it when it is needed, and it IS needed. It must be taken as far as it's message goes. but you must also see how it is co-opted and corrupted; twisted to a perverted means as is any other slogan. Don't decry those who oppose it. They simply worry for the two headed snake. Just remember to stand by your fellows in humanity before you stand by those who'd see it split. Don't be so quick to label anyone an enemy. Right now, more than ever, we must support each other in all ways, for all our benefits. Arguing over silly irrelevant points while bodies pile in mass graves across the world we only cause our fall further. Black Lives Matter. They are people, flesh and bone. Blood and tears and sweat as real as any others. Never forget this, but never let it destroy others to prove itself.

Hopefully John Oliver can talk sense to some of the above commenters.

It's an issue that's been covered many times before, and I'm tempted to make a follow-up journal with links to some of the really good takes on this.

Im afraid to say much of anything...people are so vicious. Not all police are bad. many have saved lives, and genuinely have the good of everyone at heart. But then he had the bad, and those are the ones that overshadow the rest. Its so depressing and sad that its taken so many lives for change to possibly happen. I kinda just wish the violence would end...the world is literally on fire.

The way I see it is like this. Imagine, for a moment, that you overhear a coworker saying he's going to murder Jane in accounting.

You say: "What? No! Don't murder Jane!"

Suddenly Carl shows up and says "You shouldn't murder ANYONE! Why are you making this all about Jane?"

Then you get in a big argument with Carl about how he's misunderstanding your point, and meanwhile Jane has been shot six times.

And then it turns out that Carl also hated Jane and you suspect he deliberately misunderstood you in order to distract you from going to get help, but you feel like you can't call him out on it because what he technically said was against Jane being murdered.