The truth about “All Lives Matter”, and why they don’t.

Black Lives Matter- The Beginning

The Black Lives Matter movement started July 13th, 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, 28, in the high-profile slaying of Black teenager Trayvon Martin, 17, who was murdered on February 26th, 2012. The public was split with half the country wanting to absolve Zimmerman of any wrongdoing as he was protected under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law — profiteered by the now-bankrupt (morally and fiscally) NRA, and the other half believing Trayvon’s murder was senseless. The divide was both deep and passionate. With countless other racially disproportionate murders happening since, it seems the movement hasn’t had a moments rest since it began. It’s hard to believe it hasn’t even been 10 years yet. It feels like decades ago. By the way, he sold the murder weapon for $250,000. Cute, right?

The movement came to a head on May 25th, 2020, with the death of George Floyd. Floyd was shown being suffocated for nearly nine minutes where police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Mr. Floyd’s neck, resulting in his death. His crime? Trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill. Protests and riots hit a fever pitch of the likes that hadn’t been seen in decades. The country, and the world, exploded in anger at racial inequality. The other thing that also came to a head as a result of the incident was the tone-deaf phrase “All Lives Matter”, which had been around for a few years in its own right.

Except they don’t.

You want to know how I know they don’t? It’s an easy answer to find if you just ask around.

I was recently involved in a conversation that was discussing the ever-present border crisis. It’s the conversation that lead me to this post. Hundreds, if not thousands, are approaching the border every week, and it’s true we’ve seen an influx of immigration from the Mexican border in recent months. Upon having this discussion, the other person (who has toted the Conservative slogan “All Lives Matter”) said with an impressed, amused chuckle that a couple who lives on the US side of the border likes to shoot at illegal immigrants with a .50 caliber sniper rifle. I sat dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond with finding humor in hunting people. Committing a felony to combat a misdemeanor hardly seemed appropriate. Surely humility could not have fallen that far; to find joy in death. The conversation still bothers me, obviously. I’m not a sociopath. I have the humanity to know it’s wrong, and the humility to know I’m not more important than another.

It was a stark reminder of why I left the mindset of the NRA, and how much my views having changed in the last 10 years.

Their lives matter.

The Muslim’s in your neighborhood you shunned after 9/11 mattered.

The Arabic people murdered after 9/11 mattered.

The 11 Jewish worshipers who were gunned down in a synagogue in 2018 while a man screamed anti-sematic slurs mattered.

The members of the Asian communities who are being harassed, assaulted, and murdered in this country matter.

It’s also worth mentioning the patriot-touting forum Parler is rife with people who can’t help but type in all caps “ALL LIVES MATTER”, but in the same breath will spew anti-sematic garbage. “Abortions are murder”, but sniping illegals is fine. “Kung Flu”, “libtards”, “N***ers”, “dune coons”. “There’s respectable public servants in the Ku Klux Klan.”

But-

All Lives Matter.

These are just a few examples from the cesspool, thinly-vailing hate speech as free speech. All while shouting “All Lives Matter” in the face of a Black community and their allies who certainly know, see, and understand that they do not.

This isn’t to say all those speaking the phrase agree with these sentiments- most don’t. Not publicly, anyways. Cancel culture, and accountability culture, has started digging its nails into everyone’s lives regardless of how significant or insignificant they are. The giant push to shove racists back into the closet has been strong and swift. Your freedom of speech is protected, your freedom of consequence is not.

Personally I have never thought all lives matter. It’s a bold statement to make. I don’t think pedophiles lives matter. I don’t think rapists’ lives matter. I don’t think murders lives matter- with exception of self-defense. I don’t think terrorists lives matter. People who have animals fight for their amusement and for profit’s lives don’t matter. People who assault the homeless lives don’t matter. There’s a list of groups I have who I could really give a shit if their lives ended tomorrow. The KKK is at the top. My list doesn’t consider race, sex, gender, sexual preference, or religion.

I don’t believe all lives matter.

But I do believe Black Lives Matter in it’s core. Not to say that they are more important, but equally important.

Black Lives Matter.

Asian Lives Matter.

Jewish Lives Matter.

Arab Lives Matter.

Mexican Lives Matter.

Children Lives Matter.

The Hopeful, The Good, The Righteous Lives Matter.

At their core, they matter. They deserve love when they give it. They deserve humanity when they give it. My idea of mattering absolutely comes with stipulations. I think everyone has that feeling, even the ALM crowd (clearly). I don’t turn a blind eye to the people that fall in these categories who do wrong. In fact, there’s plenty that have pushed my limits of being righteous myself. I am not a perfect human being. We all make mistakes. Those mistakes born of fear and ignorance do not make bad people. It’s what they do with themselves after the mistakes that speaks of their character. But-

“All Lives Matter” — until their life makes you uncomfortable.

“All Lives Matter” — until they’re the wrong color.

“All Lives Matter” — until you don’t agree with their lifestyle.

“All Lives Matter” — until they commit a crime.

“All Lives Matter” — until they don’t.

I once heard someone say “your immediate reaction to bias is what society has taught you, it’s how you react to that snap judgment that speaks of you as a person.” It has helped me grow immensely as a person. It’s what made me go from “well Trayvon Martin shouldn’t have been out” to “wait, why was this boy not allowed to walk around his own neighborhood? And why was he being stalked by a grown ass man?” The racial biases is this country run so uncomfortably deep. Segregation is not far enough in the rearview to think the racial disparities have dissolved. Just like you can ask any woman when she’s had her safety invaded by a man, you can ask any minority when they have been made to feel inferior. They will all have a story. I suggest you ask and I suggest you listen. The innocent people who have been slayed by cops, racists, biggots, and ignorance mattered. A lot would be better off saying “All White Lives and the Lives of Those I Deem Worthy Matter”.

But to say all lives? Don’t kid yourself.

All Lives Don’t Matter. They never did.