Black lives have the same value as mine. Is that satisfactory? I don’t hesitate in saying that.
I wouldn’t deny a historical component when under discrimination, generational wealth was created by whites, and blacks simply didn’t have the opportunities. But that privilege was still to a relative few people, who would have likely had it anyway. However, if equal rights were admitted sooner, its arguable that their would be at least some perceivable generational wealth in the black community, by now, also.
It therefore only makes sense that there is some catch up for the black community overcome and it takes time. It just does, nothing and no one can make it happen faster.
Certainly, we have tried giving minority communities a leg up, but those programs ended up having the opposite effect. It kept people in poverty. And despite that, there are those in the black community who have made rapid and amazing strides towards success and that needed to keep going.
If the race wars of current did not happen, I would venture to guess that the wealth gap of the previously oppressed would catch up in a generation. That’s giving it the pace at which it was happening.
Hell, prior to covid, the black community has never been better and was rising quickly. These were all good things. Had we stayed on that trajectory, the gap would be minimal in just a few years.
The problem is that the ‘system’ isn’t racist, in fact it’s the opposite. Now the application of the laws weren’t always fair but that’s bad people not bad systems. Those people needed to be rooted out, systematically. And in too many cases it happened to slowly.
I am all for reform, of police, of billionaire super-power and what ever else ails us. But at this time, the odds are against us getting anything positively done.
We cannot address the problems when we have violence, all the time. People are being killed and their lives destroyed for nothing, for a bumper sticker slogan back by a terroristic organization. Slogans don’t fix problems, people do. We cannot solve problems when the news media abdicates the truth for sloganeering and lies and smears. We cannot solve problems when we have to fight just to have our Constitutional rights not taken away…
I don’t know what going to happen. When the smoldering ruins are finally left to gently burn out, I don’t know what we will have left.
Right now, I just want to preserve my rights, I’ll worry about the rest once that is secured.
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I mean, sure. If you’re intent on being different for the sake of being different thats fine. The larger point is to understand the meaning of black lives matter, which you do, and you agree with… your version just isnt nearly as short and catchy and doesnt make a nice acronym.
I understand that you dont want to be associated with BLM, and neither do i. So i just make it clear that i support the black lives matter movement (blm movement). Which is essentially just actively keeping in mind and acting as though “black lives have the same value as mine” and supporting policies that you think will support that mantra.
But when people hear you say “All Lives Matter”, that is actively diminishing their struggle and sounds as though you are saying that black folks do not face any more obstacles than their white counterparts. I guess the point is to keep the emphasis on “black lives”, and how ever you want to say they should be valued equally, that is fine. Black lives matter is just the shortest way to say that.
Hopefully you can see how, if, during wartime you responded to a #SupportOurSoldiers movement by saying “NO! i support ALL our citizens!”, it would be taken as offensive by a lot of folks? Same general idea.
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Yeah but he can pull one of the common liberal stunts and accuse them of cultural appropriation so vaffanculo!
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But apparently when they are killed by other black people it’s fine to sweep it under the rug.
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If the phrase all lives matter can be in anyway offensive because of some trolls, then black lives matter has become offensive to me due to the organization. When I hear “Black Lives Matter, N#$$%^!” as people are assaulted and businesses are looted…Has “all lives mattered” been yelled while a man’s head is nearly kicked off his shoulders?
I’ll refrain from that particular phrase. I don’t want the t-shirts or the coffe mugs. And if this whole thing is going to be a one sided lecture, I’ll turn right around and head home.
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So, can’t I say all lives matter as short-hand since that says our lives have the same value, only more succinctly?
Is it ok to remind BLM activists that the white good samaritan’s life also matters after nearly punting his head off? Or that the cop’s life, shot dead outside of a looted business (which is likely tagged with BLM graffiti), matters? Or that that the guys they perceive as political enemies (if they even are) also matter, and therefore have I right to also be in the area and not be assaulted until they leave?
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Californiagrown has never said this.
It’s the optics. When the person you’re speaking to has one expectation of what that phrase means, your intent will largely go unnoticed and/or be held in the opposite manner you meant.
You have to take the optics into account to have a decent dialogue that gets anywhere. Obviously I am no speaking about the rioters here
If the phrase “all lives matter” is unacceptable as I clearly describe that all people matter as much as my own life…I’m not worried about convincing them. They can’t be. I’m now worried about them getting more power. And even the possible immediate threat of violence.
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For the first part, id refer you to my metaphor about #SupportOurSoldiers.
For the second, I think it would be a lot more appropriate, productive, empathetic, and polite to say something along the lines of “I absolutely think black lives matter too and i support the push for racial equality. I do not support the violence and riots that have unfortunately co-opted portions of the blm movement and condemn them and their actions”.
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Your life matters as much as mine. We are all God’s creation. Good day.
Yeah I don’t know what to tell you. Dialogue has to be empathetic and take into account the other parties biases/background to get anywhere.
I’m obviously not talking about the rioters or the Marxist loonies. This is in the context of a random person, which I assume is what you meant when you posted.
Is this addition appropriate? Or, is this a one way conversation where I’m the only one to act contrite through one-side signaling? Is it all Black lives or only ones whose lives I’m inadvertently responsible for harming through this original sin?
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Is that for the other party too? The one I’m expected to utter the precise phrase, Black Lives Matter to? How about my background?
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No, but BLM never says anything about the people murdered on a daily basis.
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If anyone could take offense to this as a response, fear that person/movement.
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If you’re talking about them sure. It sounded as if you were directing the comment to Cali about his actions.
I didn’t say you had to utter that precise phrase. Never. I only said the optics of using the precise phrase “all lives matter” is something you need to take into account to have a productive dialogue.
Yes, your background matters.
I didn’t see that post while I was responding.
I was directing it to him about his support for and romanticized views of BLM.
The more I think about it, the more it seems like BLM is the wrong name for this movement. Only certain black lives matter to them, not all. Regular murder victims don’t deserve a mention, and you could go even further and look at the rate of black babies aborted in America. The name itself is a rhetorical statement akin to “the sky is blue”, everyone knows that and anyone who disagrees has something wrong with them, but it doesn’t even need to be said in the first place.
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I dont think the original version of what i posted was contriteness at all. And i think that the version you posted is an intentional attempt at gas lighting to start an argument.
Its up to you whether you want to be a contrarian starting arguments, or if you would rather find common ground with others and discuss steps forward from there.