Why do “Black Lives Matter”?

[shunyadragon]

Could you believe that Black people faced problems that White people don't, such as systemic racism?

It is not a matter of 'belief.' It is a matter factual history for over 200 years.

 

[Friend of Mara]

You have an agenda with your posts I guess. It is not wrong to say all life matter, the reason I stay away from saying black life matter is because it sounds then like black lives matter more then other lives. I do not say black lives does not matter. I say human life matter.

It doesn't though. Do you go to children hospitals and say "all kids matter"

 

[Friend of Mara]

The issue is it still illustrates that people are actually different and requires a designation of black in order to exclude others not fitting the term.

I'm not black, so why should non blacks even bother with it?

See where that goes?

People have different experiences. Black people do live in situations that white people do not. It is not that they are fundamentally different in any way but that because of our society they are treated differently. To a not insignificant number of people their lives dont matter. That ideology needs to be fought.

 

[MonkeyFire]

Are you asking me can pleasure be found in pain?

If you hurt others for pleasure it would make you mad.

 

[shunyadragon]

Okay. But like...why is that the response to "black lives matter"? Why not..."hell yeah! Black lives do matter!" Because obviously the context for "black lives matter" is that in some way shape or form there are people (people in power no less) that don't seem to agree with the statement. And you see how saying "all lives matter" is dismissive? If I say "spoons are great!" people don't normally say "well all cutlery is great actually".

So I believe you when you say black lives matter. I believe you when you say all lives matter. I guess the question I'm really asking is do you think that black lives are not currently being disproportionately disregarded when compared to white lives?

Black lives have not mattered for over 200 years in the USA beginning with slavery, and yes 'currently being disproportionately disregarded when compared to white lives.'

 

[Twilight Hue]

People have different experiences. Black people do live in situations that white people do not. It is not that they are fundamentally different in any way but that because of our society they are treated differently. To a not insignificant number of people their lives dont matter. That ideology needs to be fought.

Thats why there needs to be a clarification made so it doesn't come across the wrong way.

 

[Twilight Hue]

If you hurt others for pleasure it would make you mad.

Psychopathic even.

 

[Twilight Hue]

No, . . . but maybe Jews and Native Americans.

They have been treated far worse than blacks over the course of history. The thing that strikes me is how differently the injustices have been handled to and by each respective group of people.

 

[MonkeyFire]

Psychopathic even.

And just plain evil.

 

[rocala]

So we agree? Black lives matter?

Of course we agree. I would like to point out that the OP was "why do they matter". My answer was because "all lives matter".
The OP may have a certain meaning for you that @Amanaki and I are not privy to? Perhaps the post should have been in North American Politics in which case I would have not offered a comment.

 

[shunyadragon]

They have been treated far worse than blacks over the course of history. The thing that strikes me is how differently the injustices have been handled to and by each respective group of people.

The facts of the history of the USA is no. Yes Native Americans have been treated terribly, and I would not object to 'Native American Lives Matter.' You are comparing two different persecution, prejudice and attempts at racial and ethnic cleansing. This comparison does not do justice to the over 200 slavery, persecution, racial extermination of black communities as late as the twentieth century like in Wilmington and Chicago. Penal Servatude of Blacks continued up into the the twenieth century. Blacks were excluded from the GI Bills for housing and education after WWII, and descriminated against farm loans up until the 1990s. The abus of the judicial and law enforcement against blacks continues for the whole history. This is only a partial list.

The fact is all this reflects our Anglo Saxon tribal and racial dominance by force against both the Blacks and Native Americans.

 

[Spirit of Light]

It doesn't though. Do you go to children hospitals and say "all kids matter"

I don't have kids, so I have nothing in a childrens hospital to do.

 

[gnomon]

Let’s see where this goes.

It's very simple. The Black Lives Matter movement is in direct response to today. Not 200 years ago in comparison to other cultures. It's in direct response to the disproportionate violence against blacks by law enforcement. This is not a new concept on this forum. The Black Lives Matter movement is not saying that all lives, aka those of whites, Latinos, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, the LGBTQ+, etc. doesn't matter. They are saying that violence from law enforcement against black citizens is disproportionate compared to others and once you recognize that fact and act on it than you can recognize that all lives matter.

As to the presentation and tactics going on as we see today with so many disparate organizations....that's something else.

 

[shunyadragon]

You are being selective in your recognition of the oppressed. There are many, many others, sad to say.

Which at this level of persecution?