Alexis Jellema-Baerg is author of next 2015-2016 MLHS senior student editorial
All Lives Matter
Throughout history, many groups have been belittled and/or shunned, such as women, Jews, Asian-Americans, blacks, and so on. Many people who are in these discriminated groups sit by and wait for the problem to go away until one person creates a spark that starts a fire which cannot be put out. One current example of this is Black Lives Matter. Many pieces make up the puzzle of Black Lives Matter, such as what it is and what it stands for, the controversy over the topic, and the actual statistics. Groups such as this one have the power to change people’s views, just as Martin Luther King, Jr. did, but they can also cause more problems if the group is not careful how they approach their topic.
A lot of people know about the Black Lives Matter group, but they may not know what they really are or what they stand for. The protest group Black Lives Matter, also known as Black Liberation Movement, formed in 2012 after a 17-year-old boy named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman. When the case went to court, Zimmerman, was acquitted, and it was ruled that he shot in self-defense. Later, the deceased 17-year-old was put on trial for his own shooting. Feeling targeted and offended, people from all over came together and formed Black Lives Matter. The meaning behind the prostest group, according to blacklivesmatter.com, is, “When we say Black Lives Matter, we are broadening the conversation around state violence to include all of the ways in which black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state . . . and are deprived of our basic human rights and dignity.”
Controversy surrounds Black Lives Matter, their purpose, and the ways they try to send their message. As I looked through Facebook, the news reports, and a big-name newspaper, I constantly found some type of post or article about the Black Lives Matter group or one of their recent protests, such as the one that occurred at the Minnesota State Fair. After more searching, I came across an article about the protest group threatening to stand in front of the marathon runners at the Twin Cities Marathon race on October 4, 2015. The supporters of the group tend to point out that they should be able to express their opinions and thoughts as they please, while those against the group believe that they are expressing their thoughts, opinions, and feelings in wrong and sometimes destructive ways. The biggest comment against the Black Lives Matter group is that they should not be saying, “Black Lives Matter,” but should be saying, “Black Lives Matter. Too,” or, “All Lives Matter.” One argument the protest group makes is that they are just doing what Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) did as a black rights activist, but many people state that although MLK did protest, he was always peaceful and never made threats.
Many posts by Black Lives Matter activists state that black lives are being targeted by cops more than those of the white race. However, those statements are false. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, updated on September 26, 2015, only about 37.7% of inmates in prison are of the African-American race, whereas about 58.9% of inmates are Caucasian. Likewise, according to Peter Moskos, a former Baltimore police officer and professor in the Department of Law who was being interviewed by the Washington Times, about 44% of the people killed by police are white, while about 30% are black. A big factor involved in all of this mayhem is that minority murders create more outrage than those involving Causcasian victims. For example, the murder of Trayvon Martin is a sad occurrence, but if someone of any race would seem to have a gun, a police officer is to do what he/she needs to in order to protect him/herself. What if Trayvon Martin had been Caucasian? Would America have even heard of his death?
Americans have dealt with racism and people acting out because of it since the beginning of our country. In my opinion, a lot of the misdirection, the controversy, and the misunderstanding of actual statistics arise from people of all races assuming and fighting over racial predjudices for no reason. America is the country of the free, and all in it have the right to express their own feelings and opinions. Black Lives Matter is right in that, yes, they do matter, but so does every other life as well. All lives matter no matter the gender, sex, sexual preference, or race.