Because the only people saying it are racist people who don’t actually care about black peoples lives.
If making a logical statement were enough to effect change on the world then this would be cause for celebration, but it is actually being used in a deceitful manner, its a dog whistle.
Nobody actually believes they mean it.
The article states that there is an implicit “too” at the end of “Black Lives Matter”. Seems unfortunate that there is so much vitriol over the omission of three letters that could have very easily been added to those picket signs and hashtags.
You really think that would have made the slightest difference? When there were people marching with “Bluelivesmatter” to defend known racist murderers, you expect a minor “too” is going to suddenly dispel all the racist hostility?
oxygen matters…too
the thing is, it’s NOT answered. there’s a ton of assumptions going on in it, and that’s what @Dock_Drumming points out.
Isn’t that actually a case of taking The Holy Name in vain?
Remember the Golden Age of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, when activists won hard-fought battles for legal equality with the support of organizations like the NAACPMPACNJNBTWBE?*
And yet my comment was deleted, without explanation. Sometimes I really don’t understand the rules of this bbs. Maybe I just need another Tums sandwich…
In the words of Malcolm X,
It’s just like when you’ve got some coffee that’s too black, which means it’s too strong. What you do? You integrate it with cream; you make it weak. If you pour too much cream in, you won’t even know you ever had coffee. It used to be hot, it becomes cool. It used to be strong, it becomes weak. It used to wake you up, now it’ll put you to sleep. This is what they did with the march on Washington. They joined it. They didn’t integrate it; they infiltrated it. They joined it, became a part of it, took it over. And as they took it over, it lost its militancy. They ceased to be angry. They ceased to be hot. They ceased to be uncompromising. Why, it even ceased to be a march.
“All lives matter” isn’t a call to action. It’s a dilution of the call to action under the guise of inclusiveness.
The very issue that #blacklivesmatter is attempting to highlight is that people do not act as if all lives matter to them.
Stop trying to make progsplaining happen. It’s not going to happen.
the fact that we’re even discussing this points out how it’s a faulty slogan for the movement behind it. Yes it’s short and to the point, easily chantable at a rally and fits on signs. But it should be replaced by something that’s less easily misconstrued and misused. We’re wasting too much time and energy debating 3 words instead of solving the problems behind it.
“If white supremacists don’t like something, that means it’s inherently bad.” No matter what is said, it will be attacked just because it’s black activists saying it. If you don’t understand that, you’re either a fool who has no room in this discussion or a liar who is actively trying to sabotage it.
Maybe you should go after the people who disagree with those three words, rather than the people who are using them, if you don’t want them debated so much?
This is literally the definition of semantic bullshit.
Instead of talking about actual solutions to a problem people are wasting energy talking about what a fucking hashtag should be called.
Absolutely pointless.
wait a sec - because you don’t agree with my point of view I’m either a fool or a liar? How does that move anyone towards solving problems? Words matter. These have become a distraction.
Sigh. To all the people that missed the point and defend the response of “all lives matter” to “#BlackLivesMatter”. All lives can’t matter if a subset of lives don’t matter, and to the US society at large, clearly black lives don’t matter so saying “but shouldn’t all lives matter?” in response to the movement’s #BlackLivesMatter hashtag is like a big ignorant “fuck you” to anyone who is using that hashtag to show that they recognize the problem.
No, because what you’re saying is extremely foolish.
You think because we’re discussing what slogan is used, that’s proof the slogan needs changed. And we’re discussing because some people refuse to accept it. Well guess what? The racists marching around with confederate and nazi flags aren’t going to accept ANY slogan. There is no slogan they won’t scream about how it’s evil and mean to white people. They will want the slogan changed, no matter what.
So the question is, why are you giving into their demands? The slogan will always be “faulty” to some people. Those people are the problem. And if you take their side, you’re being the problem too.
Do you really think “BlackLivesMatterToo” would have had zero pushback? Do you really think “BlueLivesMatter” wouldn’t have started just by adding “Too” ? Do you think the people screaming and chanting about how they don’t actually matter would have never appeared, just because of that “too” ? If you don’t think that stuff would have happened, you either have no idea how racist people are - in which case you’re a fool - or you do know, but are lying to defend the racists.
Have you watched any local news lately? Trust me, it gets tons of attention… that’s why so many ignorant white people actually think black men are so dangerous… It’s literally all they harp on on Fox news.
I don’t give a rat’s ass what those racists you lump me in with think. You’re missing the point I’m trying to make. I’m pointing out that not all slogans are effective. That has nothing whatsoever to do with who is and isn’t racist. It’s a $%^&* semantic distraction at this point and is getting in the way of actually addressing the real issues of racism.
