Stopping the violence matters. It’s what Black people have been
saying for decades. It’s the message of Black Lives Matter: “Stop
the police violence against Blacks. Stop killing us.”
Over the last few years, Black Lives Matter organizers and followers of all races who believe
in equality and the humanity of all people turned out en mass in
peaceful protest. By speaking out and demonstrating, they were
labeled as divisive and instigators.
Some took it that “Black Lives Matter” meant “other” lives
didn’t. Wrong. The statement is an affirmation: “Our lives are not throw-away lives. They mean something in
this world. Too often our
lives are deemed expendable.”
It was not a case of Black
lives matter –- to declare others don’t matter, don’t mean
anything. Or that Black lives are more than others. The emphasis is
on the “matter.” Black lives matter, (too).
In the past two weeks, a couple of deranged Black individuals have
taken it upon themselves to exact revenge upon police. Now the
general public, police chiefs, local government officials, even
governors and presidential candidates are saying, “Stop the
violence.”
Stopping the violence matters for everyone –- every person, Black,
White, or Blue. Every ethnicity, every culture, every age, every neighborhood. Each citizen wants to
feel safe and to be safe. Each person wants
to live, to belong, to be productive, to be free, and to have power
over their own lives. Each yearns to be unafraid and to contribute to
their communities. That includes Black people.
Everyone wants the violence to
stop. And, everyone must take steps to ensure an end to the violence that
has threatened, horrified, and killed far too many people.
When
do we start taking care of what matters? It
has to be now. It has to be before even more lives are snuffed out in
rage and frustration or in misguided demonstrations of power. It has to be now to ensure our young people
have a chance to grow up and all of us can live without fear, knowing WE matter.
~ xoA ~
