White Lives Matter, Where Are You Now?

Where are they now? 

Photo courtesy of USA TODAY (Trevor Hughes) 

A picture is worth a thousand words, so goes the old adage. However, silence is oft times louder than the words screamed by an angry protestor, or is it possible that silence is so loud it screams what the anti-protestor has been saying all along? "We are who we say we aren't!" Is it possible that some just don't know how truly racist they are? Possibility vs. Probability, where's your money?

So where are they now? The fine folks that were so tore up over the Black Lives Matter (#BLM) movement. Again, to clarify the #BLM wasn't an acronym for forget the White, Red, Orange, or other. As one participant of the movement has been quoted by many now, "Save the whales doesn't mean screw the shrimp!" So, where are you now, anti-protestor? Now that there are "White Lives Matter," movements taking place, why haven't you comeback with the cry of "All Lives Matter," while they're gaining national attention? Christians first. Jesus proved 2,ooo years ago that all lives matter, but He also proved that not everyone felt that way, it would seem that ONLY He felt that way. I think He's proving it again in 2017.

For months no one could watch an NFL football game comfortably due to the bickering of certain players kneeling during the anthem. First it was the Colin Kaepernick show, then it blossomed into "the ones kneeling," and finally the harvest of protest yielded the fruit of NFL players being given the permission to begin the "My Cleats, My Cause," campaign, and there was in the end somewhat of a hush. I will go on record to say that I was not in favor of kneeling during the anthem. I have uncles that were Marines, my grandfather was a Ranger in the US Army, and I have a host of other family and friends considered my extended family that served during times of war, and in times of non war, in various branches of service, not to mention the fact that I am a proud American that has overcome the adversity of racism in every form, due to men and women who have fought in various forms so that I have the privileges that I enjoy to this day. So I am not a fan of kneeling during the anthem, I am however, a fan of taking a stand, #even_if it means taking a controversial one. It was controversial that Rosa Parks was accused of civil disobedience, and arrested for sitting in the front a transit bus. It was more shocking than controversial that the arrest and conviction were overturned by the highest court in the land after coming to the conclusion that her being arrested for sitting where she chose was unconstitutional. Her "civil resistance" exploited an uncivilized portion of our population that woke up the rest of this great nation. A nation that is not looking to be "great again," but to be even greater as one. A nation where all lives are seen as lives that matter, and that life is to be treasured among all as one. God bless America, and all who make her great.

#BlackLivesMatter vs #AllLivesMatter Part III

What are your intentions? 

Social media, and its betrayal of society. How does social media and most news reports project a matter? 

How is discrimination delivered? Is it merely in fleshy tones and hues?
"Your son is an excellent soccer player," says a parent to the coach who is not Caucasian! 

"Thanks, but that's not my son," replies coach, then points to his daughter who's features and skin tone do not fit the "Black stereotype."

The stereotype (even in a positive light) may be based on skin tone.

Is it merely flesh tones, and hues?

"She just jumped in and locked her kid out of her Mercedes when my husband walked by their condo," says the Caucasian wife, concerning her brown skinned husband with Latino and African ancestry, walking past their Caucasian neighbors condo!

"Mommy, why'd you lock me out," asks the child of approximately 5 years?
"Just be quiet and get in the house," the embarrassed mother replies!
"Rude, sad, and contradictorily enough, hilarious all in the same breath," says the wife's aunt!

Sometimes it's all about the skin.

Sometimes it's the origin you're in, and not the skin you're in that matters...

"He may steal from us!"

"Not all kids (even Black/Brown), are thieves Mary Helen!"

A fair skinned girl in an school with the culture stemming predominately from African ancestry is referred to as "the pretty one." How Black does she look? She doesn't. She has full lips, but very fair skin, and without being prompted to see her parents, most would not know that her parents were American with African heritage. 

Trayvon wasn't shot by an officer. He was no saint, but did he deserve to die because of that?

The Johnson's introduced Black Entertainment Television (BET), and the "Black," Brown, or American's with African heritage embraced it. Does that mean that they tried to do away with all other networks, or channels? Ask a Brotha if he only wants BET when the Super Bowl is on, or the NCAA Mens National Basketball Championship is on. But for a second focus on the more affluent, and more ignorant community that was also introduced to BET. Even though BET was not designed to take away from ANY other shows, or networks there are those that treat it as if it were. "Why don't we have a station, or network (Michael Eric Dyson, Tears We Cannot Stop, 2016)? Maybe because WET just doesn't fit? Or... why make yourself inferior when you have everything anyway?

I am not saying that I agree with ignorance, that I promote it, or that this viewpoint is law, and that all have to agree with it. However, you have to admit, it'll get the juices flowing, and make you think. What if it is true, or what if there's more? How bout this:

"To a Christian," #AllSoulsMatter! ~ Wiseman Woods

To Jesus, #AllLivesMatter #AllSoulsMatter

His going to the Cross evidenced how much they matter to Him, and unfortunately, it also proves how that's the farthest thing from the truth for others.

#BlackLivesMatter vs. #AllLivesMatter II

Burnsville Town Centre (Mass Choir)

The #BlackLivesMatter (BLM) movement isn't a movement meant to attempt to denounce the fact that #AllLivesMatter. Unfortunately, all voices that speak out against BLM attempt to denounce their movement. Rather than jump on a bandwagon, and join the ignorance, why not listen, learn, and then look long into the matter, and speak lovingly?

First things first; I'd like to address the selfish naysayer's mentality. The selfish naysayers react based on their own fear, their own hate, and their own stereotype. A selfish naysayer isn't the rational debater that has studied with due diligence. The selfish naysayer simply sees a movement, or an action, and jumps in head first with the selfish, "what about me?!" They are worse than the spoiled only child. "Look at me, look at me," then gets upset when everyone else looks momentarily to assist the child next to it that's lets fortunate, and comes out of an abusive home. Well for the record it's not about me, it's not about you, it's about us. I don't exclude you, why exclude me?  BLM isn't "meant" to take away from #AllLivesMatter (ALM), or for that matter any other lives that matter. Rather than go out kicking, and screaming about how wrong BLM is why not include them in ALM? That's what the BLM is about. Not exclusion, but to be included and recognized. Therefore, why not support ALM or even #BlueLivesMatter? I'll tell you why you can but need to do so carefully, because then someone says, "What about #RedLivesMatter," and someone else in my Native American tribe becomes offended. Then what? All I ask is that you don't jump on the hate bandwagon. 

News flash... not everyone in brown skin hates everyone in skin that's different to theirs. I can, and will speak from experience on that one. Not everyone in brown skin feels that everyone with a different skin tone hates them based on their skin tone either. I also speak from experience on that one. 

To conclude this segment let's look at the rainbow of matters. Different is not so bad. How would an all black rainbow look after a rain? How about an all white rainbow? Do I recognize difference? Of course. Difference/uniqueness is beautiful. Do I see a reason to hate because of identity in difference? No. Most of my friends that have very racist tendencies (not necessarily racist just have a few tendencies), will say that they don't see color. Which I dare say isn't true, or it wouldn't be mentioned in the first place. However, one of my friends of non-color, but color (contradictorily speaking based on her Native American Indian ancestry), once explained that she most definitely recognized color. She spoke of the rainbow. She loves rainbows. "What is a rainbow without color L," she asks me? She was absolutely correct! What is a rainbow without ROYBGIV?! I don't want my favorite color in the rainbow excluded when I look at Gods' promise. However, I also do not see the rainbow being as beautiful with only violet in it. Would I dismantle the rainbow, or the movement? No. Just for the record this is not a LGBT message either, it's about the #LivesThatMatter Movement. I'm not saying that the lives in the LGBT community don't matter either. I am saying we can talk about the oranges after we wrap up the apples. 

Thanks and blessings.

#BlackLivesMatter vs. #AllLivesMatter

                  My spiritual brother

It's sad that most religious or race relations discussions transition into arguments, that eventually become a matter of disagreement. Disagreement then becomes the focus of who's right, and who's wrong rather than an agreement of any kind. At that point most all hope, and compromise, or even agreeing to disagree or banished. Hopefully the disagreeing doesn't lead to acts of belligerence, but instead creates a desire, or a drive that would lead the parties involved to hold an open mind in order to discover a rational way of resolving the matter. 

This blog is to discuss the topic of "Black Lives Matter," or referred to as (BLM), for the remainder of this blog. This blog will discuss why it is the movement began, why the movement is meant for good, and why others see that it is not. It is imperative to stay focused, and remain on topic. No one likes confusion, and it is just as unfair as it is impractical to compare apples to oranges. 

Again, this is a discussion that invites critical thinking in the area that says; #BlackLivesMatter (BLM). Critical thinking that shows both sides. Why is it that some see that BLM is so repugnant to some people that those same people attempt by any means necessary to refute it. It will also demonstrate how the BLM movement is critically important to some communities more so than others. 

I will begin with a question:

Does the BLM movement negatively affect those opposing it? If so how? 

Remember, please stay on topic... no apples and oranges, and please, please, please... think before you speak. 

Peace, blessings, and joy... That real PB&J