569 Lives Matter

While folks on opposite sides are screaming, “All Lives Matter and Black Lives Matter”at each other, I would just like to offer food for thought.

Since the murder of Trayvon Martin, the news has widely reported on approximately 7 police killings in an in-depth fashion in the last 2 years, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland(which stopped suddenly and mysteriously), Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. And it seems that the constant reporting of these 7 cases has been successful in making us believe that black people are under attack. We widely embrace the sentiment that black men are all in danger and subject to be victims of the police without any warning at any time.

But does anybody ever wonder what the numbers of people killed in altercations with the police actually are? And even more curiously, are black men truly the only people being killed? Because if I am to rely solely on the television media, like so many do, that is the narrative.

So I asked Google the question, and here is what I found.

As of the time that I write this, 569 people have been killed by the police in the United States in 2016. And you do know its only July right? According to The Counted, a database of US police killings run by The Guardian out of the UK, the breakdown, 261 white, 166 minorities, 142 of unknown race, and at least 124 possibly suffering from mental illness. In 2015, their count was 1146. Some justified, and some not. Out of almost 1200 cases, only 12 officers were charged and none were convicted.

…and apparently nobody cares, because if the death is not gruesome, caught on cellphone video, or if the victim is not Black, it never makes national news.

But nobody wants to hear this.

I am writing this, because I believe people should know. We should see how this is really everyone’s problem and come together to fix it peacefully.

If you’re reading this and want to tell me how many times more likely, a black person will be killed by a cop than a white person based on population, save your finger strength. I have heard and read all of the percentages and statistics. I also caution in doing this because it opens up the floodgates for other statistics as well. Statistics that don’t necessarily cast black people in the best light when it comes to this topic. In this case, I am purely looking at the raw data based on case information collected over a period of the last year and a half. I am simply concerned with the 569 Americans, black, white, hispanic, or otherwise that have been killed in encounters with police, period.

Why are there so many? And why have most of these never been reported to the public? In fact, why is the database itself some hidden list that you have to go find? Why are there other databases with similar numbers that seem to just be sitting there garnering zero interest? Perhaps this knowledge isn’t divisive or polarizing enough to make the national news.

Am I the only one who is bothered by this?

I think the worst part of this, is the fact that the rhetoric has become so vile, emotional, and one sided, that pride and ingrained erroneous beliefs have made it impossible for people to even imagine that anyone other than black people have fallen prey to police brutality and therefore it is a black problem rather than an American problem.

And now we have police being shot as well, which is absolutely unacceptable.

And while I’d like to think that this information could actually have a way of bringing us together, Pandora’s box has been opened and the havoc is so out of control, is this even possible?

For the record, I am a black woman, so in writing this, some will feel I have betrayed my people and that is their choice to do so. I know who I am. As much as we would like to believe that all Black experiences are the same, it is simply not the case. I have always had a very diverse life, with very diverse people in it. The prism with which I view the world is somewhat different from many of my brothers and sisters. I don’t know whether it is good or bad, in the big scheme of things, but it has saved me the burden of being suspicious of people based on race. Still, being a black woman, I am privy to conversations and statements from people of my own race that other races don’t necessarily get to hear that are dividing us and actually causing us more pain.

Many believe that white people are the problem, period; they hate black people and they are intent on exterminating the entire race. Others believe that we as black people should be more concerned with the crimes we commit against our own, which outnumber the deaths by cops exponentially. And then there are those who believe that race is not the biggest factor when it comes to police brutality and if people were just complicit during these traffic stops or weren’t involved in criminal activity, they would still be alive. These positions have caused much division in the black community. I have literally seen cousins delete and block each other on social media over this madness.

And it is confusing, frustrating and heartbreaking.

I hear all the back and forth between the Black Lives Matter activists, and those who who want to stress that All Lives Matter. And honestly, I believe that both are right and misguided at the same time. The Black lives matter movement can be credited for bringing these atrocities to the forefront and making us pay attention. And the All Lives Matter sentiment gives those non-black victims’ families an idea or movement to identify with.

Of course if we are being honest, many black people are suspicious when people of other races want to join in (often times rightfully so). And even though the majority of Black Lives Matter activists just want to see a change, some very loud voices in the movement are not always welcoming of other points of view, which can be a turn off to many.

On the other hand, many All Lives Matter advocates believe that the Black Lives Matter movement was formed to exclude others and see it as an act of hate, I am not quite sure that I understand why this belief exists.

In any case, catchphrases like this have never moved me much. And while I believe both, I am not one who feels the need to go around saying either. I think humanity matters most, and we need to do the necessary work to restore it to our country and our world.

If there is any message that I want to yell to the world right now, its that 569 Lives Matter. If this number of people dying doesn’t motivate us to drop the damn slogans and come together in unity, I am afraid that I don’t know what will. And that is a very sad thing.

I never intended for this to be my first story. I am more of a lighthearted lady who planned to write pieces that inspire my readers, to make my readers chuckle, nod in agreement, or think. Something this serious was never on my radar, and yet here we are. Receive it with love, respond with respect. Thanks for reading.