All Lives Matter vs. Black Lives Matter: The Debate (in my words)
Before I got locked into being a teacher, I was a newspaper reporter. I worked in the media industry for years. With that said, there is a term I am going to use: sensationalism in journalism.
The definition of sensationalism in journalism: is a type of editorial bias in mass media in which events and topics in news stories and pieces are overhyped to present biased impressions on events, which may cause a manipulation to the truth of a story (Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia).
I will in no may minimize the events that occurred between the police officers and the two young black men, or the police officers in Dallas Texas. All three of these events are tragic and heartbreaking. I know that there have been dozens upon dozens of editorials, sermons, conversations, and open sympathy notes delivered throughout the country about this incident. Some of the victims of these events are being laid to rest as you read this blog; however, the protests remain as well as the anger and the confusion about “lives that matter.”
Please keep in mind the word sensationalism as you continue to read this blog.
Why do Black Lives Matter?
The media drives us. It drives our opinion and our thinking by showing us images or having us read about certain criminal acts of violence. Within the last few years, we have read or seen stories about young black men being gunned down by private citizens or police officers. It is appalling — there’s no doubt about that. However, the media continues to focus on violence against the black man. Unwarranted abuse and violence has been a trend since Trayvon Martin. So, why are we hearing about all of these atrocities? It’s the choice of the media. If it’s not CNN or the largest newspapers/magazines in the country, we have a thing called Social Media.
The media saw a spark, a rise, in groups of people who began to wake up to see the problem with these incidents. But the focus of the story? Black males. Black victims. Therefore, we have the mantra: Black Lives Matter. Many of the victims were black, or of African American heritage. Rarely do you see the media focusing on police officers shooting and killing a white male…some stories may come up every now or then, but those stories are not as emotional as a black male, or female, being misused and abused by officers of the law. It’s in our face…we can’t help but see it. Unless we do some research to find other cases of white males and females in the same situation, this is all we have to go with.
Therefore the “Black Lives Matter” slogan is born because these are lost black lives. These are people who were presumed innocent, but they were tried, judged, and executed within hours. As we sit back and reflect on some of these tragic events, we can say “Oh, but he or she should have complied with the officer. That’s all they needed to do to prevent it.” That is very true. I will not argue with that. Even the Bible says we are to obey the laws of the land. But, we can agree that excessive force until death is wrong.
Black Lives Matter because all we have seen are dead black people.
Sensationalism in Journalism…remember that.
All Lives Matter
We are all running around scared. I’m scared. As you know I am an African American woman, so yes, I’m scared. My intelligence keeps me safe because I know that not ALL police officers are trigger-happy. I know that not ALL police officers are not confident in their abilities to deescalate a situation. I know that not ALL police officers shoot first and ask questions later. I know that. The police is made to protect and serve.
I watch the show Cops. Cops is not like the crime drama shows we see on network television, it is a show that shows how cops around the country make routine stops and how they apprehend their suspects. I also watch the First 48 Hours on A&E, an exciting reality show where police detectives around the country (including a few episodes shown right here in Tucson), solve murder cases. I watch those shows for two reasons: 1. To see how the police officer actually deals with people in their communities. 2. Some day I want to write a murder mystery, so I can see how the law enforcement agencies go about solving cases.
But through watching these shows, I see that these cops (and it might be for the camera), only use force when a suspect is trying to flee or if they do have a weapon. Most likely the officers will wrestle the suspect to the ground and get them handcuffed. In the scuffle, the officer might get bitten and the suspect gets bloodied up, but that is because they are fighting. All of these suspects on these shows are Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern — they are not just one race.
All Lives Matter because there are many people who are unjustly prosecuted or harmed. There are many people who have been wrongly killed by law enforcement agents. Yet, we do not hear about these other “lives.”
Why?
Because those lives matter, but not to the media, folks.
Again, the media drives us. Whether you agree with me or not, I’ve worked in the industry and they are all about what sells! What can we, the media, do to cause such a stirring in the public? We have a variety of things to choose from! Politics, Sports, Entertainment, and yes, Crime. All of those topics drive us to make an opinion about life around the world.
Black man gets shot. Boom! The media is all over it. Now we are shaping our opinion that “all black men are criminals.” Then, we learn through the media that the black man was shot by a police officer. Now, Joe Public believes that the black man was violent and had to be killed. Next, we learn that the black man was unarmed and under police custody, so the officer decided to shoot him. Now, we are angry! An unarmed black man killed by the police? Our opinion has changed to believe “dirty cops.”
We are completely swayed by the media. With social media,everything is instant. We believe anything and everything that comes across the Internet. I’ve seen posts on Facebook about celebrities who died years ago still circulating around as if they died that day, and people are saying “Awww…RIP.” Ummm…he died two years ago.
Sensationalism in Journalism. The last two victims of a police shooting was on personal video recordings. Some of remember that one fateful night seeing amateur video of Rodney King being beaten by Los Angeles Police Officers — and ever since then, the camera is a handy tool to witness such abuse and violence because we did not trust the police after witnessing that horrible incident.
The Alton Sterling murder: The store owner gets a front row view of what transpired. What he did is not sensationalism…no. What he did was record an unwarranted use of force when both arms of this young man were pinned and they yelled “gun.” Shots were fired. The camera zooms back to him with blood gushing from his chest. The last part of his life is seen when he lifts his arm up very slowly, and it begins to seize. A police officer reaches into Sterling’s pocket and takes…what we can assume…is the gun he carried for protection. Did we forget why he was detained in the first place? He “looked” like a suspect. Wow.
The social media hyped up this video! The public was outraged! We were in shock and horrified! What happened? What did they do? Not only was the store owner videotaping, but some other people in another car. You can hear their disbelief and screams when the gunshots were heard. Social media got a hold of that. We saw it. We heard it. We have an opinion about those two officers now. Sterling’s life mattered. He was a black man. Therefore, All Black Lives Matter.
The girlfriend of Philando Castile went live on Facebook as the altercation between the police officer and her boyfriend occurred. We see Castile slumped back in the seat next to her with blood oozing from the side of his body. She remains on social media, making comments and asking God to please not let her boyfriend die. We witness that she is taken out of the vehicle, handcuffed and the phone drops on the ground so we are only able to hear the confused commotion. Castile had a gun, but he was reaching for his wallet as the officer asked. They had a child in the car too, and Castile has never been in trouble and worked in a school. Later, we find out that he succumbed to his injuries. He was stopped for a busted taillight. A taillight led to death?
Black Lives Matter.
Let’s End the Debate
2016 marks the political season for the presidency. The candidates are looking at these events like a hungry teenager looking at a hamburger. The voters, the public, are crying out for some type of law enforcement reform. The public is also wanting the poor neighborhoods in this country (mostly made up of black people) to be recognized as disaster areas that need a break.
The media has set a revolution in motion. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but I do know that a bunch of angry people debating about which lives matter most will not solve anything.
In order for this country to heal, we have to…stop the separation. Black Lives Matter…All Lives Matter…Human beings matter! I’m not a political scientist or a sociologist (although I do have a minor in Sociology). I have never lived in the inner city of America’s largest urban areas. I’m a black woman from Arizona. I was born into a middle class family — but I will tell you what I do know. My mother and father, born in 1919 and 1917, respectively, witnessed the greatest tragedies in this country. They were born in the rural south. They had to walk in the back of restaurants to get served. My dad told me once that while walking downtown, here in Tucson, he had to step off of the sidewalk for a little white girl and her mother to pass. HE HAD TO!!
You see, my parents told me a lot about their past…it was a bitter past. It was a sad past. It was a past that I don’t think I could ever live through. But there was one thing they told me…love everybody because God loves you.
So…my life matters. Because I am a human being. And, since I claim my humanity…my motto is HUMANITY MATTERS.
I could go on…and I will…but not here.
Thank you for reading this.
