Do We Have to Keep Talking About This?
This is a real conversation between 2 college students about the recent events happening in our world right now. Do black lives matter or do all lives matter?
“Black Lives Matter.”
“All Lives Matter.”
“But black lives are in danger.”
“All lives are in danger”
“But black lives are especially endangered by the police.”
“All lives are endangered by the police. People are shot everyday by police officers.”
“But do you not agree that a vast number of unarmed black men are killed by cops?”
“Do you not agree that a vast number of unarmed black men that are killed by cops are only reported by TV networks? And none of the white guys that are shot by unarmed cops — ”
“How many unarmed white men are shot by cops per week on average?”
“More. There have been news reports.”
“More than 4 average? On average there are more than 4 black men shot by cops per week. On average more black men have been shot by cops this year than were lynched in the Jim Crow South by the KKK.”
The Pro-All Lives Matter “activist”, if you will, proceeded to look up facts about previous occasions where black cops have shot white males. In 1 out of 2 of the instances he researched, the victim was on LSD. This compelled the Pro-Black Lives Matter “activist” even more because in her eyes the cop had the right to shoot seeing that he felt that his life was in danger by someone who was deranged at the time.
And so the conversation continued.
“…It’s even sadder that the value of black men’s lives is little to nothing in today’s society. Because like you said all lives DO matter, but right now black lives are more in danger by cops than white men’s lives are.”
“Not necessarily.”
“What do you mean not necessarily?”
“Because not only black men are being shot by cops.”
“You’re right. Not only black men are being shot, but A LOT of black men are being shot by cops.”
“But ALL people are being shot by cops. We’re trying to stop police brutality in general. We’re not just trying to stop brutality against black men.”
“We are trying to stop police brutality, but a lot of police brutality is due to underlying racism.”
And there goes the elephant in the room.
“But its not underlying racism when there’s black males that shoot other black males, but nobody ever hears about it?”
“Black on black crime is very prevalent as much as white on white crime is, and everyone wants to talk about black on black crime. However, no one seems to bring up white on white. So do you not agree that black on black crimes get more media attention?”
“I’m just saying that the media is the reason for all this racism. The media is what’s causing everybody to bring race into every occasion.”
“Media or not, there are still racist cops in America that have killed unarmed men due to the color of their skin. Do you not agree with that? Alton Sterling? Philando Castile…”
From there the 2 parties were trying to make their points while simultaneously talking over each other. Therefore, making it difficult for me to continue to document the rest of that conversation.
I recorded this conversation because I felt that through all of the media, parents, politicians, and more, young voices weren’t being heard as much. Sure you can hop on Twitter or even this site to see the conversations and hear the arguments, but real perspectives are what matter. The up and coming generation’s voices are what matter.
I can honestly say that after hearing both sides, I can understand. I can understand why one might say All Lives Matter over Black Lives Matter and vice versa. What I don’t understand is why there can’t be mutual understanding. Many may say that we should all build a bridge and get over it, but all of the reoccuring verbal and physical civil revolt from these recent tragedies may not be able to have a blind eye turned to them this time.
