Nearly as quickly as the chant began to ring out among protesters after a grand jury failed to indict Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown, and spread through the internet, the rallying cry has been met with the response, “All Lives Matter”. Others have been tweeting with the hashtag #stopkillingthemandem, Jamaican slang for a group of men that has been adopted by Britain’s youths.
Advertisement
Obama expressed optimism, however, and said the participants – who included members of the Black Lives Matter movement – agreed such conversations need to continue despite emotions running raw. But this fact is precisely why police violence against black people is uniquely corrosive, and why it must be roundly decried as well, even after Dallas.
The first casualty last week was Alton Sterling, who police in Baton Rouge busted for selling bootleg CDs.
The All Lives Matter movement is a response to Black Lives Matter, and many see it as a phrase filled very controversy. Police Officers need law abiding citizens to “respect and appreciate” them and to better understand the challenges and dangers in 21st century policing.
President Obama took part in a televised town-hall meeting Thursday afternoon in Washington with minority youth, police and others.
“For us to protect the public and protect ourselves, there are times you have to use force” Tabor said. However, we are seeing that our black friends… I think people think enough’s enough.
“I want to express my gratitude to the White House that reached out to contact me”, Abbott said.
As they marched, they read off names off dozens of unarmed black men and women who were killed in 2015 by police officers.
So why is it right to say “Black Lives Matter” but not “Blue Lives Matter”?
The controversy over the phrase “all lives matter” has become especially pronounced after two African-American men died at the hands of police, and five police officers were shot dead by a gunman during a Dallas, Texas Black Lives Matter protest against the deaths. “Because of the president’s trip, we were unable to make an official connection, but he did want to express his sorrow and grief for the people and law enforcement in Dallas, but also any assistance that he could provide”.
John McBeth is a deacon at St. St. Philip’s Baptist Church in Port Richmond and community activist who works with interfaith and interracial groups on Staten Island.
Advertisement
She said: “I feel like every life matters and quite a lot of the time we’re quick to just listen to news and stereotypes and actually people are people”.
