The Truth of ‘Black Lives Matter’

[RobertZ]

From today's NY Times:

The Republican Party and its acolytes in the news media are trying to demonize the protest movement that has sprung up in response to the all-too-common police killings of unarmed African-Americans across the country. The intent of the campaign — evident in comments by politicians like Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky — is to cast the phrase “Black Lives Matter” as an inflammatory or even hateful anti-white expression that has no legitimate place in a civil rights campaign.

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas crystallized this view when he said the other week that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were he alive today, would be “appalled” by the movement’s focus on the skin color of the unarmed people who are disproportionately killed in encounters with the police. This argument betrays a disturbing indifference to or at best a profound ignorance of history in general and of the civil rights movement in particular. From the very beginning, the movement focused unapologetically on bringing an end to state-sanctioned violence against African-Americans and to acts of racial terror very much like the one that took nine lives at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., in June.

The civil rights movement was intended to make Congress and Americans confront the fact that African-Americans were being killed with impunity for offenses like trying to vote, and had the right to life and to equal protection under the law. The movement sought a cross-racial appeal, but at every step of the way used expressly racial terms to describe the death and destruction that was visited upon black people because they were black.

Even in the early 20th century, civil rights groups documented cases in which African-Americans died horrible deaths after being turned away from hospitals reserved for whites, or were lynched — which meant being hanged, burned or dismembered — in front of enormous crowds that had gathered to enjoy the sight.

The Charleston church massacre has eerie parallels to the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. — the most heinous act of that period — which occurred at the height of the early civil rights movement. Four black girls were murdered that Sunday. When Dr. King eulogized them, he did not shy away from the fact that the dead had been killed because they were black, by monstrous men whose leaders fed them “the stale bread of hatred and the spoiled meat of racism.” He said that the dead “have something to say” to a complacent federal government that cut back-room deals with Southern Dixiecrats, as well as to “every Negro who has passively accepted the evil system of segregation and who has stood on the sidelines in a mighty struggle for justice.” Shock over the bombing pushed Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act the following year.

During this same period, freedom riders and voting rights activists led by the young John Lewis offered themselves up to be beaten nearly to death, week after week, day after day, in the South so that the country would witness Jim Crow brutality and meaningfully respond to it. This grisly method succeeded in Selma, Ala., in 1965 when scenes of troopers bludgeoning voting rights demonstrators compelled a previously hesitant Congress to acknowledge that black people deserved full citizenship, too, and to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Along the way, there was never a doubt as to what the struggle was about: securing citizenship rights for black people who had long been denied them.

The “Black Lives Matter” movement focuses on the fact that black citizens have long been far more likely than whites to die at the hands of the police, and is of a piece with this history. Demonstrators who chant the phrase are making the same declaration that voting rights and civil rights activists made a half-century ago. They are not asserting that black lives are more precious than white lives. They are underlining an indisputable fact — that the lives of black citizens in this country historically have not mattered, and have been discounted and devalued. People who are unacquainted with this history are understandably uncomfortable with the language of the movement. But politicians who know better and seek to strip this issue of its racial content and context are acting in bad faith. They are trying to cover up an unpleasant truth and asking the country to collude with them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/op...ol-left-region

[marv2]

They can all stuff it because we all saw how and why this movement developed!

[soulster]

Fuckin' racist rupubliKKKans!

[Jerry Oz]

This movement must succeed. The rhetoric being used by its detractors has clearly shown why it is needed. They [[well, the smart ones did) hid their racism and hatred for decades but between the Tea Party and Donald Trump, they have been emboldened to actually speak what has been in their evil hearts. They full-well understand the name of the movement but try to use semantics [["all lives matter") to confuse the average white American.

In a time when Black people [[not 'suspects' because many victims of police brutality have never been accused of a crime) are eight times more likely to be killed by police than whites and six times more likely to receive substantially harsher sentences for the same crimes as their white counterparts convicted of the SAME crimes, we need systemic reform. I never thought that I'd see the day when this country would hop back 60 years in race relations, but I was clearly wrong.

[splanky]

Ah, if it were only so simple......
Of course the phrasing of this yet to be gelled movement is valid and of course racism is alive and well across the country but IMO I think it's a lot more complicated than that. It's
ironic to me that all of this is taking place at a time when culturally America is celebrating
the history of the hip hop group NWA. Aside from the fact that they super sized the use of
a racial slur to refer to black people to the point where it's part of every day language, never
mind the spelling, they put themselves outside of the realm of political consciousness with
Dr Dre and Ren saying , and I quote: I ain't with that Black shit. So even as we say now Black
Lives Matter the anthem for years for many of us has been Real N*gg*s Don't Give a F**k ,
N*gg*! As long as those who've enjoyed the greatest success, ie our Hollywood celebrities, sports millionaires and entertainers remain mostly silent on these issues and our least
empowered crabs in a barrel living day to day, whether in little towns or urban ghettos
don't feel the significance of this concept nothing will change. And truthfully nothing surprises me anymore...

[RobertZ]

I thing this is a valuable editorial because it enables me to be prepared to reply to those who disagree with the #Black Lives Matter movement. This encapsulates it easily:

"They are not asserting that black lives are more precious than white lives. They are underlining an indisputable fact — that the lives of black citizens in this country historically have not mattered, and have been discounted and devalued."

[arr&bee]

Where are the[black lives matter]folks when it's black on black crime?folks getting robbed-shot-beaten-scared to come out of thier homes because the drug dealers have taken over...opps i guess that's not news worthy enough for..black lives matter.

[Jerry Oz]

Ah, if it were only so simple......
Of course the phrasing of this yet to be gelled movement is valid and of course racism is alive and well across the country but IMO I think it's a lot more complicated than that. It's
ironic to me that all of this is taking place at a time when culturally America is celebrating
the history of the hip hop group NWA. Aside from the fact that they super sized the use of
a racial slur to refer to black people to the point where it's part of every day language, never
mind the spelling, they put themselves outside of the realm of political consciousness with
Dr Dre and Ren saying , and I quote: I ain't with that Black shit. So even as we say now Black
Lives Matter the anthem for years for many of us has been Real N*gg*s Don't Give a F**k ,
N*gg*! As long as those who've enjoyed the greatest success, ie our Hollywood celebrities, sports millionaires and entertainers remain mostly silent on these issues and our least
empowered crabs in a barrel living day to day, whether in little towns or urban ghettos
don't feel the significance of this concept nothing will change. And truthfully nothing surprises me anymore...

Exactly! So long as the Jay-Zs, Denzel Washingtons, Oprah Winfreys, and other "name" celebrities stay silent, the movement is just a bunch of faceless everymen who are pissed to be Black. In the other hand, if they do endorse it, their careers will be toast. Easy enough for me to suggest they sacrifice everything for others.

[Jerry Oz]

I thing this is a valuable editorial because it enables me to be prepared to reply to those who disagree with the #Black Lives Matter movement. This encapsulates it easily:

"They are not asserting that black lives are more precious than white lives. They are underlining an indisputable fact — that the lives of black citizens in this country historically have not mattered, and have been discounted and devalued."

They know this. It wouldn't make any difference if it was "Black Lives Matter Too" or "Don't Black Lives Matter". Their only response is toward semantics instead of the issue because they don't want to confront the evidence of the systemic permission of police brutality.

[Jerry Oz]

Where are the[black lives matter]folks when it's black on black crime?folks getting robbed-shot-beaten-scared to come out of thier homes because the drug dealers have taken over...opps i guess that's not news worthy enough for..black lives matter.

No disrespect, brother, but this is ridiculous. If a Black man kills your son and is arrested, he will be arrested and thrown in jail. If a cop kills your son without cause, he won't likely be arrested, let alone convicted. I dare you to say that you're okay with that. If you do, then you are to be pitied while also being beneath contempt.

Unless I'm mistaken, it's the job of the police to keep us safe. Should I show you news reports showing how often a civilian called the cops, only to be killed when they scared the cop by pulling their hands out of their pocket? How about cops breaking into the wrong home without a warrant and killing the home owner who was awakened and didn't know why they were there? Are you okay with the kid killed for playing with a BB gun in a park? [[Wasn't your kid, so you probably are.) Remember when you could do that without worrying about a cop shooting you without so much as a warning to drop the gun?

I have never killed a man, Black or other, yet you're cool with a cop killing me because he mistakenly identified me as a person of interest? Because some other Black people killed other Black people? I've done everything I could to live my life right. If I'm murdered, I hope the killer is tried, convicted, and thrown in prison. I'm glad to see your view of the issue because I now know not to care when it happens to you or someone you love. If that sounds harsh, I'm simply saying what you already said.

[splanky]

Whoa, Jerry!....
For the record here, I think you totally missed Jai's point with those last comments. I really
don't think he'd be cool with any of that mess and I don't see where he said anything like it.
Something I can't seem to understand about even the most brightest among our public figures whether political or entertainment orientated is the blind spot to what the effects
of black on black crime does to us every single day. That's what I see Jai/r&B refering to.
Even if all racist assaults from others and abuse from the police stopped completely tonight
we'd still have that. That's the thing nobody likes to hear these days but it's the truth. We
have within our communities some who are intent on taking away our own qualities of
life. We also have those who defend them with various codes and credos I'm sure you are
aware of. Anyway, though I know protect and serve is SUPPOSED to be the job of the police,
it justifies their being paid, armed and allowed the use of force, the real function of police
at primal level is to protect the rich and powerful from the poor and any of their sympathisers....

[Jerry Oz]

I fully understand the issue. But people who think these are comparable issues are wrong for several reasons.
1. Who do we protest against about BoB crime? My tax dollars support the cops and I think we deserve accountability from them. Consequently, my protests are to address the corrupt system. I'd protest against BoB crime, but the perpetrators are not an impossibly huge cabal of like minded gang members that the police have devolved into.

2. Unless you are a cop, you are likely to stand trial if caught and charged with a crime. I find it interesting that Black people are six times more likely to serve more time in incarceration than Whites for the same crimes while cops rally around the shield and are rarely charged. Even when they are, they are likely to be acquitted b like the recent cases in Cleveland and Charlotte. Can't we ask play by equal rules?

3. The police are supposed to establish the peace. They should follow the laws they progress to enforce. Whereas there are way too many in our communities who are crooked and do the things that Jai said, they aren't sworn to serve and protect. And I'm not paying them.

4. "Black on Black crime" is in and of itself a very racist term. Most of the crime committed toward White people is committed by other White people. Have you ever heard of "White on White crime"? How about "Yellow on Yellow crime"? "Red on Red" or "Brown on Brown"? I haven't.

5. The problems we face that lead to higher rates of drug use and crime are systemic and were created by design. How else can you explain that the best teachers and schools are not where they are needed? The inner city needs the best educational efforts to level the playing field of opportunity but curiously, that is not something our society values.

6. As I've stated in other threads, generalization is particularly dangerous. When you hear that Black people are more likely to go to jail, die from preventable health reasons, do drugs, or have kids out of wedlock, what are you hearing? I've done none of the above and I'm quite Black. Dig deep and you will find that people of all races have those same issues when they exist in lower economical strata. Lack of opportunity and income result in the same behavior from Whites, Hispanics, and Asians. So if we call it "Black on Black crime", we are ignoring the true cause of the problem because it's easier to generalize about race than it is to acknowledge racism.

Jai is right to suggest that the day to day problems that many Black people face are ignored by mainstream media. My issue with him is suggesting that I can't have issue with the city cutting down trees in my local woods without complaining about anybody else ripping down the rainforest somewhere else. If I have two problems, I choose to address the one that I have a reasonable hope of correcting first.

[arr&bee]

Jerry what i'm saying is that we don't see all these so-called people's movements when crime is rampant in poor neighborhoods,and i'm not talking bout media coverage and the only reason i mention them is because if alot of cameras aren't there then neither are these so-called movements.

[Jerry Oz]

Serious question: Where do you go to protest about neighborhood crime? I hear people complain frequently about community crime, but I don't know what protests you think would be effective. The criminals have to be found whereas we know where the police station is. Please tell me what you think would work and I'll do it today.

I'm absolutely blown away by the fact that you think we can't effect change for one problem unless we first change another. To be sure, both are problematic. But we need the police to help reduce crime, not to be criminals themselves with get out of jail free cards. Should I call them after seeing my neighbor beat by cops when they didn't appreciate his attitude toward their slow response time when he was robbed? Hell, they encourage private citizens to inform at the risk of their lives when a cop who rats on a fellow cop will be ostracized and run off the force.

If you were of age during the civil rights era, would you tell Dr. King to protest about Black folks customizing each other before trying to fix social equality? Why not? Black folks have always had to worry about crime and most had been perpetrated by other Black people. You seem to be suggesting I take lumps from everyone since I don't protest about one. How do I protest about random criminals?

[splanky]

I, personally would not think of addressing the issues as a formal protest because there is no
one place to go and no march could tackle every incidence. What you do you have to do from
your own perspective both mentally and geographically. You watch your loved ones and closest
friends. You support institutions that offer alternatives to just idling in the streets, looking for
trouble whether it's a community center, Tae Kwon Do school or Band Music club. You help
if you can those looking for employment or housing. You do any number of things you
can to diminish the chances of them sliding.And you call out anyone who tries to make
light of the transgressions, ignore them or whitewash them. Or glorify them, which
kinda means more than 75 percent of the rappers of the last 25 years. But as Chuck D said:
Yea, F*ck The Police but who's stopping you from killing me?..I got his point...

In effect what I'm trying to say to you that if Black Lives Matter will work as you say it must
Black People, in larger numbers, have to believe it themselves...

[Jerry Oz]

Agreed. But there's no reason to oppose one if you feel strongly about both. I think that if you dig deep, you'll find that most of the people who are involved in BLM are also very strongly in support of everything that you mentioned. But until we fix the systemic breakdown in our society that permits us to be treated as less than full participants, we will continue to suffer.

Look, I'm absolutely just as frustrated with BoB crime as I am with police brutality. I just hate to think that when it comes to justice, then it's 'just us'. In my mind, the police are part of the solution but it's heartbreaking to see that the 'good' ones rally around the 'bad' ones when something happens that infringes on someone's rights. In my book, any cop who looks the other way is a bad cop. God bless y'all to feel however you do, but I guess we disagree on BLM.