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[Wanda/Wander]

To me "Black Lives Matter" is a reasonable statement. It's like the most non-threatening rallying cry in history.

However the response to this phrase has been so violent and ugly.

Every since the inception of the Black Lives Matter campaign, there's been this large scale coordinated effort to demonize and suppress this non-violent movement.

So, my question is why?

Why is the idea that black people's lives actually hold some value, such a "radical" idea?

Why is it a dangerous idea?

Whose lives does it negatively effect if we treat a group of people...like people?

Honestly it infuriates me that it's 2016 and we're STILL- WE'RE FUCKING STILL debating whether or not black people deserve to die.

Fuck

 

[Inferno313]

Racists read it with an implicit: "more" at the end. When in actuality it's an implict "too."

 

[dave is ok]

Racists read it with an implicit: "more" at the end. When in actuality it's an implict "too."

One and done

 

[Patryn]

Those happy with the status quo will dislike anything that threatens that.

 

[EdibleKnife]

Those happy with the status quo will dislike anything that threatens that.

Pretty much. The status quo is supposed to be minorities at the bottom rung. But it's as people have said multiple times: When you're used to privilege, equality feels like oppression.

 

[Confidence Man]

Racist people don't like black people having things for themselves.

 

[TheStruggler]

because morons then think white lives matter just as much if not more than black lives and their jimmies get rustled because god for big African Americans start a movement that may spread awareness and somehow benefit them.

 

[royalan]

Because a sizable portion of this country reside in a certain basket, and do so proudly.

 

[sazzy]

Because if they don't dismiss the movement, they have to face the reality that racism is real and prevalent.

 

[Necromanti]

For the privileged, equality is tantamount to oppression.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

Constant fear of a Black uprising because most of mainstream America knows deep down they'd violently revolt if they were treated the way we have been for a few centuries.

 

[Air]

White fragility.

 

[Lightning_Roller]

Racists read it with an implicit: "more" at the end. When in actuality it's an implict "too."

This is about all that needs to be said, actually.

 

[Glass Shark]

It's only dangerous to people who lack empathy.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

Because they want to broaden the issue to a watered down "All Lives Matter" statement. All Lives Matter doesn't mean anything. It's something that our culture has already accepted, that's why you don't randomly walk down the street and club someone in the head. It's like saying the sky is blue.

So they hear Black Lives Matter and get uncomfortable. We're talking about why people of color are being killed by public servants so easily. That focus makes people acknowledge some truths about our country that they'd rather ignore and pretend disappeared already.

I don't think people that rush to say All Lives Matter are inherently racist or anything, just misguided.

 

[Patryn]

Because if they don't dismiss the movement, they have to face the reality that racism is real and prevalent.

I think this also. So many people have had it ingrained in them that the US is the greatest nation in the world and we're exceptional, and any time its pointed out that it has massive flaws, they simply can't accept that incongruity and thus refuse to accept the premise that the flaws exist.

 

[Lunar15]

Basically, it's because people sympathize more with cops due to the weird romanticism around them.

I think some people think that, literally, black lives matter, but they're doing the mental leap and going to the furthest end and saying "but this protest doesn't matter because there's nothing wrong with cops".

It's ridiculous, and I completely agree. The All Lives Matter nonsense is bullshit and it's ridiculous how many people see it as a "more" rather than a "too".

 

[Breads]

Racists read it with an implicit: "more" at the end. When in actuality it's an implict "too."

It's worse than that. Racists actually think think it's a black separatist/ supremacist (I heard telll of a "black KKK" more than a few times here in Florida) movement that is, above all else, calling for the lives of law enforcement officers and white people.

It's not any of these things though. It's a hashtag movement that has no central lead or goals. It's an awareness campaign which is apparently too much for some people to handle. For me it's mostly a call for accountability from the crimes police commit but there are cultural awareness elements to it as well.

How "liberal media elite", "SJWs and PC culture", "refugees", and "Muslim extremists" factors into it I have no idea. This is just shit racists are lumping together because they are all of afraid of being treated equally to people of darker skin tones than them.

 

[Infinite]

White fragility.

.

 

[i-Lo]

So would BLM be less demonized if it was called Black Lives Matter Too from get go?

 

[SuperStiltzkin]

People who say "All Lives Matter" in response to BLM are the same people who say "Why don't we have a straight pride parade?"

 

[Lunar15]

So would BLM be less demonized if it was called Black Lives Matter Too from get go?

No, because they'd still read it as more.

 

[Pulka]

The idea isn't dangerous. Of course black lives matter as much as any other persons life, the "dangerous" part of it is what the activists do.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

People who say "All Lives Matter" in response to BLM are the same people who say "Why don't we have a straight pride parade?"

They also say 'Blue Lives Matter' which is just insane irony.

 

[SuperStiltzkin]

So would BLM be less demonized if it was called Black Lives Matter Too from get go?

Hi, I would like a foot long BLMT.

 

[ColdLasagna]

Racists read it with an implicit: "more" at the end. When in actuality it's an implict "too."

Winner Winner.

We done here.

 

[TheStruggler]

In no way shape or form will this lead to a "war" so to speak. But does anyone feel if this keeps happening (which it has) without change this will lead to even more tensions and a bigger divide between the black and white communities of America?

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

Racists read it with an implicit: "more" at the end. When in actuality it's an implict "too."

I get it and Ive yet to run into anyone who doesnt get it, but I guess there are people out there who dont. Maybe you're onto something. Adding "too" seems unnecessary, but maybe some need it for the message to make sense.

 

[Wanda/Wander]

People who say "All Lives Matter" in response to BLM are the same people who say "Why don't we have a straight pride parade?"

...or other greatest hits like "How come there isn't white entertainment television?"

 

[Lunar15]

I get it and Ive yet to run into anyone who doesnt get it, but I guess there are people out there who dont. Maybe you're onto something. Adding "too" seems unnecessary, but maybe some need it for the message to make sense.

No, because the actual name of the group doesn't matter. It's that it exists and it challenges the status quo. There's always going to be pushback when someone does that.

 

[Kinyou]

So would BLM be less demonized if it was called Black Lives Matter Too from get go?

I think it might have prevented some initial ignorance. Like when Martin O’Malley said All lives matter. No doubt that there'd still be a lot of demonization anyway though.

 

[Do Better]

The people who think that statement is dangerous believe that black people are dangerous by default of being black, or they are highly susceptible to being influenced to believe so.

 

[Wanda/Wander]

So would BLM be less demonized if it was called Black Lives Matter Too from get go?

I imagine that we would just get "All Live Matter Too" in response.

 

[inky]

People in a privileged position feel threatened by their eventual lack of special privilege.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

Racism is a hell of a drug. And by no means is it anything but racism.

 

[____]

Blacks unifying will always be frowned upon, no matter the cause.

 

[Boney]

Racists read it with an implicit: "more" at the end. When in actuality it's an implict "too."

This is just the easy and non violent interpretation of the literal "all lives matter" bs.

To me it seems it's more about the fear of minorities getting empowered and push back against the different forms of sistemic racism like police violence or credit scores, which naturally would lead to physical and politica confrontations. There's a reason why so much of the rhetoric involves how dangerous it is for the police and by extension white america.

 

[Do Better]

So would BLM be less demonized if it was called Black Lives Matter Too from get go?

No, every movement for equal rights for minority groups in the U.S. gets demonized. The chosen moniker of the one we're discussing just makes it easy for people to play dumb.

 

[Future]

People feel left out. People don't think racism is that bad out there. People feel threatened. People are racists. Yada yada

 

[Regginator]

Racists read it with an implicit: "more" at the end. When in actuality it's an implict "too."

This.

Which is why I wonder why the BLM movement don't "rebrand" themselves as, maybe, Black Lives Matter Too. They don't have to, but it should deal with most of the opposition. That way, everyone saying #alllivesmatter are immediately sidelined, even more so than now, because it's not that black lives matter more, but that they matter too.

 

[Takuan]

Because people see cops as being infallible. When they see someone struggling while being held down, or being otherwise disrespectful/non-compliant to an officer, they consider that a forfeiture of all personal rights and literally look for any reason to rationalize physical abuse/murder.

Also, many people just can't relate to black problems because they haven't ever been treated like black people often are.

 

[Captain Pants]

My racist brother can only see them as some sort of hate group... although he's just projecting.

 

[LouisaFerre]

It might be depressing, but I think you have to realize that a lot, probably most people care more about their own conveniences and the people they dislike than they do about justice or the treatment of innocent strangers.

 

[EdibleKnife]

This.

Which is why I wonder why the BLM movement don't "rebrand" themselves as, maybe, Black Lives Matter Too. They don't have to, but it should deal with most of the opposition. That way, everyone saying #alllivesmatter are immediately sidelined, even more so than now, because it's not that black lives matter more, but that they matter too.

If a #CancerMatters movement was made, there'd be no #allillnessesmatter in response. It won't deal with the opposition because it's all just a deflection tactic. It's not a complex movement to understand and the reasons behind it's existence are laid bare on national television. The statement is crystal clear at a elementary schooler level of understanding of the English language. The people who get hung up on the name don't actually have an interest in the movement, just derailing conversations and minimizing/ignoring the oppression. People who say #alllivesmatter will just find a new reason to nitpick at the movement rather than actually understand it.

 

[Jawbreaker]

They think it's a hate group that's out to destroy America and seize its resources from "hardworking citizens" through Affirmative Action and welfare. They also believe that they're out to kill cops.

 

[Squalor]

This.

Which is why I wonder why the BLM movement don't "rebrand" themselves as, maybe, Black Lives Matter Too. They don't have to, but it should deal with most of the opposition. That way, everyone saying #alllivesmatter are immediately sidelined, even more so than now, because it's not that black lives matter more, but that they matter too.

If you think that would stop the racists, you're incredibly naïve.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Racists read it with an implicit: "more" at the end. When in actuality it's an implict "too."

no. this is absolutely wrong.

they read it as "Black Lives Matter" and just happen to consider that to simply not be true.

 

[Inferno313]

This.

Which is why I wonder why the BLM movement don't "rebrand" themselves as, maybe, Black Lives Matter Too. They don't have to, but it should deal with most of the opposition. That way, everyone saying #alllivesmatter are immediately sidelined, even more so than now, because it's not that black lives matter more, but that they matter too.

I'm not literally saying it needs to be called BLM Too, racists see the organization that way because of their racism, not due to a lack of clarity on BLM's part.

 

[MrBadger]

This.

Which is why I wonder why the BLM movement don't "rebrand" themselves as, maybe, Black Lives Matter Too. They don't have to, but it should deal with most of the opposition. That way, everyone saying #alllivesmatter are immediately sidelined, even more so than now, because it's not that black lives matter more, but that they matter too.

They shouldn't have to rebrand themselves because of angry white people purposely misinterpreting their message.

 

[The Artisan]

They also say 'Blue Lives Matter' which is just insane irony.

the other day I was on twitter and saw "blue lives murder"