This is why the mantra, "Black Lives Matter," matters

[marym625]

Last edited Fri Dec 5, 2014, 07:19 AM - Edit history (4)

There have been more than a few, "all lives matter" posts and replies. There are many "it's not about race, it's because he (pick something) so the cops had no choice." There are many "my (nephew, husband, uncle, son) is white and this happened to him."

What is so sad about those posts and replies is the people putting them up, have no idea why that is wrong.

Here's an example that might explain it better than anything else. Let's say you have a headache. It's a very bad one. You tell your cousin, who always has to top everything, "I have a terrible headache." To which the cousin says, "I had the worst headache of my life yesterday. I couldn't even see it was so bad." Then, you find out your headache is due to some tumor in your sinuses. You tell your cousin, "I have to have surgery because I have tumor in my sinuses. I'm a little nervous." To which your cousin replies, "that's nothing! I had a tumor in my brain. They operated for 24 hours and I almost died."

Well, white people saying, "All Lives Matter," you're the cousin.

To put it in serious terms, look at the statistics. Every 28 hours in this country a black person is shot by police. That's shot by. There is NO COMPARISON as to what happens to white people.

Another unarmed, black man was killed by cops in Phoenix just yesterday, our newest hashtag, Rumain Brisbon. We have had Eric Garner, John Crawford III, Michael Brown, Kajieme Powell, VonDerritt Myers, Akai Gurley and Tamir Rice. All since July of this year. How many white men? Now compare that to the percentages of black people and white people in the US.

I posted this the other day with another article from the Irish Times. In that article, the author, Una Mullally, writes,

"I can’t imagine what it must feel like right now to be a black person in the United States. It must feel like being hunted."

But for this purpose, the article and statistics from a Mother Jones are more important.

From my post:

According to some statistics, every 28 hours in this country a person of color is shot by law enforcement. There is no way to know the exact number, though some have been trying desperately to find out. The reason it is so difficult is no agency keeps statistics on justified police involved shootings. And to use "unjustified" would exclude so many that are deemed "justified." So many of these would seem to anyone but law enforcement and DAs, they are anything but justified. John Crawford III falls into the "justified" category.

Mother Jones has a great article with the best statistics available. We find out:

black people were about four times as likely to die in custody or while being arrested than whites

Between 1968 and 2011, black people were between two to eight times more likely to die at the hands of law enforcement than whites. Annually, over those 40 years, a black person was on average 4.2 times as likely to get shot and killed by a cop than a white person.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/08/police-shootings-ferguson-race-data

Unbelievable as it may seem, there are still people in this country, educated, young adults, that don't have a clue what is happening. They have never heard of John Crawford, Sean Bell or Tamir Rice.

Please stand with our brothers and sister of color. Please stand in support of the amazing movement that is happening in this country, to end open season on young, black men.

Please, just be supportive and recognize what is truly happening.

[upaloopa]

1. Suppose you tell us white people how to act!

Maybe we care and can't express it in a way you can except.
I cried while watching coverage last night of the goings on in New York. A lot that matters to you.

[marym625]

2. I do not mean offense

And I am talking about certain people who can't see what is going on. We are hurting people whenever we diminish what is happening.

[upaloopa]

3. I don't see anyone here diminishing what has

happened.
I may not walk in your shoes but I care that you live in a more unjust world than I do. I want to make things better but I am limited.
I am 68 yrs old. I marched in the 60's in civil rights marches. I took a group of guys from high school in 1964 to Columbus Georgia to meet with Black teens to try and understand how they live. Today that is all old news and today I have a very hard time seeing the same kind of racism that I saw in the 60's. I know racism is learned and knowing that I can see that the racists of the sixties passed it down to the adults of today. I hate how this country treats you but I am only one person doing what I can with the people I meet.

[marym625]

4. First, I am white

From what I have seen of your posts, this is not at all addressed to you. But there have been quite a few posts that have caused some very deep hurt. There are posts about how hurt some people have been and many replies all feeling the same. Take a look at the African American group.

I appreciate what you have done. That you're a dedicated, caring person. This post is addressed to those that are outright saying things like, "why make it about race" "it isn't about race" "race had nothing to do with it" "all lives matter, why cut out any race" and so much more.

Again, this is not directed at every white person on DU. It's about what has been done that is hurtful so, maybe, it will stop.

[upaloopa]

5. Well this is another one of those areas I will stay away from

from now on. I am getting a list of them

[951-Riverside]

6. All lives do matter

For every 1 unarmed black man killed, I can show you 10 unarmed white men killed and for every 1 unarmed white man killed, I can show you 10 unarmed black men killed.

You've got ted bundy types, rapists, racists and gang types in every level of law enforcement MURDERING unarmed people left and right with impunity.

I'm not going to stick my fingers in my ears and pretend that this is a one sided issue because its not. This isnt just about Eric Garner and Mike Brown, its also about Kelly Thomas, John Crawford, Jason Conoscenti, Jose de la Trinidad, Brian Beaird, Frank Mendoza, Alan Kephart, John Winkler, Douglas Zerby, Michael Nida, Robert Cameron Redus and Hans Kevin Arellano ALL of these men were unarmed and most were shot in the back or snuck up on and shot without warning.

You can read more about them here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025908048

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

7. Mary, those who get it, get it. Those who dont, never will

[marym625]

9. I'm see that now

I really thought it was pretty clear. Oh well, can't say I didn't try

Thank you

[Number23]

12. + infinity. And the person who was the impetus of this post is one that burns 1000 calories

NOT getting it despite 2/3 of this board bending over backwards trying to show him what "it" is.

[20score]

8. K&R! Nice post.

[marym625]

10. Thank you 20Score

Coming from you, that mean a great deal!

[helpmetohelpyou]

11. I guess maybe I'm in that group that says all life matters

The war is to have cops stop killing folks where it wasn't necessary to do so.

It's as , If the Black statistics get down to the White numbers then it's alright.



The war is against cops and our militarized police force

[marym625]

14. The war is to stop police brutality

Last edited Fri Dec 5, 2014, 07:10 AM - Edit history (1)

But the biggest issue and the main problem is that people of color, especially young black men, are targets, literally, to cops. When you have to worry that your child will be gun down, every time he walks out of the house, and that fear is real, then we can talk about inclusion of all in this current fight for life.

But that doesn't mean that the mantra, "Black Lives Matter" should be diminished. It is open season on young black men.

[helpmetohelpyou]

17. It's open season on all of us

[marym625]

21. There is no comparison to number of white people killed by cops and the number

black people and other people of color killed by cops. There's no comparison to the times they are harrassed vs the times white people are harassed.

Obviously the statistics have not impressed you, not the raw numbers, the times more likely or the percentages. Maybe Jon Stewart will.

If not, I give up.

[Cha]

13. Brilliantly put, marym.. mahalo!

[marym625]

15. Oh thank you Cha!!

Another one that means a great deal to me And a mahalo to boot!

Thank you very much

[Cha]

16. So well done.. good headache analogy.. we know people like that. :(

[marym625]

18. Nice picture of him

Sad picture of him, but nice picture of Mr. Garner.

Yeah, that popped in my head last night. I had a headache


Peace, my friend. Thanks again

[Cha]

19. You're Welcome and Thank you!

[etherealtruth]

20. Old white woman checking in!!!!

Thank you! K and R

[marym625]

22. Thank you etherealtruth

I really appreciate it, from one old white woman to another

[Odin2005]

23. One aspect of oppression is the denying the lived realities of the oppressed population.

It's no different than saying to female rape victims that men get raped, too, IT'S NOT RELEVANT TO THE CONVERSATION and only serves to reinforce the notion that the realities of oppressed people are only real as-so-far as they relate to middle class white men.

I'm white, but as an autistic person I can relate to the feeling of having one's reality dismissed.

[marym625]

24. omg!

I almost used that in my post. I started to write, "it would be like men saying 'rape isn't about women. Men get raped too and it's as much our fight as yours because we are abused as often." Yes, men are raped. Men are sexually abuse. But to try to say that there is equal abuse is just ridiculous.

Thank you for your thoughtful and powerful reply. I greatly appreciate it.


I am white and bisexual. I can understand a little of it. And as women, we can get it to some extent.