Black Lives Matter

hedonist said:

Some of this is ridiculous. Educate by embarrassing, no exceptions. Because belittling someone really opens that door to learning, to another’s view. 

If you feel someone doesn’t “get it”, how is berating them going to help? Would you want to try to learn that way?

hedonist said:

Some of this is ridiculous. Educate by embarrassing, no exceptions. Because belittling someone really opens that door to learning, to another’s view. 

If you feel someone doesn’t “get it”, how is berating them going to help? Would you want to try to learn that way?

tbergs said:

brianlux said:

I'll leave this thread to those enlightened saints here who never made an error or misunderstood a concept without feeling like being bullied, embarrassed or derided with the only proper way to learn a lesson.  Kindness and intelligent instruction just don't seem to fit your self-righteous styles.  Good luck with that making a positive change in the world.

That's a very eloquent way to make it sound like those who don't always use tact are assholes. I'm sorry, but there are certain phrases and ways of thinking that do need to be called out at this juncture in time. You know what being ignorant about the statement "All Lives Matters" means in response to "Black Lives Matter"? That you are most likely a white person, even more likely that you are a white male, who does not understand what it means to be black because you don't even come close to living in the same stratosphere of inequality and injustice. As the oppressors, it is our job to educate ourselves and address the racial disparity that we continue to perpetuate due to lack of true, deep felt caring for the change and equality needed. We live in power so therefore it is never an urgent need to us. We complain about a building burning and sit atop our position of privilege telling others that's not going to help the situation, yet we do nothing, but flap our mouths for a few weeks and then move on to the next social justice cause that has taken over social media. You know the next big issue is just right around the corner and then everyone can make that their new hashtag. This is the world we live in. 

I'll admit, I was an ignorant idiot years ago when this phrase first started being used, but I figured it out and came to recognize it's importance. I also didn't really understand the kneeling during the anthem at first, but that's because I am white and come from privilege, even if that privilege has nothing to do with wealth, there is a difference for just being born white. How many years of black people being killed at the hands of the police do we need to see before people get it? Apparently more because there are still millions of white people making their "white lives matter" or "blue lives matters" announcements to the world, like anyone has ever said or shown their lives don't matter. They have all the power and control and should be using it to make it seem like "all lives matter".

Fuck, I'm done. I stepped away from this site Friday because I was fed up. I'm pissed at the police for how they have ruined and tainted their roles in the community and I'm pissed that it has come to chants of disband the police, but people are tired of this cycle of inaction.

Everyone take care of themselves and use your voice to push for change in any way that you can. Maybe this will be a point in time we can look back on in 20 years and see as a when we finally got it.

drakeheuer14 said:

mace1229 said:

So to me when I hear “all lives matter” it’s a cry to stop all the violence. Protesting black violence by beating and sometimes killing innocent others because of their skin color or job will never be the right way to protest.

when I hear “all lives matter” I interpret that as saying don’t solve black violence with random blue or white violence, because that’s when it started.

I think it’s far-fetched to believe that anyone saying all lives matter means it under those terms. Maybe less than 1%. 

I don’t think violence is the answer. It’s unfortunate that cops do. 

tino_11 said:

brianlux said:

tbergs said:

brianlux said:

I'll leave this thread to those enlightened saints here who never made an error or misunderstood a concept without feeling like being bullied, embarrassed or derided with the only proper way to learn a lesson.  Kindness and intelligent instruction just don't seem to fit your self-righteous styles.  Good luck with that making a positive change in the world.

That's a very eloquent way to make it sound like those who don't always use tact are assholes. I'm sorry, but there are certain phrases and ways of thinking that do need to be called out at this juncture in time. You know what being ignorant about the statement "All Lives Matters" means in response to "Black Lives Matter"? That you are most likely a white person, even more likely that you are a white male, who does not understand what it means to be black because you don't even come close to living in the same stratosphere of inequality and injustice. As the oppressors, it is our job to educate ourselves and address the racial disparity that we continue to perpetuate due to lack of true, deep felt caring for the change and equality needed. We live in power so therefore it is never an urgent need to us. We complain about a building burning and sit atop our position of privilege telling others that's not going to help the situation, yet we do nothing, but flap our mouths for a few weeks and then move on to the next social justice cause that has taken over social media. You know the next big issue is just right around the corner and then everyone can make that their new hashtag. This is the world we live in. 

I'll admit, I was an ignorant idiot years ago when this phrase first started being used, but I figured it out and came to recognize it's importance. I also didn't really understand the kneeling during the anthem at first, but that's because I am white and come from privilege, even if that privilege has nothing to do with wealth, there is a difference for just being born white. How many years of black people being killed at the hands of the police do we need to see before people get it? Apparently more because there are still millions of white people making their "white lives matter" or "blue lives matters" announcements to the world, like anyone has ever said or shown their lives don't matter. They have all the power and control and should be using it to make it seem like "all lives matter".

Fuck, I'm done. I stepped away from this site Friday because I was fed up. I'm pissed at the police for how they have ruined and tainted their roles in the community and I'm pissed that it has come to chants of disband the police, but people are tired of this cycle of inaction.

Everyone take care of themselves and use your voice to push for change in any way that you can. Maybe this will be a point in time we can look back on in 20 years and see as a when we finally got it.

OK, so we are pissed off and angry at the abuse toward blacks (anyone with a heart would be).. So are we going to vent that anger at someone here who said something that was well intentioned even though, admittedly, uninformed about the concept of Black Lives Matter?  That's how some hope to teach someone else something they may not have seen clearly?  That's how we want to make the world better? 

Educate, yes.  But by berating, by coming across as self-righteous?   I don't think it works that way.  If someone is doing something that is intentionally harmful or provocative, yeah, we might be able to excuse self-righteous anger and strong language.  But if someone makes a sincere mistake and we chew their ass out over it- that's going to be helpful?  I don't think so. 

So then teach me.  What am I missing?

brianlux said:

tino_11 said:

This is so right on.  I love how this little girl's sign instructs rather than berates. I guess some people seem to think it is better to chew out someone's ass instead of instruct in a kindly manner. I want to ask them, "Which method do you think is more effective?"