The Problem with "All Lives Matter"

We've all heard of the "all lives matter" vs. "Black lives matter" debate. Kevin Roose tries to offer some clarity to those that scream "all lives matter" in his article https://splinternews.com/the-next-time-someone-says-all-lives-matter-show-them-1793849332. 

It is so cringey when someone dismisses the Black Lives Matter movement by yelling "ALL LIVES MATTER!" It's like...

The whole misunderstanding is that there is an implicit "too" after BLM. How is it that such a large group of people missed that? I'll never know.

After brutal police killings of black people occur, someone is always right there to say that all lives matter and then proceed to bring up black on black crime. The purpose of Roose's article was to show the people of all lives matter why it is that what they're saying is dismissive and basically a slap in the face. 

But here's what I think....

That's right. I think they know exactly what they're doing. Nobody wants to believe that the system is broken, especially if there's a chance that you could be part of the problem. It takes a lot less energy to simply convince yourself that there is not a problem to begin with. I think we all would prefer to live life believing that everything is okay. Much like the children of Mott Haven in Kozol's "Amazing Grace", people of the all lives matter movement have become desensitized to the injustices involving black people. But here's the thing about desensitization...you have to witness and be a part of something, before you can become desensitized to it. 

The mindset of most white Americans, is that racial injustice is a thing of the past.

we wish this were true

One of the remaining social issues that I have mentioned in my previous blog post, is modern segregation in schools. Minorities growing up in poor neighborhoods attend poorly funded schools, receiving a lesser quality education. Here is a copy of the link to the TED talk regarding this issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O7BMa9XGXE

Americans have this mindset that everything has been fixed after the civil rights movement. If you ask a child about Ruby Bridges, they might tell you that what she did was an event of the past, not realizing that Ruby is only 64 years old. In, fact, most of my classmates didnt even realize that she was still alive.

Anyways, my point is, I don't think the all lives matter movement needs to be told that what they are saying dismisses the problem. In my opinion, these people are aware. They simply don't want to put in the effort to make any changes.