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To be clear, those who are active BLM activists and allies will typically tell you that BLM is focused primarilyon those black lives that come into contact with LE and "the system". One can argue the degree of misnomer of the movement itself, but let's not drag out that tired argument about all the "black lives" that BLM seems to choose to ignore. One can focus on the semantics of naming a cause, but the reality is that the nomenclature has little practical relevance.
The problem with the movement as you describe it, is that the focus, then, is on demanding change from other groups (LE, whites, government, America, Asians, the World, Santa Claus, etc.)
Every major philosophy and pyschology and self-help teaching tells us that we can only change ourselves and not other people. Everything from the AA prayer to Ghandi ("be the change you wish to see in the world") emphasizes self-development and self-control, because other people are not ours to worry about.
BLM however, fails in this regard. Their objective is only to blame others...cops, white people, Target, America, Trump...anyone and everyone is at fault except black people. This naturally foments resentment and creates victims who feel powerless and helpless.
A much more empowering and ultimately more helpful message would be for everyone to focus on what he/she can do better.
Don't drop out of school.
Don't get pregnant at 15 and have 8 kids with 8 different baby daddies and live on welfare.
Don't do drugs.
Don't do crimes.
Don't resist arrest.
Work hard, be honest, etc.
Unfortunately, CRT is now spreading the lie that these practical and universal guidelines are "racist" because they are too white.
What is left for blacks if principles that have brought about success for hundreds of years are eliminated, and BLM has created an angry, victimized mob of people? If they destroy "the system", they ultimately destroy themselves....I don't know why this isn't obvious to these people.
The problem with the movement as you describe it, is that the focus, then, is on demanding change from other groups (LE, whites, government, America, Asians, the World, Santa Claus, etc.)
I did not ascribe a notion of efficacy nor do I delve into the moralistic nature of the movements name. My point was simply that focusing on the name, and with the same old trite arguments, brings nothing to the party. We don't focus on how the ADL is far more focused on a specific group vs the general notion of being 'defamed' or how the statement 'all men are created equal' obviously, at the time, did not refer to 'all men' let alone 'all people'. Those are just a couple of examples where at some point we come to an understanding of what the literal words say vs what the meaning behind the words are trying to achieve are not the same.
AFAIK, BLM has _never_ even pretended to be about _all_ black lives, given that, let's put that tired counter aside and focus on actual actions and their effects.
I did not ascribe a notion of efficacy nor do I delve into the moralistic nature of the movements name. My point was simply that focusing on the name, and with the same old trite arguments, brings nothing to the party. We don't focus on how the ADL is far more focused on a specific group vs the general notion of being 'defamed' or how the statement 'all men are created equal' obviously, at the time, did not refer to 'all men' let alone 'all people'. Those are just a couple of examples where at some point we come to an understanding of what the literal words say vs what the meaning behind the words are trying to achieve are not the same.
AFAIK, BLM has _never_ even pretended to be about _all_ black lives, given that, let's put that tired counter aside and focus on actual actions and their effects.
If anyone in a position of leadership in that organization actually wanted to save black lives, they would focus on helping blacks avoid the situations that put them into contact with LEO’s in the first place.
Don’t want to get shot by a cop?
Don’t hold women at gun point and rob them, leading to a warrant, and then drive a car with expired tags, and then fight with the LEO, resist arrest, and go back in your car.
Why is this not common sense?
But no, let’s abolish/defund/reimagine the police instead of following the law in the first place.
And then, when the inevitable happens, let’s destroy and burn and loot and act like lunatics, and blame everyone else but the guy who broke the law.
Does BLM think that laws don’t apply to black people?
You haven’t watched Don Lemon explain that BLM is a movement that has nothing to do with black on black violence? He’s an idiot for sure, but what’s funny is that if Chauvin was black, we never would’ve even heard about Floyd.
BLM is a racist movement, and idiot white liberals fall in line because of their guilt.
I have no guilt as I don’t feel culpable for anything that happened before I was born. I’m only culpable for my own actions, and I’m not a racist and never have been, so I don’t support BLM or the KKK.
If anyone in a position of leadership in that organization really wanted to save black lives, they would focus on helping blacks avoid the situations that put them into contact with LEO’s in the first place.
Don’t want to get shot by a cop?
Don’t hold women at gun point and rob them, leading to a warrant, and then drive a car with expired tags, and then fight with the LEO, resist arrest, and go back in your car.
Why is this not common sense?
But no, let’s abolish/defund/reimagine the police instead of following the law in the first place.
And then, when the inevitable happens, let’s destroy and burn and loot and act like lunatics.
Does BLM think that laws don’t apply to black people?
Once again, BLM the org _obviously_ is focused on a very specific scenario. Can we dispense with the notion that their charter is _anything_ other than that specific scenario. Surfacing these other points are meaningless to the org and therefore meaningless as a point of discussion. And AGAIN, I'm not saying that it's right or wrong, simply that bringing up issues like the above are simply preaching to the choir and in the end, no true insightful (let alone impactful) observations are to be had.
Feel free to elucidate on these other points, that is the point of these types of forums, but please don't think that anyone on the opposite side of the table even finds these points relevant, let alone insightful. That is the cold hard truth of this particular subject.
Once again, BLM the org _obviously_ is focused on a very specific scenario. Can we dispense with the notion that their charter is _anything_ other than that specific scenario. Surfacing these other points are meaningless to the org and therefore meaningless as a point of discussion. And AGAIN, I'm not saying that it's right or wrong, simply that bringing up issues like the above are simply preaching to the choir and in the end, no true insightful (let alone impactful) observations are to be had.
Feel free to elucidate on these other points, that is the point of these types of forums, but please don't think that anyone on the opposite side of the table even finds these points relevant, let alone insightful. That is the cold hard truth of this particular subject.
I guess you are right; their other slogan (ACAB) isn’t quite as catchy.
That’s exactly what I am saying. Officer involved shootings are way below the numbers of black on black shootings and murders. But a black criminal dying while resisting arrest or being stupid when dealing with the police makes a far better and more compelling story to get the hearts bleeding than 47 African Americans murdered by African Americans in a rival gang over the weekend. That’s just boring news that nobody cares about.
OK, so "black lives matter" is a misnomer since these "black lives" only seem to matter when a white police officer ends one?
Given the frequency of black on black killings, intuitively I would think aggressive policing in high-crime black areas would tend to reduce the number of blacks killed by other blacks.
I wonder why this more aggressive approach to controlling black-on-black violence isn't supported by the people claiming to be concerned about "black lives."
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