The Opposite of Black Lives Matter is Black Lives Don’t Matter
One year after trying to sue the Lakeville School District and failing, some residents are again suing the school district for distributing posters that share the slogan “Black Lives Matter” on them. The request from one taxpayer in the district was for “alternative ideological viewpoints” to be presented alongside the “Black Lives Matter” post. To some quite small extent, I can understand this request. I do believe that Black Lives Matter is a political statement, and it is a political statement I agree with. If this person asked for political statements to not be included in any school printed materials, perhaps there would be credence to their request. But, the request was to include “alternative ideological viewpoints”. The viewpoints suggested include “All Lives Matter” or “Blue Lives Matter”. I find both of these “viewpoints” to be not reprehensible in a vacuum, but reprehensible as a counter-statement to “Black Lives Matter”. How are these alternatives? These are supplementary, right? Am I not able to believe that “All Lives Matter” while simultaneously believing that “Black Lives Matter”? Of course I am. I believe Black Lives Matter and I believe that that sentiment deserves proverbial highlighter right now. I believe it deserves highlighter in a way that “All Lives” do not. I do not believe that our country has an utter disregard for all human life. I do not believe that “All Lives Matter” is a justifiable rallying cry independent of the rallying cry it is a kneejerk reaction to. I also believe it is clear in many ways that police officers’ lives are valued, are revered, are treasured. I believe that if someone feels the need to demand respect for police officers’ lives as a reaction to people demanding respect for Black lives, it is a very telling kneejerk response.
The name of the taxpayer is Bob Cajune, he pays taxes in Lakeville and he and others want a say in what those tax dollars are doing. Has Bob Cajune complained that the Susan J. Kommen Race for the Cure should also fund research into other cancers? I would guess that he has not. Because focusing funding on a particular form of cancer does not cause the same jealousy, fear and illogical thinking that focusing attention on Black people does. It is laughably reactionary to believe that yelling “Blue Lives Matter” is some “alternative ideology” to “Black Lives Matter”. It’s just a thing people want to scream who believe that if you care about the lives of Black people you are committed to not caring about the lives of police officers. I believe the basic request by Mr. Cajune and the others plaintiffs is “don’t use my taxpayer to buy ink that spells the words black lives matter without reminding the babies that all lives matter”. What is so threatening about the term “Black Lives Matter”? What is so divisive about it? What is the resistance to the idea that Black Lives Matter? Humanity and reverence for the loss of life are not zero sum qualities. I can be concerned about Black people being killed by fellow civilians, be the assailants Black or not. I can be concerned about Black people being killed at disproportionate rates by police officers. If you believe that being concerned with the safety of police officers and being concerned with the safety of Black people are mutually exclusive or alternatives to one another, I sincerely hope you are not a police officer, and I sincerely hope you have an answer for why you think they are opposite sides of one coin.