Here is a post a friend made:
Show of hands: Who thinks "all lives matter?"
Beware/be aware: I will publicly shame you and delete you from all social media relationships/not talk to you IRL.
Life is too short, the revolution is too "at hand." I do not have time and energy to waste drilling common sense and decency into your thick skulls.
You are SO. FUCKING. WRONG.
I thought I would share my response, as I feel the need to express my concern for just how incredibly narrow notions of social justice have become on the left:
"I...uh.....You're talking about things in reference to movements, and not the actual phrase, right?
Because I wouldn't waste my time with someone who DIDN'T think all lives mattered. That's why black lives matter is a thing. They are trying to raise awareness for how black lives didn't seem to matter to the public. In essence, "black lives matter, too", because they're in many ways excluded from what many of us would take for granted. That people could have our backs, and not assume we just "deserved" police brutality or racial profiling.
I can't stand the idea that saying "everyone matters, no matter the color" has become immediate witch-hunt fighting words. Everyone is too hung up on the phrase and not actual actions or intentions.
You can wipe me from your friend's list if you want. It wouldn't be the first time someone has unfriended me for something like this. But keep in mind that I don't disagree with you. I don't disagree with BLM, though I'm sometimes critical of their methods.
There is a growing trend to target specific behaviors, phrases, and styles while completely ignoring things like intent.
That is, there were people on the right saying "All lives matter" as a way of shutting down the discussion. But instead of condemning how they shut down the discussion, they condemned the phrase "All lives matter".
So now, you can try to shut down the conversation on race in a million ways, and it won't garner the same vitriol and retribution as "saying such a racist phrase as "All lives matter"."
It's like saying vegetarians are Anti-Semites because Hitler was vegetarian, then you spend your afternoon telling the vegetarian why they are responsible for the holocaust, while everyone ignores the actual neo-nazi standing right behind them.
I've been told I'm a misogynist because I didn't think accused rapists should be, without trial, castrated or executed.
I was told I was a misogynist for suggesting that women could also commit domestic violence. Even though I have ALWAYS found domestic violence AGAINST women to be terrible.
I was told I was a misogynist because I said that we don't have to consider every girl physically beautiful, but should instead not emphasize physical beauty as much as we do today.
Yes, this way of talking is not in lockstep with the phrases and behaviors of other social justice advocates. It's like I'm playing the music an octave lower, yet nobody seems to realize that it is the same melody."
Most Helpful Opinions