For those of you that think ‘all lives matter’ heres a quick and easy explanation

[TeddyIsaHe]

MN can be extremely racist at times, most posters that have been here for a while will know this.

All lives can’t matter until black lives do. It’s something we ALL need to understand and I think this makes it very easy for people to grasp.

I don't agree with anyone who says "all lives matter" whenever "black lives matter" is said.

I also don't agree with the sentiment that all lives can't matter until black lives do.

The best analogy that I've heard was if I raise money for breast cancer it doesn't mean that I'm saying no.other cancers matter.

All the analogies sum it up perfectly.
Also the phrase "all lives matter" has and still is used by white supremacists to shut down BLM, which is why it's so offensive to use.
I don't understand how in this day and age people can be so effin' ignorant, it's common knowledge!

OP, you could make your explanation as quick and as easy as it could be, but you will not get through to the wilfully ignorant and racists on MNet. They simply dont want to get it.

Herecomestreble1 yes because that what women are concerned about that’s equally as dismissive as saying ‘all lives matter’ well done

ghosty

I understand the meaning of the term, I just happen to disagree with it's use because I don't think it will help in the fight against racism.
I don't believe it addresses the issue at all.

If there's an ability for whataboutery when addressing racial incidents the terminology for the movement clearly isn't apt.
I stated it should be BAME lives matter because this encompasses all who experience racism, whatever the colour of their skin.

But BLM is about a very specific form that racism takes, which is the killing of black people purely because they are black - in that sense it does what it says, highlights that black lives matter.

Eastmids

Hey, thanks for pointing that out about the white supremisits, I certainly won't be using that term again. I had no idea and have been campaigning and a activist for some time now.
I'll find a new term, like BAME matters, and thank you

I think there's two seperate issues here, the systemic racism within the American police force and white privilege in general. The systemic racism is absolutely a problem that shouldn't exist, needs to be addressed and can be fixed.

White privilege is a different kettle of fish. For one is it white privilege or is it majority privilege? Do white people in say Japan or Nigeria enjoy the same levels of privilege as the do in the USA or UK? That's just a general Q and would be intersting to know how societies with other majority populations get on.

Anyway in white majority countries white privilege will always exist because it's beneficial for the majority to ignore it and to change it may mean the majority are a bit worse off.

Think on it like this. Globally speaking people of all races in the West are much more privileged than people in developing countries. Yet we don't do much to change that. Why? Because bringing the developing world up to the developed worlds level would reduce our standard of life and while some people would accept that the majority won't.

Similarly most people on here are probably much more privileged than someone who's homeless. Yet the chances are that they don't donate 10%/20%/50% of their salary or offer to pay more tax to help the situation. Why? Because it's easier to ignore it than to reduce their standard of life in order to help and while some people do help the majority don't.

So going back to the current issue of white privilege in the West, as long as addressing white privilege runs the risk of worsening white lives it won't change, at least while there's white majority anyway.

And that's incredibly depressing, the only hope is that future generations are raised in such a way as to actually accept everyone, everywhere as an equal, but that's just fantasy stuff. The reality is humanity is shit.

You setting up a campaigning group Devlesko?

I don’t think that analogy is a great one op. The house fire one is better and most people should understand it (unless they deliberately choose not to)

But, but, but, here are my arguments for doing nothing.
🙄

I've seen so much hatred on line over the past few days that it's just so hard to reconcile any of it.

I've seen black people arguing with black people over whose views are correct. Black people arguing with white people because saying nothing is tantamount to agreeing with racism, then black people arguing with white people who did speak out because they had no right to speak out and it means nothing, people telling others to take part in black out Tuesday and then others criticising those who supported black out Tuesday, some people brandishing all police officers as a problem simply because of the job they do, apparently the right thing to do is for all police officers to resign, others justifying looting or setting houses on fire with people and children in because black people have been oppressed - how do we all move forward from this?

The situation in America terrifies me right now. The poorest out there were already suffering because of the Corona virus as well as a lack of a welfare state - now what?

The breast cancer example is apt. In that case you might well find many women campaigning to help fight that and perhaps not testicular cancer as that is not relevant to women (other than as mothers of sons) or as wives. So people tend to stick with their own cause or those closest to them - that might be a class cause or one related to their experience or gender. So you are bought to be more concerned about certain issues if that is applicable to your situation. It does not mean that we dislike men and want more money spent on female than male cancers however.

Dione

No, I've been an activist for a while, but I've used that term, not realising what it meant. Thank God I was on this thread. I've always used it because it was / is my belief, just didn't know white supremacists had used it. It will not be used again I can assure you.

Is it just black people you have seen arguing Hearhoovesthinkzebras?

BLM isnt just a slogan, it's an international human rights group. Just like Save the Children isn't just a slogan, nor does it mean that we don't give a fuck about adults.

The difference is with bringing other ethnicities into the mix with BLM is this is not a fight against racism as a whole. Any one whether white, black, Asian etc can experience a form of racism but the systematic oppression and violence against blacks has been long standing - especially in America, which is why at this moment in time, this fight specifically is for the black race not POC in general.

I think adding a too Would help. Black lives matter too would make it easier . Saying All lives matter is exactly the point the Black lives matter statement is trying to make.

Adding "too" almost sounds like it's a privilege for black lives to matter though, not a right, hence why it is a full sentence "black lives matter".

Eastmids

I know, but what's the answer to tackling racism as a whole. "BLM" does the job brilliantly, for Black people and I thoroughly support this, anyone who isn't racist does. With the analogy of breast cancer and giving doesn't mean that you think others don't exist. I can see this, but isn't it better to give to cancer charities in general, so they all get the same?
Otherwise we are still in the position of other groups/ types of cancer saying "what about us"?
I can see that now is not the time, for whataboutery, because it dilutes the issue and that's not right atm.
We will only eradicate racism by caling it out for all groups.

These two came up on my Instagram today and really made me think

@Devlesko instead of the breast cancer analogy how about this one, you have 2 people waiting for a heart transplant one is in dier need, struggling day to day just to live yet the other is in need but is capable of living - who gets the priority?
Right now the ones in need are black, yes there are atrocities all over the world, as a Muslim woman myself I am Pro-Palestine but I will not bring their fight into this as its not comparable to the BLM movement.

This is a BLM fight not a POC fight.

This is exhausting.

White people telling black people they are experiencing and fighting racism in the wrong way because it doesn’t appeal to them. Exhausting.

@DioneTheDiabolist

Is it just black people you have seen arguing Hearhoovesthinkzebras?

It wasn't just black people but it was on a site where a lot of black people were posting, because of the ongoing situation. So, they were very much leading discussions and people were reacting to them. But it was just basically descending into everyone arguing with everyone else - one man was describing his experience with police in America and got absolutely rounded on because he was from Pakistan and was told that he had no right to comment because he wasn't black. His argument was that he wasn't white but that fell on deaf ears.

It just left me, and from the comments, many other people absolutely confused as to what on earth we should be doing to affect change and to use whatever power we have to end racism.

The better Way to think of it is to add ‘too’ so it’s ‘Black lives matter too’ that makes it much clearer.