An open letter to All Lives Matter. This is an open letter to anyone who feels discriminated against or insulted by a cry for help.
My life and so my blog looks a lot different right now but every now and then I awaken from my slumber to write about things I can’t keep quiet on and think are important.
#Blacklivesmatter
All around me I see people with the best intentions say: but all lives count, not just yours. All lives count, now I feel discriminated against.
It is as if a cry of distress that has been shouted forever is taken to heart as an attack on those who do not wear their skin color and not as a cry for help and a cry that says. WE.ARE.DONE. We matter, and the world should know, and my oppressor should hear this.
The stupid thing is, any “minority” (which actually is a majority) who undergoes or has undergone any form of oppression, stands in solidarity with this cry for help. They understand it only too well and offer support to their fellow sufferers. Most of those who are offended are those who do not know this form of oppression. Those who do NOT have it are the most offended. How is that possible? They are the most afraid to be unimportant, while those who are already considered unimportant don’t even say it, huh and me?!
Yeah, but what about me? Comes to the people it’s all about as selfishness. It says about a situation that is topical and just as important as any other situation: you shouldn’t be topical.
I always appeal to the emotional things to explain it very simply.
You can drown in 7cm of water or you can drown in 7m of water, one is no worse than the other, they are just as important, despite the size or the location or whatever, the point is, drowning is drowning and you can’t trivialize that.
It’s like walking into a session or demonstration about the Chinese oppression of the Uighurs or about Palestinians as a random spectator and then saying, yes, nice, but All lives matter. Then a speaker might say, I agree with you sir, but this evening is about this problem. Would you like to listen and maybe even offer your support? Maybe you’ll listen and think, you know what, I’ll make my voice heard too, because those people deserve it.
Yes, all lives matter, but they can’t matter if you avoid all the cries of need and specific situations, because all lives matter. Why can’t you say, you know what, I just listen to what there is to say, I perceive what is happening and jeez, I don’t agree, yes these lives deserve my voice too.
It shouldn’t be a problem that the resentment about any form of racism and oppression flares up with the umpteenth event, which now happens to fall with George Floyd, the straw that made the bucket overflow and joins this event and draws strength from Black lives matter. You could see that people would want this to be the last thing they let go of, all over the world. The world is done with it.
Black lives matter doesn’t mean under any circumstances that your life doesn’t matter anymore. That’s how you perceive it. And that you perceive it that way, says something about what is going on inside you or the environment in which you were raised or the fears you experience. Does it really say something about black people who don’t count white lives or other oppressed people? Or does it say something about you? What are you afraid of, that they suddenly have a good life? Surely not, because you say All lives matter. Or are you afraid that if they have a good life, the others can’t? Surely, 1 down, more to go.
Why was Europe so absorbed in Charlie hebdo and solidarity for an event where people lost their lives on one day, but we find it so uncomfortable when our fellow men are absorbed in solidarity for black people who systematically lose their lives. It’s intriguing and it scares me.
Lives of {FILL IN} matter: Yeah, but I’m not {FILL IN} and now what? Don’t I matter anymore? Yeah, your life matters too BUT this matter needs a voice NOW.
And if you think other issues need more weight, then use that voice. Don’t say it won’t happen, make it happen. Make a cry for the poor of society, make a cry for anyone who is not treated humanely. Don’t say yes, but yes and.
Dear people, if all human lives matter, why let us be so short-sighted. Cooperation evokes cooperation, hostile behavior only opposition. This is how crevices are created, and if you’re too far, you don’t jump over them. Don’t let it get that far. And this goes for all.
And looters? Every war or situation brings opportunists. Good people and bad people don’t stand out in colors, but in the heart. Don’t disadvantage the people who do it the right way. As you ask not to disadvantage you for not being the racists. When you use your voice, take an example from those who do it in a healthy and efficient way.
Monica