Charles M. Blow, in “A Movement Has its Moments” (2015), supports the need for the Black Lives Matter campaign. Blow discusses the American idea of equality and justice through bringing in quotes from leading politicians and the preamble of the American Constitution and brings in a few quotes from those against the campaign towards the end. He uses the root idea of America of freedom and securing “the blessings of liberty” to show that those against the Black Lives Matter campaign are “un-American” and “ridiculous”. Blow is gaining support from Americans that are indifferent on the topic by turning them away from the anti-equality Americans that are against the Black Lives Matter campaign.
I fully agree with Blow that all Americans deserve equality, but I strongly disagree with the values, cases, and existence of the Black Lives Matter campaign and the points he made to support it. Although I recognize that the cases of police brutality and injustice commonly affect African Americans, I do not agree that these cases occur because the victims or people involved are African American. For a while in America, African Americans were considered lower class, despite their education level or occupation. We now live in a time where this is not true, but many African American families have still not yet picked themselves up and started successful careers and productive lifestyles. Because of this, It just so happens to be that the people living in lower income communities and what people call “sketchy” neighborhoods are African American. Although police should be better trained when entering these neighborhoods about how to make quick and life threatening decisions, they are doing their best and are never intentionally killing someone just because they are black. We are taught it is better to be safe than sorry, and these are the choices these police officers are dealing with. They are risking their lives and safety to enter these neighborhoods and are left to make difficult decisions in a quick amount of time. I do not think that any of these cases or occurring because they involve black people or because the black community is not treated the same way as white people.
Today, we live in a society where we have an African American president, our congressmen, doctors, athletes, and all other occupations are filled with people of different races, and African Americans are provided with every right that is granted to every citizen. I do not believe that the Black Lives Matter campaign needs to even exist, but if some people still feel there is a need to promote equality, there still could be a better way to go about it. Black Lives Matter has made it seem like the police, government officials, and America as a whole has been attacking and limiting the freedom of African Americans. Black Lives Matter was created to promote equality for African Americans, because they are being oppressed and are being treated unfairly. Their website states that we live in a world “where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise.” They have supported events and protests in Ferguson and Baltimore last year and although they did not promote to take part in the violent protests, they did not discourage them and supported their cause. Blow made it seem that anyone who was against the Black Lives Matter campaign should be considered a hater of equality and American values, but I strongly disagree. I do not believe that supporting an organization that barely has a need for existence and promotes anger, and in cases, violence should be considered “un-American”.
You do bring up very good points about Black people no longer being viewed as second class citizens, and that the use of police brutality are not directly associated with some of the victims being black. However, I believe that in America, and especially in the police force, there is a certain "distain" to black people. I'm not saying that every policemen and police woman hates very black person, but racism does exist. And this spark of racism can become so much more, as seen in Nazi Germany. The problem there was that no one would stand up publicly for the Jews. Of course not every German hated Jews, they just did not go out of thwart way to protect them. Now, in our case of racism against African Americans, the Black Lives Matter campaign is doing for the blacks what no one wanted to do for the Jews: it is giving them a voice. So even if things are a little dramatized or blown out of proportion, I still believe it is very important for people to make it clear that they will not just stay by and watch the mistreatment of black people.
ReplyDeleteGood correlation, Rafi.
DeleteThe Black Lives Matter movement has produced some pretty terrifying results. However, to say that they should not exist and only do so to merely incite violence is false. They are not there to provoke African American citizens into fighting; in fact, there existence is actually necessary in publicizing these attacks. As President Obama put it, "I think the reason that the organizers used the phrase 'black lives matter' was not because they were suggesting nobody else's life matters. Rather, what they were suggesting was there is a specific problem that is happening in the African-American community that's not happening in other communities." Additionally, Black Lives Matter may not have stepped in to condemn violence in these attacks, but they have in the past, after the cop killings in New York, "An eye for an eye is not our vision of justice. We who have taken to the streets seeking justice and liberation know that we need deep transformation to correct the larger institutional problems of racial profiling, abuse, and violence." Another point you made was that African-Americans are not targeted because they are black: that cannot be further from the truth. It is not at all just a coincidence that the lower class is African-American. They have not been given the same chances that others have in climbing the ladder of success, and Black Lives Matter proves just that. When a police officer encounters an African-American teenager, he will almost always act more harshly than he will with a white teenager. These are proven facts, and denying that is ill-advised. Good job, though.
ReplyDeleteGood use of quotes in your argument.
DeleteYour precis needs more mention of technique and it needs to give the tone at the end.
ReplyDeleteIn your argument, you say that racism does not exist, but you don't really present any proof other than you just "don't agree." You have to do better than that if you want to win an argument.
Judith, I agree with your position in some respects. However, many of your claims have me flat-out FLABBERGASTED.
ReplyDeleteOne of your points that I agree with is since Abe Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., there has been considerable progress made in the plight of blacks in America. Blacks now have the right to vote and they actually dominate the athletic arena! By the same token, African Americans are all over the hospital wings and prosper in corporate America.
However, there is a major flaw in your argument. You claim that the "Black Lives Matter" campaign is wrong because African-Americans have everything they need and there is no racial prejudice in 2015, and the police shootings are a mere coincidence. This is simply not true. As a Facing History leader, I have learned so much about stereotypes and judgements based on race and appearance. This is sadly very prevalent in our world. When a policeman sees an African American teen with a hoodie, they automatically assume danger. This is unjust. We need to learn to treat everyone fairly and not to make snap judgements.