We are more alike than we think.
Black lives matter. Blue lives matter. All lives matter.
The Black Lives Matter movement was born out of the racial unrest of Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. Since then, it’s been a rallying cry, a hashtag – and a trigger word. Why single out black lives, the argument goes, when all lives matter?
You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn’t agree that all lives matter. Of course they do. But one has to understand that “Black Lives Matter” is a point of focus, not exclusion.
A law professor in Minnesota, defending her choice to wear a “Black Lives Matter” shirt to class, put it this way in a letter to her students. “If something matters, this does not imply that nothing else does,” she wrote. There is no invisible “only” in front of “Black Lives Matter.”
Many of those who disagree with “Black Lives Matter” are supporters of law enforcement and see the sentiment as targeting police unfairly. Those fears were realized when five policemen were killed in a Dallas sniper attack, and the rallying cry became “Blue Lives Matter.” There’s also no invisible “only” in front of that.
However, just as a violent police officer does not represent every police officer, someone who is violent against police officers does not represent a whole movement.
Whenever anyone has been marginalized, discriminated against, or rendered voiceless, our universal answer should be to respond with love and kindness. We live in a tumultuous time. It is possible to support both sides of this equation by coming together and seeking to understand the other’s point of view. Only by listening to understand can we overcome these obstacles.
On Thursday at 12:30 p.m., the Unitarian Universalist Church in Peterborough will raise its “Black Lives Matter” banner once again. The church invites all to attend the ceremony. We think this is a great opportunity for anyone who feels affected – or even just curious – about the movement or the response to come down and see what it’s all about. That means white, black, police, civilian – anyone of any color, creed or walk of life. You might just see that we’re all the same.