The Black Lives Matter Movement, in light of recent events?
I've been a blubbering baby all evening over the recent events here in the US involving the deaths of two black men at the hands of police and the deaths of four unrelated police officers in the midst of those protesting in the names of the two deceased men. It's heartbreaking, and I also find it quite scary.
So I turned to Facebook--sifted through the comments to trending media, read the posts of my less word-shy friends--and I was even more appalled. I've always held inwardly that the issues addressed by the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM) are complex, and, quite frankly, I've found the movement itself (not its ultimate goal but many of its actions, perspectives, attitudes, sub-goals) to be a very wrong approach for bringing about justice for the men wrongfully killed. Apparently, though, according to the kind words of some family members and friends from behind their computer screens, if I cannot wholeheartedly jump to the support of BLM now, I'm "part of the problem." The posts are everywhere; if you fit one of the vague descriptions on this list, "You're part of the problem." They're often accompanied on personal feeds by "and tell me so I can block you." One thing I know for sure: I don't want to associate with that cold, divisive, hateful aggression.
So, with Facebook giving me no outlet for my sadness and concern (and with none of said family members or friends knowing that their words actually hurt people, even if they're borrowed from others and spoken online), I find myself taking to ck. I've found that this community is usually good at holding intelligent, level-headed conversation, so I'm really wondering what you guys are thinking right now. I'll jump in with more of what I think in a bit, but for now I'll take the standpoint of being an individual brokenhearted over the lives lost but an individual who is not for the Black Lives Matter Movement in its current form. (Or for the way that these men's deaths, unfortunately, are necessitating a debate that, despite the very point of the debate, ends up dehumanizing them. I hope their deaths can bring about more good somehow than what seems to be coming as a result.)
So what are your thoughts at that point? For BLM? Against? What's the right approach here?
