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Discussion: Do you understand the 'Black Lives Matter' Movement?
Member Since: 8/7/2015
Posts: 11,012
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Do you understand the 'Black Lives Matter' Movement?
What I have learnt these past few months is that some people are inept at personal research, and therefore cannot truly understand what the movement is even about. They seem to think it suggests that their lives don't matter. Some are just racist, who have been so used to the privileges of systematic oppression, that just the mere sign of equality feels like oppression to them. However, on the other hand, we have people who just truly don't understand it at all.
Hell, we even have black people in the spotlight saying things like 'All Lives Matter'. The concept totally goes over their heads. They cannot comprehend the meaning behind BLM at all. You would think the fact that white people are rallying for BLM would ring a bell, but it doesn't.
My question is, do you understand the concept behind BLM, or do you take it as an attack on your race?
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Banned
Member Since: 9/12/2011
Posts: 9,897
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The concept and idea are phenomenal and easy to understand. It started off great. What BLM movement is now is tragic though, they need a leader, and not just them. All movements need a leader. I don't support BLM as an organization but I support the original idea behind it.
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Member Since: 2/4/2012
Posts: 2,817
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I'm black and I support. the house on fire analogy is the best I've heard that makes the situation make sense for people that don't quite get it
I will say though that the police out here killing the hell out of everybody so I get where people come from when they have good intentions with "All Lives Matter." but at the same time, we're the only ones that are speaking out and we shouldn't have to shoulder this fight for everyone when we're getting hit the worse
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 10,745
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I'm white and i understand that i'm privileged, i understand black people (and people of color in general) have a fundamental / societal disadvantage to me in virtually every aspect , i understand i don't have the right to tell a person of color how to interpret or feel about racism , i understand that experiences with racism can be specific on various ethnic, cultural, religious, or biological levels , and i understand MOST IMPORTANTLY that black lives matter just as much as mine
so yes i think i understand it, i too am sick of seeing unarmed black men and women be massacred at the hands of inept police officers
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 3,371
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Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 18,271
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I understand and support it.
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Member Since: 5/27/2016
Posts: 2,555
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Of course. Anyone who understands them would 100% support them also.
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Member Since: 6/19/2012
Posts: 29,579
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Quote:
Originally posted by Opacho
The concept and idea are phenomenal and easy to understand. It started off great. What BLM movement is now is tragic though, they need a leader, and not just them. All movements need a leader. I don't support BLM as an organization but I support the original idea behind it.
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ok
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Member Since: 1/2/2014
Posts: 5,626
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I dont explain me
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Member Since: 8/7/2015
Posts: 23,857
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Quote:
Originally posted by Opacho
The concept and idea are phenomenal and easy to understand. It started off great. What BLM movement is now is tragic though, they need a leader, and not just them. All movements need a leader. I don't support BLM as an organization but I support the original idea behind it.
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No, all movements don't need a leader. Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't the sole leader of the entire Civil Rights Movement. He was a key central figure sure but it was a national effort. Bernie may as well had ignited a new American progressive movement but he definitely won't be its leader in the near future.
What we really need is for us as a movement to vote our interests (and I mean at the local/state levels, the presidency is lost imo- although obviously Hillary and Jill would be more beneficial overall to our actions than Trump). Besides you could argue that there are several "leaders" and powerful supporters but none will ever be MLK level. You can bet on that.
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Member Since: 8/17/2013
Posts: 7,248
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Ideologically I support it, any discussion about implicit bias and the impact that has on minorities is a good thing. However, there are definitely radical elements of the movement that are pretty hard to throw your support behind, with their overt hatred of police/whites and ridiculous narratives I don't like how the right wing tends to cherry pick them to characterise the whole movement, though.
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 3,371
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dessy Fenix
No, all movements don't need a leader. Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't the sole leader of the entire Civil Rights Movement. He was a key central figure sure but it was a national effort. Bernie may as well had ignited a new American progressive movement but he definitely won't be its leader in the near future.
What we really need is for us as a movement to vote our interests (and I mean at the local/state levels, the presidency is lost imo- although obviously Hillary and Jill would be more beneficial overall to our actions than Trump). Besides you could argue that there are several "leaders" and powerful supporters but none will ever be MLK level. You can bet on that.
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Another thing, people are so hung up on the negatives when all big social movements have extremists amongst them, it's completely unavoidable. Painting the whole movement with their thoughts is usually out of laziness and lack of care for those who are doing good things.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 5/27/2016
Posts: 1,595
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I definitely support the ideals.
Using Fantasia as an example, the insults thrown at her here or Twitter and elsewhere show an extreme fringe. A fringe group that screams Black Lives Matter but in the same breath insult a black woman's intelligence among other things and no matter how you try to spin it, it's hypocrisy. It's those types of actions that will leave you questioning any movement.
Quote:
Originally posted by Shizuka
Another thing, people are so hung up on the negatives when all big social movements have extremists amongst them, it's completely unavoidable. Painting the whole movement with their thoughts is usually out of laziness and lack of care for those who are doing good things.
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But if extremes are allowed to grow they will eventually overshadow all the good. It's not about laziness or a lack of caring, it's just difficult to support the instantaneous demonization of different perspectives. Not to be confused with those against change, racist.
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 3,371
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Quote:
Originally posted by Λrt
I definitely support the ideals.
Using Fantasia as an example, the insults thrown at her here or Twitter and elsewhere show an extreme fringe. A fringe group that screams Black Lives Matter but in the same breath insult a black woman's intelligence among other things and no matter how you try to spin it, it's hypocrisy. It's those types of actions that will leave you questioning any movement.
But if extremes are allowed to grow they will eventually overshadow all the good. It's not about laziness or a lack of caring, it's just difficult to support the instantaneous demonization of different perspectives. Not to be confused with those against change, racist.
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That is not hypocrisy and I just discussed this with someone else. How is mocking her lack of caring to understand saying her life doesn't matter? Calling someone foolish if you don't agree and they say something foolish is something that happens to people of any race. Just cause she is Black we're not allowed to call her dumb?
Extremes exist and controlling them is gonna work how? It's a movement and making someone lead scolding extremists isn't gonna make that go away. There are plenty who fight and protest well in law, peacefully even amongst those violent protesters but people always wanna focus on the bad. If extremists are the problem then how can you support any social movement? There has to be some logic going on with the way people look at things on their own end.
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Member Since: 11/11/2011
Posts: 6,524
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Yes I understand it because I'm not an idiot or a racist. Literally the only two reasons to be against it.
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Member Since: 8/7/2015
Posts: 11,858
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Member Since: 3/25/2012
Posts: 10,673
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Quote:
Originally posted by Shizuka
That is not hypocrisy and I just discussed this with someone else. How is mocking her lack of caring to understand saying her life doesn't matter? Calling someone foolish if you don't agree and they say something foolish is something that happens to people of any race. Just cause she is Black we're not allowed to call her dumb?
Extremes exist and controlling them is gonna work how? It's a movement and making someone lead scolding extremists isn't gonna make that go away. There are plenty who fight and protest well in law, peacefully even amongst those violent protesters but people always wanna focus on the bad. If extremists are the problem then how can you support any social movement? There has to be some logic going on with the way people look at things on their own end.
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Member Since: 11/11/2010
Posts: 11,240
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I used to not support it. However this election has allowed me to see how phony two faced and hypocritical people in America are, so I fully support it now. All this talk about how holy, godly and superior the US is to the rest of the world, yet the way they treat women, gays and racial minorities makes me sick to my stomach.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 5/27/2016
Posts: 1,595
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Quote:
Originally posted by Shizuka
That is not hypocrisy and I just discussed this with someone else. How is mocking her lack of caring to understand saying her life doesn't matter? Calling someone foolish if you don't agree and they say something foolish is something that happens to people of any race. Just cause she is Black we're not allowed to call her dumb?
Extremes exist and controlling them is gonna work how? It's a movement and making someone lead scolding extremists isn't gonna make that go away. There are plenty who fight and protest well in law, peacefully even amongst those violent protesters but people always wanna focus on the bad. If extremists are the problem then how can you support any social movement? There has to be some logic going on with the way people look at things on their own end.
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So demeaning someone because of there lack of understanding does what exactly? Or poking fun at their "lack of reading skills" or "having just got their GED." None of this encourages conversation which would lead to a better understanding. That's my point.
I understand you can't control how others choose to act especially when it comes to an emotionally charged movement, but calling out those who take it to far is must imo. It may not stop them but it'll at least affirm that distorting the movement to make it seem uninviting to open discussion is not okay, which is vital to any movement.
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 3,371
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Quote:
Originally posted by Λrt
So demeaning someone because of there lack of understanding does what exactly? Or poking fun at their "lack of reading skills" or "having just got their GED." None of this encourages conversation which would lead to a better understanding. That's my point.
I understand you can't control how others choose to act especially when it comes to an emotionally charged movement, but calling out those who take it to far is must imo. It may not stop them but it'll at least affirm that distorting the movement to make it seem uninviting to open discussion is not okay, which is vital to any movement.
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No one is trying to have a conversation with her in an ATRL thread that's for sure and people also said she sounds misguided. Making fun of her being dumb doesn't take away from the fact we'd want her to live either way. What she said was some nonsense so people dragged it, if you can't separate a couple of drags from the concern about people actually dying then idk. I'm sure some people on Twitter talked to her without dragging her as well. Just like the others who started talking about "ALM!!1" who weren't Black, some of y'all mentioning that she is a Black woman as if that means she is owed our respect is pointless.
There have been denouncements from BLM figures on looting and on the killing of cops. From different figure heads who then went on to have a meeting with governing bodies in their state on how to help end this. Things are getting more volatile though because emotions are on high. People just don't pay attention to good things and let the negativity cloud that.
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