Should we stop singing “God Bless America” because “All Countries Matter?”

There is a difference between something being true and being relevant. All lives matter. And water is wet. We are talking about Black Lives, police brutality and systemic discrimination.

The confusion manifests itself like this. Antagonists say: “Only Black Lives Matter? All Lives Matter!”

Here are some counter-responses to help you deal with such people.

The assertion that “black lives matter” is a reminder; something that our current law enforcement and legal system seem to conveniently forget.

“Black Lives Matter (too!)”

“Black lives matter’ doesn’t mean other lives don’t matter. Black lives matter speaks to racism and the disproportionate risk that Black people face in our law enforcement and justice system,” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said. Study after study has confirmed that in equivalent situations, African Americans and Latinos are treated with deadly force far more often than White people, and authorities held less accountable.

Mark Zuckerberg also stated “black lives matter” in an email sent to employees that he posted publicly. “To members of our Black community: I stand with you. Your lives matter. Black lives matter,” said Zuckerberg.

The statement: “Black Lives Matter” is compatible with the assertion that all lives matter. What misguided critics seem to miss is that real-world statistics seem to imply that black lives matter less than other lives to law enforcement, hence the disproportionate number of black deaths relative to the total population.

It doesn’t say “Black Lives Only Matter.” All Lives Matter is the default response from those who hold implicit bias. People who get triggered by the words “Black Lives Matter” need to take a good long look in the mirror.

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