Black lives matter. Blue lives matter. All lives matter. In today’s hysterical climate of rhetoric each of these three simple statements are landmines buried on the path to civil engagement. Black lives matter was a statement which evolved into an organization against the killing of innocent African Americans at the hands of police. In response, Blue Lives Matter was created to honor police officers killed in the line of duty. This created an either or proposition. If you believed Black Lives Matter, that meant you were anti-police. Conversely, if you supported Blue Lives Matter, you were racist. Enter All Lives Matter which stood for the proposition that all human life is important. Somehow, this also was unacceptable to many. Let’s take a step back here for a moment. Nobody can argue that killing innocent people has a political benefit. Police officers overwhelmingly become police officers because they believe that they can help people. No police officer wants to shoot an innocent person. Sometimes, horrible circumstances unfolding in a matter of seconds lead to horrible outcomes. The response to tragic mistakes must be an acknowledgement that mistakes happen. Supporting the police does not make somebody a racist. One can support police while still requiring police to act in a professional manner. Attacking All Lives Matter supporters as being fence sitters is flat out wrong. The three statements are all correct. The political connotations connected to these statements has become a symbol of our inability to have a conversation with each other. You can’t have a conversation when nobody is listening. Support the police while demanding improvements to prevent innocent people from being killed because all lives do matter. Don’t hide behind the rhetoric, step up and engage in a civil manner to improve how we protect society. Is that too much to ask?
Vita in Lega