Black lives matter

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Yes, and all lives do matter …

It’s surprising that NFL football player for the Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, is taking some heat for telling it like it is, he stated: “From personal experience, living in the hood, living in the inner city, you deal with things. You deal with people dying. I dealt with a best friend getting killed, and it was two 35-year old black men. With no police officer involved. Wasn’t anybody else involved, and I didn’t hear anybody shouting ‘black lives matter’ then. ”

Michael Smith of ESPN said: “If Richard Sherman wants to run in politics someday, please don’t run on a respectability politics platform as if the Black Lives Matter movement and the problems it is [trying] to combat are the result of problems we have brought on ourselves,” Smith said. “We’ve got to get over that. We’ve got to get beyond that. And I’m just a little disappointed to hear Richard Sherman speak on that and validate the people who think that. We hear that enough every day.”

Why would he be called out for this true statement about something that he experienced in his life? He has lived this horror of losing a best friend to murder. He has lived in the inner city (Compton, CA), and knows what it takes to succeed.

You would expect that he would be applauded for speaking out, for telling his story, and sharing his experience. Why isn’t he being looked at as a shining example of “you can make it!” “You can DO it!”

Because his experience goes against the Black Lives Matter message. The message is not to acknowledge there is black on black crime. The message is not to acknowledge that it wasn’t a police officer who shot this young black man, his friend. Sherman’s story does not support the message, hence the controversy. He must be silenced, or shamed into apologizing …

Sherman is right on when he states that he didn’t hear anybody shouting back then that black lives matter. Why not?

President Obama related himself to Trayvon Martin when he stated: “You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.”

Trayvon Martin (Wikipedia)
Trayvon Martin (Wikipedia)

While Obama was growing up in Hawaii, and later in life on his way to Harvard University, it’s hard to agree with this statement, or relate it to Trayvon Martin. Obama spent most of his childhood years in Honolulu, where his mother completed college after his parents divorced. (Wikipedia)

Polarizing:
to divide into sharply opposing factions, political groups, etc.

Perfect description of where the country is today.

Obama should be outraged when Police Officers are shot, killed, and assassinated, not just Trayvon Martin. Lead by example. Get on the podium and denounce all lives lost, not just black lives. Acknowledge that there is black on black crime as Richard Sherman did with his statement, and that it’s not always at the hands of the police. Seems so simple, but yet … nothing.

We all acknowledge that there are bad cops out there. There are bad people out there, period. But somehow, it seems like it has become open season on police officers, or any kind of law enforcement. What kind of message is that to send?

So applaud Richard Sherman for stating the fact that there was not a police officer involved in the murder of his friend. He’s sending his own message, and it’s one that needs to be heard. If it takes the target off of one police officer, we thank you. The youth of today, cannot be raised to think it is okay to kill cops.

It’s easy to blame the police. If not, who do you point the finger at? Each community would have to look in the mirror, and accept responsibility. It’s just easier to blame the police.

Let’s stop blaming everyone else, and take responsibility. Let’s stop blaming the few rogue cops for the totality of black lives lost, or white for that matter. Let’s stop hiding behind a slogan and realize that all murders in the country are not perpetrated by the police, and ALL lives do matter, and people shouldn’t have to apologize for saying so.

Can you imagine a politician apologizing for stating that all lives matter? Martin O’Malley (D), who had been talking about civilian boards to oversee police, stated:  “Black lives matter. White lives matter. All lives matter.” (Fox News)

Receiving immediate backlash for the statement, O’Malley apologized, silenced. Richard Sherman on the other hand, has stood his ground and not apologized, not silenced.

Interesting …

Less protesting and more proactivity. It seems the message segregates, separates and divides. Is this the goal?

(Top photo of Richard Sherman at Media Day for Super Bowl XLIX, by Claudia Gestro)