Our Lives Matter

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter" - Martin Luther King

The very root to the injustice we as a minority are facing is due to the mentality that some lives matter more than others. Every time we promote the #blacklivesmatter slogan we are no better than the oppressor. We need to stand up and fight for justice and equality for all lives not just black lives, or blue lives, etc. You do not have to be black in order to be outraged, nor do you have to be black in order to matter. It saddens me that so many scream in outrage at the slaughtering of our people, yet turn around and commit, share, comment on, repost, like, and laugh at the slaughtering of our people. How can we expect change and justice for all when we refuse to take the first step. If we are going to protest and march and fight. If we are going to demand black lives matter or all lives matter. If we are going to demand equality and justice we need to live like it and not be a stereotype while we are at it. We need to start living by the law, as well as, learning the law. I am not trying in any way shape or form  to group a set of people together under the same category, but there is a reason the oppressor keeps oppressing. We give them excuses, reasons, justifications. If we ourselves are not committing the act; we are sharing it, laughing about it, reposting it. We are guilty not only by the company we keep but the information we seek and what we post and share. Guilty by association is what it is referred to as. Sometimes it isn't what it is but rather what it looks like. It is time we unite on all levels everyday; not just when someone is killed by the police. What about when one black person or minority kills another? Do we protest that? What about when two minority officers are murdered while sitting in their car by a crazed gunman? Do we protest that? What about when four white officers kill one black officer? Do we protest that? When will we do better rather than get bitter? When will we take accountability and change? When will we boost our people up rather than tear our people down? We need to take the first step and be the example. #ourlivesmatter #alllivesmatter At the end of the day rather than be angry at each other we need to come to the realization that hate and racism is not a characteristic someone is born with; it is a learned trait. We need to start with our youth and teach them love and respect. We need to show the world we are not what they think we are, and we need to live up to our full potential which is endless!!!! We need to use all of the tools at our disposal and uplift our communities. We need to do better.