A group of sign-wielding, Confederate flag-waving, White Lives Matter “activists” gathered outside the NAACP headquarters Sunday in Third Ward to protest the organization and their support of groups like Black Lives Matter.
According to one of the protesters, the Confederate flags they held are a reference to their Southern heritage and had nothing to do with inciting hatred. General understanding of the “Stars and Bars” is a quasi-racist flag representing an army that fought to keep slavery and their livelihoods the same.
As far as I know, Black Lives Matter has not asked people to disregard their heritage. When you’re holding on for dear life to the physical embodiment of discrimination and oppression — that is pretty much as racist as you can get.
Add that to the one or two signs printed with the phrase “14 Words,” a white supremacist slogan, and there is literally no way these people can claim ignorance or any semblance of virtue.
These people are wrong. Since the creation of White Lives Matter is a direct response to Black Lives Matter, how can they expect to command any legitimacy in the racial conversation within the U.S. today? They say it’s not about blacks versus whites, and that they are protesting an “anti-white” organization, but isn’t White Lives Matter anti-black by implication?
This is not a subjective argument. Black Lives Matter is about civil rights. White Lives Matter is about implementing and protecting white supremacy.
Black Lives Matter’s founding was a result of violence against black people. The movement came together after George Zimmerman’s acquittal of the shooting of Trayvon Martin. With continuing high-profile police shootings and eventual acquittals, members of the movement keep on demanding justice, fight for equality and foster understanding.
White lives have always mattered, you just need to flip through a history book and you’ll see very explicit proof. Why is it that suddenly, in 2016, this group of 20 or so people are feeling victimized? They want attention, they’re childish and they’re terrified at the thought that another group of people could possibly ever be equal to them.
As has become the pattern recently, this is a case of tit-for-tat victim blaming. White Lives Matter says black people attack and kill white police officers, but what about the police officers attacking and killing black men, women and children?
White Lives Matter supporters also say pro-black organizations should hold their people accountable, but who is holding them accountable? There are too many double standards to ignore. These people don’t even know what they really want or what they went to the rally for.
Yes, White Lives Matter was exercising their right to free speech and assembly (and their Second Amendment rights, for some reason). But when your free speech is used to victimize and oppress, it becomes something different.
As a U.S. citizen, I value my freedom of speech as much as anyone, and I am proud to live in a country where we can hear different opinions and perspectives.
But free speech needn’t become hate speech.
Opinion columnist Marialuisa Rincon is a journalism junior and can be reached at [email protected]
“Black Lives Matter’s founding was a result of violence against black people. ”
This is your opinion. It is not necessarily fact. It’s possible the organization’s founding was due to angry people who were unable to take responsibility for their own well-being. It could be any number of things and your blanket statement says more about you then it necessarily says about reality.
If black lives matter so much why do they kill each other every night in Chicago without a second thought. I suppose this is also the white man’s fault. It’s never the fault of the black man who pulls the trigger. Do i have that right?
One of the highlights of the democratic primary was when BLM members forced Bernie Sanders off stage. It appears they do not respect free speech as much as you do.
http://blacklivesmatter.com/about/
Sarah, that may be the ideal but it is far, far from the reality.
I could do the same thing you just did for the UN. The UN, like BLM, was founded on great ideals. Now countries like Saudi Arabia sit on a council overseeing women’s rights, and countries like Egypt sit on the human right’s council.
I hope one day you learn the difference between words, ideals and actions and reality.
>If black lives matter so much why do they kill each other every night in Chicago without a second thought.
Wow. We have a real honest to goodness Klan member among us, UH.
What did I write that was incorrect? It would be helpful if you addressed the points raised rather than attack the messenger – something I’d expect to happen if you were a member of the KKK – and unable to defend your position any other way.
Are you a member of the KKK?
BLM = the black KKK.
Justice, when someone of color commits a crime and is caught the justice system works like a well oiled machine. It’s about justice for the victim. If a police officer is killed justice works like a well oiled machine, it’s about justice being served for the officer killed, the victim. But what happens when the shoe is on the other foot? Justice is the keyword, therefore the protest is about injustice.
BLM was founded by two lesbians. Enough said.
Whatever you do, don’t say “All lives matter”. Big bad Shane will throw you in the gulag!
I’m fine with white supremacists being able to say what they want.
What needs to stop is the idiotic alt-right effort to conflate BLM with WLM and other hate groups.
You may dislike BLM, you may dislike its tactics. The notion that BLM is a hate group is so hilariously ludicrous that I can’t really engage with it.
This also underscores the stupidity of Rohini’s comment. She’s effectively standing out in front of the Houston NAACP Chapter Office with a burning cross like the rest of them. Time to retract your statement.
You are a black supremacist who supports copkillers. Racist blacks like you hate cops, then beg for police to protect your terror mosques and anti-cop rallies.
lol, not black and don’t support cop killers. Whites kill FAR more cops than blacks.
The only ones who burn crosses are blacks looking to blame whites. And the same NAACP and BLM that hate cops are the first to beg for police protection for their anti-cop rallies and terror mosques.
Wow – you really need to consume news not published by white supremacist organizations.
You defend the black supremacist BLM. And like most racists, you defend hate crime hoaxes:
Black man burns cross on own lawn:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/16/lb-williams-black-florida_n_1098306.html
Black woman torches self after writing KKK on car:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sharmeka-moffitt-burned-la-woman-made-up-story-about-racial-attack-police-say/
Black man sets fire to black churches:
http://bossip.com/1247469/plot-twist-black-man-arrested-for-burning-down-black-churches/
Black students caught on video faking the hate:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/02/26/three-black-students-claimed-to-be-victims-of-a-hate-crime-police-say-otherwise/
Black woman makes threats against black students:
http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/12/arrest_made_in_kean_twitter_threat.html
And let’s not forget Tawana Brawley and Crystal Mangum, which black supremacists like you defend.
So how long before you black racists get busted for defending yet another hate crime hoax?
This is a free country if you want to join BLM do it. If you chose to be a racist knock yourself out. No one else has the right to tell you what to do.
If you support BLM, you are a racist.
Did my comment indicate support for any group? No , my comment
was in support of freedom of speech, association, religion etc. In short , the Bill of Rights. If that is racist, I am down with it.
BLM is the racist group that praises copkillers.