Black Lives Matter

photo provided by: https://theodysseyonline.com/yes-all-lives-matter-but

The Black Lives Matter campaign was brought about in recent years because of the increasing number of Black lives being lost to law enforcement officers, and so-called 'neighborhood watch' vigilantes like George Zimmerman.

Lives such as those of Tamir Rice, a 12 year old boy shot down by police for playing with a toy gun. No charges were filed against the officers because they said he "did not exercise due care to avoid injury." Really? A 12 year old? Do authorities truly believe that a 12 year old has the mental maturity to know what to do when law enforcement officers who have sworn to protect and serve him, are pointing their weapons in his direction?  I'm sure this child was totally frightened.  I'm sure he didn't wake up thinking that that particular day would be the last day of his life.  The world will never know his potential of greatness because on that day, his Black life didn't matter.

Samuel Dubose was shot in the head by Officer Ray Tensing, who lied about being drug by Dubose's car as his reasoning for the shooting.  After the release of the video, in which Dubose was being pulled over for a missing front license plate, (is that even against the law??) it was shown that the victim was unarmed, and had not acted in an aggressive way what-so-ever before being murdered. As a matter-of-fact, the shooting by the officer was referred to by members of the court as "senseless," and "asinine."  It is a great thing that the officer's own body camera was able to catch what truly happened and hold him accountable by exposing his lies.  But on that day, did Samuel Dubose's Black life matter?

Sandra Bland was pulled over in Prairie View, TX. for not using a signal during her turn in traffic. This young, educated woman, who happened to be a very candid voice on social media for the rights,or lack there-of, of people in the Black community, ended up dead in jail after a minor traffic stop.  This traffic stop in particular was one where you had a Black female who continued to proclaim her rights as a citizen to the arresting officer.  One can only wonder would this woman be alive today if she had not been pulled over by an officer who chose to flaunt his power simply because he did not like what she had to say.  On that Sandra Bland's Black life did not matter.

Quanell X, one of the Houston area's local activist, stood against the actions of the police department in their protection of Sandra Bland's arresting officer.  To protect and serve is what they take oath to do, but it seems there is an underlying meaning in that promise.  All stops were pulled out as the department relocated this officer to a complex in Katy, TX, away from his home.  Though there was a non-violent protest organized by Mr. X, and advertised as such in meetings, armed officers on horseback, in cars, and on foot lined the outside of the complex to ensure this officer's safety against unarmed, non-violent people.

To protect and serve... An oath taken in reference to their own.  Why weren't these stops pulled to protect the lives of the lost? Even an animal has laws in place to protect the way they can be killed, or whether you can kill them at all.  Was Michael Brown's life not worth even the least bit as much as that of an animal? Besides the fact that his activities were delinquent, he was still just an 18 year old young man shot down by police and left on display in such a way that it was inhumane.

How many cameras had the opportunity to catch footage of his lifeless body still laying in the street hours after the officer had shot, then disregarded him? Even the carcasses of road kill have been picked up faster, and handled with  more care.  On that day, did Michael Brown's Black life matter?

Yes, many will say all lives matter, and of course that is a fact, but if all lives truly mattered, would there have been a need for the Black Lives Matter campaign?  Would I have to teach my two Black son's to watch their backs where the police are concerned, because they are automatically at a disadvantage due to the color of their skin?  One-sixteenth of an inch separates them from their white counterparts in the justice system... One-sixteenth of an inch in a piece of skin.  Do all lives really matter?  I think not.