Black Lives Matter

I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of weeks now, this whole Black Lives Matter thing. And not really about Black Lives Matter par se, but I’ve spent quite a lot of time thinking about how so many white people get very upset when you tell them Black Lives Matter. Why is that? It’s a fact: Black lives matter. Sure, all lives matter, OK, that is also true. But saying that Black lives matter doesn’t make any other life matter less – but from the reaction of so many white people, you get the feeling like that’s what’s being said. It’s not. It’s a simple, unqualified statement: Black lives matter. Does that rub you the wrong way? Then you probably need to check yourself. Equality isn’t a zero-sum game; if making sure that justice, opportunity, respect and dignity are equally applied to everyone in society, it doesn’t mean that you, dear white person, are somehow shorted. Actually, life gets better for you too, because a fair and just system is a stable one that gets everyone pulling in the same direction. So embrace it! Love it. Accept it. It’s true. Black lives matter. Enough said (by me, for now).