White Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter — Virtue signaling has swamped our society in the last few weeks. It’s disgusting, divisive and destructive. Want to have some fun? Ask an acquaintance who is posturing how “black lives matter” to say “white lives matter.”
We can say black lives matter. It’s easy. We believe it. Most of our readers do too.
But can our critics say “white lives matter”? It should be easy. Three simple words. You can say or write it in less than a second. Saying it creates unity and eases division. But for some strange reason, the ones most loudly shouting BLM can’t even whisper WLM.
Why? Because they want division and hate unity.
Racism is vile. Again, we and most of our readers believe this.
Racism is the belief that one ethnicity should have less civil rights than others. Repeat, it is vile.
Ironically, this means that those are racists who hold that a black professional and family should get race-based privileges unavailable to a white working two jobs in the sticks.
This doesn’t mean that the professional with dark skin shouldn’t have a higher income and nicer home if effort and talent warrant it. It just means he shouldn’t get special set-asides, tuition breaks for his kids or any other pigmentation advantage
Those who claim otherwise are, literally, racists.
The why to end racial division in our nation — and it is an artificially created division — is to declare racial distinction no longer exists. What would seem so hard to so many is so easy one’s noodle should be baked when the simplicity dawns.
Just say no “black people” exist. Then say no “white people” exist. Only people exist.
Noodle baked yet?
Ahhh but what about bigots who hold power and choose not to go along?
When George Floyd died in torment crying for mercy after a cop kneeled on his neck for eight minutes despite his arm being in restraints, we were sickened and outraged. Why? Because we didn’t see Floyd as a “black man”. We saw him as us. If we saw him as “black man”, maybe we would just shrug. Tough break buddy.
But we saw him as a fellow human and we were and are outraged. Yeah, people with light pigmentation get abused by authority too. It actually happened quit a bit in the old countries from which we come and about which we have generational memory. Not so much in America, which is why we love her but it still happens. Ask Aaron Swartz or Vicki Weaver. Well, you can’t because they are dead but it happens.
So when a bigot with authority abuses someone unjustly and we no longer see the abused as “black” or “white” but human, that bigot faces a united people rather than a divided one. It’s at that point the sick and evil lose.
All lives matter. Say it. It’s not hard.
All lives matter. Yes, that is true. So when are we, as a society going to finally come to this realization?
I am first generation Italian. My parents were born in Southern Italy. You would think I would look like I have a tan. Nope. I am so pale that when I am at the beach, slathered in the highest power sun block, my skin sizzles like a steak on the grill. My daughter, also full Italian with a beautiful color skin, not pale like her mom, laughs and insists I must be Nordic because I burn within 15 minutes of being in the sun.
Why does it matter?
Sheriff deputies, Security, and Montco detectives don’t give a damn that I am pale. They were all white, too. When Montco Commissioner Valerie Arkoosh (also white) decided she wanted to violate my 1st Amendment Rights, she ordered a sheriff deputy to arrest me. No reason other that she did not like what I said during a commissioners meeting. BTW, she has no authority to order a sheriff deputy to do anything. She got DA Steele to cover her butt before they took me to the holding cell. My arms were black and blue. They claimed I resisted arrest. They handed me over to the detectives, who work for DA Steele. The detectives said I was NOT arrested. While I was in their custody, I started having an asthma attack. Stress can induce an attack in an asthmatic. The detectives would not give me my rescue inhaler. I was in the back seat of their SUV, handcuffed. I could have died if the attack had been severe enough. I was not allowed to have the inhaler until they got me to their office. There’s more but I won’t go into further detail here. I think I made my point.
Yeah, our society is screwed up for sure. But that does not mean we have to go over the edge. Protests are great, if they are peaceful. Rioting and looting are still crimes. Police brutality is criminal. Problem is Police have a measure of immunity, just like the corrupt judges do. I am not sure which county is more corrupt- Montgomery or Allegheny. Maybe they are tied, but I would bet money it is Montgomery.
Remember, AG Shapiro is from Montco. Before becoming AG he was Chair of the Montco Board of Commissioners.
One more thing, no one better demand me to get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness. I haven’t done a damned thing to be sorry for. If anything there are those who should beg for my forgiveness.
I am against police brutality AND rioting and looting. That’s right. You can be against both, at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive.
Well said, Pauline.