Black lives matter! They matter in the same way and the same degree as any other life. The difference is that a large number of people do not understand this fact or understand it but ignore it because they are hateful and vile. Therefore, it is vital to say that black lives matter.
They are vital because minority groups are subjected to more disadvantages than white people and therefore need advantages like diversity quotas to be able to have a fair chance in life. This is not to say that black people are incapable of going far in life, far from it. It is only to say that after centuries of slavery, oppression, poverty and bigotry that they deserve a boost to be able to compete with those who have not suffered such endemic hate and subjugation and degradation as they have. An analogy for this would be that if there was a running tournament it would be unfair not to put the runner with one leg ahead of those with two. It is not about patronising it is about explaining to these ‘All lives matter’ maniacs that all lives should matter but we have a bigger problem with making it clear that black lives matter. The BLM movement is doing great work. They are changing hearts and minds and they are an inspiration to us all. What the ‘All Lives Matter’ bloc seem to forget is that BLM does not say “only black lives matter” it is just an assertion that they indeed do matter and if every human being understood this fact racism would simply not exist. Until the day when your colour is completely irrelevant to how others view or treat you #BlackLivesMatter. I would first like to say how sorry I am about what happened to George Floyd. He is by no means the only victim of Police Racism and brutality, but his family are suffering a fresh loss and I want to offer them my condolences.
In the UK, the Police are less severe and there is less of a culture of fearing them. But the same issues apply to the UK. The response to this would be to decrease Police powers. The Police are needed but they should face consequences for their actions, and they should be subject to the rule of law in the same way any other person is. The next problem is that the Police and the Courts are intertwined. Prosecutors and Defence Lawyers, Judges and Bailiffs, Forensic Scientists, Criminal Pathologists and experts in crime-related areas. These are all people who mingle with and often work closely with the Police. It is extremely hard to convict a Police Officer in a Court run by their friends. It is ridiculously hard to hold an independent investigation when the investigators are not independent. Afterall. Who are you going to report a racist Police officer to? The Police? The Police Force is a centralised organisation. By its very nature, it is a violent institution and must be reformed as to disconnect its parts. Decentralised Police would be easier to Police. A less rigid chain of command would increase accountability and decrease their power. This would not end racism, but it would certainly make it much harder to get away with it. Obviously, mental health assessments regularly would help identify Policemen like Chauvin and remove them from their job. Also training Police Officers in issues of Race could help. These are obvious solutions that have been implemented to some degree, my solution would be to ramp them up.
Another solution would be to create an independent disciplinary body to deal with crimes committed by the Police. This body would be separate from the Police force and the Police would be accountable to it. It could be called BPP (Body for Policing Police). This is a theoretical proposal, but it could work. The only way to find out is to try it I suppose. To conclude this rather sombre piece I would like to preach a message of hope. That racism can end, and it will so long as the good and the just defend those who cannot defend themselves. For as long as good people see the evils of the world and still get angry. For as long as we do not surrender to political apathy and for so long as when we see our fellow man down on the ground, we help him up. We are as strong as our weakest link and we are as happy as our most oppressed citizen. We cannot achieve a better world unless everyone comes along for the journey. This is why I always have and always will oppose Racism. Not because I have experienced racism myself but because every downtrodden community is deserving of help and deserving of power. Injustice is the enemy of progress and as a progressive, I cannot let racism go unanswered. I pledge my unending support to the black community. The hate will go, but not by itself. It up to us to look racism in the eye and attack it with every fibre of our being. For every life ruined and for every grieving mother, there will be vengeance. This vengeance will not be the same it will be different, it will be better, it will be fairer. A united front is a front stronger than their guns and batons can tear gas can get through. A wall of Police will not stop a tsunami of the righteous. We must galvanise and unite. We must band together and fight. Public pressure is everything. They cannot arrest us all nor can they say that they are in the right. For every tweet sent, for every Instagram story, for every five-pound donation, for every piece of pressure. For every water bottle thrown their resolve will crack. For every protest, for every memorial, there will be more news coverage and more outrage and soon they will crack into pieces. The hate they spewed will be cast upon them far harder than they ever cast it. The police will give in if we refuse to let it go. We cannot simply move on by supper time we must apply continuous pressure and offer continuous outrage. We will not comply if they let us die. We will not surrender until we tackle racism together. We will not give in until we win. Violence begets violence. Soon the blood they have spilt will drown them. Soon their injustice and hate will be met with justice and love. The love of millions marching in protest, the love of people so outraged by the death of an innocent that they are willing to go out and shout the truth until their voices become rasped. There are thousands of George Floyds. Thousands of tragedies and they will all be avenged. The people will simply no longer tolerate it. My heart goes out to all who have lost loved ones and all those who suffer racism. May Tou Thao and Derek Chauvin spent the rest of their wretched lives as reviled pariahs sitting in jail cells breathing the air they never gave to George Floyd. As long as you tweet “All Lives Matter” you are part of the problem. As long as you hold unwarranted hatred in your heart you are part of the problem. There is no room for racism. Not now and not ever. As long as you understand that, as long as you identify racism and do what you can to fight for justice you are part of the solution. I urge you all to be part of the solution. There is a slogan that puts it best. No Justice! No Peace!
Written by author who for now wishes to remain anonymous for safety reasons - Instagram @
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