Black Lives Matter- Lighting the Candle

“All Lives Matter”. Yes they do. It should go without saying that every human life is valuable. Every living thing has value. We should not have to remind each other of this indisputable fact. So when it is said in response to “Black Lives Matter”, it comes across paternalistic, adding insult to injury. You see, you must also take into consideration the context and unspoken implication of “Black Lives Matter”. It should not have to be said, it needn’t be a reminder except lately…… we are actually witnessing increasingly the disproportionate disparity of treatment experienced by blacks by those whose job it is to enforce/administer sanctions for perceived/alleged infractions of the law. Some of us interpret this as an abuse of power, others view it s a lack of self- discipline and training. Still others view it through the lens of 200 years of racial injustice. No matter the perspective, the disproportionate disparity cannot be ignored. Color makes it easier to see, to count the numerous incidences, because now through the wonder of technology and the internet, the occurrences are seen more frequently, appear more prevalent. We are WITNESSES to the violation of our inalienable rights under the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Even as people attempt to discredit, discount, or deny the incidences individually; collectively it’s there. There is a preponderance of evidence. Our eyes do not lie. We FEEL the inconsistency. We have become AWARE. No one is saying, “Black Lives Matter” more, we are shouting they do not matter LESS.