DO ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER TO BLM?

A number of months ago I was listening to Larry Elder interview Thomas Sowell. Sowell commented, “common sense is esoteric today”. The remark struck me as particularly insightful. I am going to present some unassailable facts. If these facts were considered using common sense, they should move people to obvious conclusions about the nature of the organization calling itself Black Lives Matter. However, millions of Americans seem incapable of drawing common sense conclusions. 

People should consider facts as they take public positions on BLM. Whether or not people are expressing support for the phrase or the organization, public pronouncements of support will be treated as an endorsement of the organization. We can argue about the need to single out the value of black lives for exclusive concern or why ‘all lives’ would not be a more appropriate way to express the value of human life. But as we have seen, those who assert ‘all lives matter’ have been libeled racist. The phrase, ‘black lives matter’ is not an innocuous statement of concern. It’s infused with an illogical presumption about those who take a broader view about the value of all lives. 

I will assume that some who feel the need to virtue signal their support for BLM know very little about the organization. Others jump on the BLM bandwagon because of peer pressure or they were indoctrinated in school by the divisive un-American idea of identity politics. I pray that few people actually agree with the agenda as clearly stated by the leadership of BLM. I should also note that the signs, posters and posts, on the streets, lawns, cars and in business window displays capitalize BLM. That reinforces the presumption of support for the organization. It seems like clarity about the agenda of the organization should be the prerequisite before announcing support. Let’s look at what this organization is and its leadership.

It was founded based on two incidents BLM present as evidence of racially motivated violence. Trayvon Martin died at the hands of George Zimmerman. Zimmerman was cleared of any crime. Whether that was a just verdict or not, there was no evidence that the incident was racially motivated. The second incident involved the tragic death of Michael Brown at the hands of a police officer. Local, state and the Eric Holder led Justice Department investigations and three autopsies concluded that it was a justified shooting demonstrating not one scintilla of evidence of racial overtones. A common sense approach would lead one to be skeptical about the goals and leadership of an organization established on a broken foundation.

The BLM website states that BLM reject the notion of the traditional family. Since one of the core cultural problems in America, disproportionately impacting the black community, is the absence of fathers, one might hesitate to lend their support to such an organization.

“We are trained Marxists. We are super-versed on, sort of, ideological theories” Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors of Black Lives Matters explained. Even a cursory knowledge of the history of nations that embraced Marxism reveals the murder of millions following the implementation of this political ideology. What kind of people would cling to this failed theory? Why would any American lend their support to those who do? 

I said,” Newsome told the host, “if this country doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it. All right? And I could be speaking … figuratively. I could be speaking literally. It’s a matter of interpretation.”  “I don’t condone, nor do I condemn rioting,”

These are the words of the leader of BLM in New York. Who would choose to support an organization whose leadership threatens violence? How does one negotiate with people or organizations that make “demands” infused with ultimatums, including violence should compliance not follow? Is that the American way? Is that the civil and reasonable way to make things better?

“We call for a national defunding of police.” This is taken directly from the BLM website. For almost 3 decades violent crime rates had been falling dramatically. Smart law enforcement techniques to include the application of the “broken window” theory saved ten of thousands of lives. Were there excesses? Of course there were. The thousands of people not murdered, raped, molested and robbed were disproportionally black. It does not take rocket science, clairvoyance or special knowledge to state this truism, defunding the police in part or whole will mean more dead, raped and robbed black people. The obvious is being played out on the streets of New York, Chicago, Baltimore and Minneapolis among other cities as the police are being rendered toothless. It will get worse.

After living as a fugitive for two years, Susan Rosenberg was arrested in 1984 while in possession of a large cache of explosives and firearms. She had also been sought as an accomplice in the 1979 prison escape of Assata Shakur and in the 1981 Brink’s robbery that resulted in the deaths of two police and a guard, although she was never charged in either case.

Rosenberg was sentenced to 58 years’ imprisonment on the weapons and explosives charges. She spent 16 years in prison, during which she became a poet, author, and AIDS activist. Her sentence was commuted to time served by President Clinton on January 20, 2001, his final day in office.

Guess who this reprehensible felon is raising money for, now that she is free? You guessed it, BLM. Thanks Bill. I am not aware of the organization refusing her help. That seems like an endorsement in reverse. 

Finally, we can examine if this organization is concerned with all black lives or a tiny select group. Depending on the source, 7-13 unarmed blacks were killed by police officers in 2019. In that same year more than 7,000 blacks were murdered, more than 90% by black people. Thus, the chances of dying at the hands of a cop of any race are .00187 of being killed at the hands of another black person. Yet BLM is silent when it comes to the exponentially greater threat to black people. Using Sowellian logic (common sense) one would conclude BLM does not act like it believes that all black lives matter. 

I am asking BLM supporters to evaluate the evidence, apply Sowellian logic and reconsider their support for a dangerous and divisive organization. Maybe that’s too much to ask.