Do Those Faces Look Like Only
Black Lives Matter Faces - Hardly
These Are Not Only
White, but Clergy, the Young, Concerned and Active
Issue: BLACK LIVE MATTER (BLM movement). The source used
for this posting is mostly from Reena Flores @ CBS News, Sunday, July 17, 2016
(edited to fit the blog):
This week to an online
petition asking the federal government: “To formally label the Black Lives Matter
movement as a terror group.”
It says in essence: “Terrorism is defined as the
use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims. ‘We the People’
created this petition on July 6 at the White House website. This definition is
the same definition used to declare ISIS and other groups, as terrorist
organizations.”
The petition came on the
heels of deadly officer-involved shootings in Baton Rouge, and Falcon Heights,
MN, just days of Black Lives Matter protests for more police accountability. On
July 7, one day after the petition published online, seven law enforcement
officers policing a BLM demonstration in Dallas were shot and killed in a
shower of sniper-like fire. On Sunday, July 17, three more policemen were shot
and killed in Baton Rouge.
The petition further states: “Black
Lives Matter earned this title due to its actions in Ferguson, Baltimore, and
even at a Bernie Sanders rally, as well as all over the United States and
Canada. The Pentagon should recognize the group as such on the grounds of
principle, integrity, morality, and safety.”
The “We the People” petition team also
admitted: “The White House plays no role in designating domestic terror
organizations nor does the U.S. government generate a list of domestic terror
organizations.”
Related and Noteworthy:
1. Black Lives Matter protesters condemned the
massacre in Dallas, and prominent members did the same after Sunday's Baton
Rouge shooting of police officers.
2. One public voice of the movement, DeRay
McKesson, urged peace after news of the Louisiana deaths broke, saying: “I'm
waiting for more information like everybody else. I have more questions than
answers. The movement began as a call to end violence. That call remains.” (In his
remarks to the NY Times).
3. Black Lives Matter protesters condemned the
massacre in Dallas, and prominent members did the same after Sunday's Baton
Rouge shooting of police officers.
4. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings in office
since 2011, said in a video statement about the petition: “Dallas police died
for Black Lives Matter movement (guarding and watching over it), therefore, we
are not able to address the formal request of your petition (to label them a
domestic terror organization).”
5. The White House while acknowledging that it
was a difficult time for the country – and that the debate remains a charged one.
It asked everyone to consider President Obama's words calling for compassion
towards the movement stated in his address to various officials in DC last week:
6. Mr. Obama said in part: “I
think it's important for us to also understand that the phrase 'black lives
matter’ simply refers to the notion that there's a specific vulnerability for
African Americans that needs to be addressed. We shouldn't get too caught up in
this notion that somehow people who are asking for fair treatment are somehow,
automatically, anti-police, are trying to only look out for black lives as
opposed to others. I think we have to be careful about playing that game.”
My notes: The GOP’s right
(mostly) will not let this approach die down – since it plays to their
narrative or blacks against whites and that sells (at least for them),but I
would ask what about Americans of all color in that BLM movement peace and
civility? Don’t they matter, too? The answer is self-evident: Yes, they do and
BLM has stated the goal of the movement clearly: no more violence, period.
As usual, the GOP overreacts for shock effect and political point-making which is their style in such matters and situations.
Thanks for stopping by as
usual.
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