The War on Race

We have all heard of the Black Lives Matter movement, we have all witnessed the marches, and we have all heard the counterargument! The counterargument being that ALL lives matter. But how much conviction does this argument hold, and do all lives REALLY matter to those who speak those words?

Now, I do believe that ALL lives matter, but what I fail to understand is that those using this argument seemingly largely miss the point. The point being that if ALL lives truly matter then we should stand shoulder to shoulder in unconditional support of any minorities who continuously face discrimination in any shape or form due to the colour of their skin into which they were born, along with any other discriminatory factors such as race, religion, social economic standing, choice of sexuality, and so forth.

I have lost count of the amount of times to which I have felt perplexed that those voicing the ALL lives matter narrative would rather see refugees drown and die at sea, other than reach the land of the destination to which they were heading. If ALL lives matter, if this is the narrative to which we are pushing, then should a tragedy such as death at sea in quest of hoping for a better life for whatever reason not be mourned as opposed to celebrated? Should we not question why those who put their lives at risk feel that it is worth the gamble, as opposed to staying in the country from which they have fled? If ALL lives truly matter then should all children not be born to receive equal opportunity of education and healthcare, regardless of their place of birth or their physical attributes?

Equal opportunity could eradicate crime through a lack of education, in turn helping diminish poverty. Surely every new-born baby arrives with a clean sheet, their own pages to fill in writing their own story. Because everyone has a story to live, chapter by chapter.

With an increasingly divided society, it is time to question if ALL lives TRULY matter then how can we make the world a better place? The narrative to which we are fed is a divisive one, we don't have to tune into every news channel or read every newspaper article to be affected on a subliminal level...

To exacerbate my previously mentioned feelings of perplexity, good hearted people can be found to be sharing posts that purposely denigrate sectors of society. This can be largely down to media influences, headlines seeping into our subconscious without being fully aware. However, integration is a two-way street, how can sectors of society be made to feel they are able to integrate fully while being made to feel that their life simply doesn't matter?

A lack of understanding can contribute massively to the fear of others, the fear that someone may not look exactly like us, or share our ideology. But do we all need to think and look the same? If you don't want to be wearing the same attire to a party as your friend, why do we need to look the same beneath our clothing? Is it not our own insecurities that dictate these very fears, and by breaking barriers we can accept and embrace the difference of those around us?

I believe in society, and with that I believe that we all have a social responsibility. A responsibility to ensure that first and foremost everyone feels welcome within. No society is without it's challenges, but surely those challenges diminish somewhat when standing is solidarity, with a clearer understanding of each other as another human being.

To win the war on race, to conquer division and to truly prove that all lives matter, we all need to play our own part. To come to terms with the factors that dictate why humans naturally gravitate towards those that reflect more in our own appearance, and why is is easier to spread hate as opposed to love. If we look within, from where do those fears stem? Does spreading hate through derogatory comments or articles bring a sense of self superiority?

The truth is, we do really have more in common than that which divides us, and by breaking down the barriers not only can we find a change of personal perspective, it can bring new and meaningful friendships, it can open the door to creating stronger societies, and ultimately win the war on race by creating less division through our own openness to someone new...

It can also bring new meaning to the words all lives matter by proving once and for all that they ALL really do!