"All lives matter!"

Addressing hypocrisy.

“All lives matter!”

Do you truly believe that? 

When a woman speaks out about her r*pist, do you stand with her, or do you believe it is the fault of the length of her shirt, or the amount of glitter on her eye, or the fact that her *ss is showing from beneath her shorts because it was 90 degrees? Why were you looking anyways? 

“But men get raped too!”

Yes, they do. Their pain should not be suppressed, but when 1 in 5 women’s lives are threatened by the hands of an oppressor pinned to their throats, they need their voice to speak and be heard.

“All lives matter!”

Black boys and girls are killed for pulling out their IDs when they are stopped because they “look suspicious.” Their innocence is glistening in their eyes as they look into the face of someone who has already convicted them guilty or given them the death penalty before they’ve said a word.

“But white lives matter too!”

Yes they do. However, a white person’s life will never be threatened or repressed because of the color of their skin. African Americans have endured years upon years of disgrace and death trying to live in the country they built with their bare, blood-stained hands. 

“All lives matter!”

Refugees sit in cages labeled “drug dealers,” “rapists,” and “thieves” as they huddle together trying to comfort their crying children. Trying to flee the bullet shots ringing in their ears, running towards the “land of the free,” where officers wait patiently with shackles.

“But they’re going to hurt our people and take our jobs!”

Take your jobs? The “land of the free” does not even belong to you. It belongs to the Native Americans, whose traditions and culture have been stripped away as their tribes slowly disappear due to their loss of legality. 

“All lives matter!”

Asian Americans live in this country fearful that a virus’ rampage will be labeled as their fault, hated by a population who despise the people but steal the culture they once mocked. Influencers glorify the fox eye, the Qipao accentuates sexiness, chow mein is a delicacy, yet there is no respect for the culture. 

“But it was China’s fault!”

It does not matter. Colonizers brought over millions upon millions of diseases “discovering” America, killing populations in droves, yet they face no harsh words. There is no reason that a cell should be the scapegoat to villainize any ethnicity.

“All lives matter!”

Muslims walk the streets while “terrorist” is a term that has become a normality. 9/11 shook the US into believing that every Muslim will hurt them, when they live in fear that they will lose their lives because of the actions of men many years ago and people across the sea.

“But they are terrorists!”

Do you see the children who lay dead when they were trying to learn in a classroom? When they were trying to talk to their friends about what they were doing that day? When they were having the time of their lives discovering who they were? Do you see the blood stains on the walls? Who shot them? Was it a Muslim?

“All lives matter!”

Young children are forced into conversion therapy. Are shunned. Are turned away from possible careers. Are killed. They finally grasp the courage to tell their loved ones who they really are, who they love, who they want to be and embrace themselves, only to be told that they are mistaken. By someone who should've showered them in love and support.

“But they are going against the Bible!”

“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” A verse from the Bible. There is no reason that a verse should be cherry picked as a weapon against a human being. As it states in your precious Bible.

“All lives matter!”

Stereotypes and stigmas plague the world.  “Be a man!” “You’re too emotional!” “Men do not cry!” “Only women can wear makeup!” “You’re not strong enough!” “She’s a wh*re!” “You can’t have an abortion!” 

“But it’s all true!”

Every human being is an individual, unique, beautiful soul, who deserves the basic human right to hold control over their own lives. The choices they make do not and should not concern anyone but themselves. And their choices should not permit hatred to be spit upon their faces as they walk down their streets.

“All lives matter!”

They do. I never said they didn’t. But your silence and bullets shook the earth when fists rose to the sky. You speak when you are threatened. We are no threat. We are change.

Author's Note

I would like to know your opinions and reactions to my writing.