Activism Needs Proper Focus

While “Black Lives Matter” (BLM) may be well intentioned, they lack the proper focus, proper objectives and the skilled and savvy leadership necessary to positively impact any meaningful change. 

First, they must deal with their chosen name; “Black Lives Matter.” 

The suggestion that discrimination against blacks in this country should be the only or primary objective diminishes the horrors and importance of others who also suffer discrimination.  Latinos, Muslims, gays, women the underprivileged and poor, and in many cases white males are also outcasts and victims of incredible levels of discrimination.  Ending black suffering and deaths to any meaningful degree requires fighting all forms of discrimination and hatred.  The enemy is bigotry.  As long as it has any kind of a foothold in America, on any level, blacks will be always be victimized.  Therefore, the title, by its very nature, is misleading and shortsighted.  It conjures up doubts as to the proper and the most worthwhile agenda.  

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other historically successful civil rights leaders were keenly aware of this reality.  King’s efforts extended to the horrible and disgraceful discrimination of war.  He railed against the poor and underprivileged being the primary victims of our wars, emphasizing that the privileged - as Robert Kennedy noted – could “hide out” in college while those far less fortunate did the fighting and dying.  This correct and necessary moral high ground resulted in King’s receiving strong support within non-black communities to help with his fight.  Populist support is necessary to succeed against any form of discrimination. 

Next is the problem in attacking the beast at its root causes. 

Let begin by affirming the obvious.  Of course, black discrimination manifests itself through racist police officers.  “Black Lives Matter” is determined to focus on the false premise that that discrimination is the primary and only cause for recent violent police tactics.  A review of the record nationwide demonstrates abusive and violent police behavior toward every segment of our population.    

Unarmed Alfonso Limon Jr., 21, was shot to death by Oxnard, California police officers.  He was of Spanish speaking descent. 

Victor Hernandez, also of Spanish speaking decent, was dragged out of a car, tasered and beaten by Roseville, Minnesota police as he lay on the ground.  The cops weren’t pleased with his slow response to their commands which stemmed from the fact that Hernandez didn’t speak English. 

Then there’s Brandie Redell – a white woman – who was beaten by two Davenport, Iowa cops. 

And, of course, there was Tampa, Florida resident Brian Sterner.  Sterner is a white paraplegic.  He was thrown out of his wheelchair by Hillsborough Country deputy Sherriff Charlette Marshall-Jones.  Three other officers looked on without alarm or objection.  Jones is a black woman and all three of the police onlookers – two females and one male - where all black. 

In reviewing these records, one quickly learns that some police departments and police officers are infused with an arrogant mindset.  This arrogance permeates demeaning and abusive encounters.  Records show time again rude, condescending, disrespectable, obnoxious and intimidating police conduct.   Strong evidence reveals these are just isolated incidents but are commonplace.  Because this uncivilized demeanor and verbal abusive has gone unchallenged for years, police have come to believe they are now also immune from acting in an unlawful manner.  All of this indifference has resulted in the current widespread cruel and extreme violence that plagues us today.  

This entrenched lack of civility, and NOT JUST racism, is the PRIMARY reason for the violent abuse of power exerted by law enforcement officials.  For “Black Lives Matter” to succeed they need to expand their thinking beyond bigotry to include all forms of abusive behavior.  Their demands must center on more effective methods in the selection and hiring of officers, vastly improved training programs designed to instill a proper law enforcement mentality.  They need to demand additional comprehensive training for current police officers along with periodic psychological testing to determine if their experiences have turned them bitter and revengeful toward the public.  They must insist that these and other officers, incapable of the proper mindset and unable to adapt to the rigors of the job, be removed from police departments.  Without this focus and agenda, “Black Lives Matter” will fail in their quest to protect the general public, and thus blacks, from unnecessary and brutal methods of law enforcement. 

Finally, the cruel and wasteful loss of black lives extends beyond police departments and needs to be part of the BLM agenda. 

Literally hundreds of young, principally, black males are killed on our streets every year by those who do not have the force of a badge behind their bloodshed. 

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu told the Aspen Ideas Festival that; “something is wrong with our country if young African-American men are being killed in the street in huge numbers and most Americans look away. It’s mass murder in slow motion.   America must make combating violence a national priority.  If we can mobilize to address tragedies around the world, we can do it at home.” 

“Black Lives Matter” has the potential to be an effective movement.  Therefore, BLM needs to step up and pursue these additional everyday non-police street carnages every bit as aggressively as they pursue police violence if they wish to be deemed credible and succeed. 

Dr. King led a movement that demanded an end to the repression of all the poor and underprivileged in our country, NOT JUST BLACKS.  King’s movement included all forms of bigotry and abuse of power.   It is these realities and that mindset, along with the proper understanding as to the exact nature of the problem and the corrective measures needed which are crucial to BLM success.  For without it, any hope to diminish the needlessly loss of human dignity and life, to any real degree, is nothing more than a pipedream.