For over a year now the #blacklivesmatter movement has been in full effect on social media and

in protests around the United States. Some in other nations have even joined the movement. It

is there to display the treatment that black people get when they interact with the police. They

feel there is a big difference between the treatment and targeting of black people than when it

comes to white people. There have been many cases where departments have been found

guilty of racial discrimination, which helps bring the BLM movement to light.

But then there are those who want to start #alllivesmatter. I totally agree that all lives matter and

that it is important to care for everyone. No one should die unjustly or without reason. The thing

is, this is taking away from the original message that BLM is trying to say. With us focusing on

all lives, it throws the white people into the mix where the original problem wasn’t unfair

targeting of white people, but the unfair targeting of black people.

This issue isn’t about white people. Even as a military cop, I can see that civilian cops treat the

black population differently. Out of the 10 times that I have been pulled over in the last year, I

haven’t received a single ticket. Honestly, if I were black, I would have been to jail on at least

one of those occasions.

The fact that a black male was pulled over for a missing front license plate and was shot to

death during the stop because the officer feared for his life when the video clearly showed he

was not in any danger is a huge problem. Was it because the officer was intimidated by the size

of the man or what he was wearing? Yes, the man started to drive off, but the car doesn’t move

sideways, only forward. The officer fired at the man as he was driving away. The officer did not

need to hold on. And yet another black man is dead.

Don’t get me wrong, if a person is committing an act that is causing grave bodily harm to

another human being; by all means shoot him with all the rounds in your magazine. If a criminal

pulls a weapon on an officer, shoot him. If he doesn’t have a license plate, do not shoot.

Once we can actually see as a human race that one group is being treated unfairly and want to

make everyone equal, that is when we can move on. Until then, we cannot grow as a nation.

The BLM movement isn’t about everyone being treated wrong. Let’s not try to make it about

you. Stand up for those who are being treated unfairly. Be the bigger person here. Let’s come

together and fight for equality.

At the end of the day, all lives do matter and as human beings we should take care of each

other. We can come together and achieve greatness if we can just get to the mindset that we

are all equal.