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Lives Matter

Why do we have to put a color in front of it?

By Corene TorresPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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I have been wanting to speak out on the current social movement for quite some time. It is a sensitive topic and the last thing I want is for the true message to be missed because of one poorly executed statement. I recently found a meme on social media that said, “All lives matter. If you have to put a color in front of it, you’re a racist.” I think that is the best one I’ve seen yet. I do not believe that anyone should abuse their job or skin color to take advantage of others, hurt others or traumatize others. The point so often missed is that it goes both ways. Looking at my ancestry, my ancestors were both the conquerors and the conquered. My Spanish ancestors are responsible for multiple counts of cultural genocide. If I had to apologize for every act they committed, I would never be finished. On the other hand, the natives of Mexico suffered at the hands of the Spanish. The Irish were slaves. I could go on forever. We cannot undo what has been done. I think if we all had the opportunity to undo one thing, it would be something personal. I don’t think the first thing that would pop into our head would pertain to history. Perhaps for some, but I believe those are few and far between.

I am absolutely astonished by what I have witnessed on the news, so much so I had to stop watching. What does taking down statues and defunding police really do? What does destroying small businesses, many who are immigrant owned, and stealing a pair of Nikes really do for the cause? What does putting a color in front of “Lives Matter” do? The definition of segregation is the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart. After years of fighting for integration we resort to pushing for the very thing we oppose. How many have suffered due to skin color? A lot of people. A lot of people still suffer for their skin color. People of different backgrounds and nationalities. Women of all colors suffer at the hands of men of all colors in a dysfunctional society every single day. What would men do if all the women decided to act out and protest? The Native Americans had their culture destroyed or nearly destroyed and as a consolation prize were given reservations. Imagine if they rose up. Imagine if they pushed to undo history. A lot of people would be boarding ships. The Chinese built the railroads and were practically slaves during that period. The Japanese were put into camps after Pearl Harbor. How many times do you see someone from the Middle East and wonder if they are a terrorist?

Our country is a great country with many flaws. It is no secret that this country was built on murder, slavery and cultural genocide all in the name of building something great. The United States of America is the place where we can live a better life and give our children opportunities they could never find elsewhere. People are still fighting to get in despite the corruption and violence. If we want to be better then we need to be better and push for real unity instead of serving misguided agendas that only cause more chaos, suffering and separation. We need to redirect that passion and focus on the change that can truly make American soil a place where our children not only have opportunities but are also safe. I will never apologize for my ancestors nor do I expect an apology. Racism will always exist. Human beings are not perfect and will always hate someone for something. It is a painful and undeniable truth. Violence will not change that; it will only fuel the fire. Acts of kindness and nobility will ultimately change hearts. It will not happen overnight. Some acts of violence, however, can change hearts and mindsets instantly and not always for the better. There is a time for everything and some acts do merit a violent consequence, for the offender, not small business owners or someone carrying an American flag. We are all human beings. We are born the same way and as we have all witnessed, the same virus can kill us all.

Being bombarded on multiple platforms with the current social movement does not make me sympathetic to the cause. It has the opposite effect because I am tired of seeing it. I don’t want to be virtually attacked with someone else’s agenda at every turn. Flood me with save our children. I think that is something we can all agree on. We are hitting the wrong extreme and doing more damage than good and instead of progressing, we are regressing and the recovery time is going to take just as long as the recovery time for Covid 19, if not longer.

To read more articles, listen to my podcast or to see my YouTube channel, visit tornadotorres.com.

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About the Creator

Corene Torres

Specialize in sales training and coaching for management and agents. Poet, published a book (Where I Stood), podcaster & doing spoken word on YouTube (Tornado Torres). Dealer in NASA based green technology (Krypto Marketing on Facebook).

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