Why I Believe What I Believe

My content is usually pretty well-organized and thought-out. But today, things are coming at me a little differently. It’s Independence Day, the 4th of July. Previously known as one of my favorite holidays. But this year? It feels wrong. It feels wrong to celebrate a country that still holds so much racism, sexism, and the like. As I push into my late twenties, I’ve felt more comfortable and confident to stand by my morals and beliefs, whether people despise me because of them or not. I am anti-racist. I am anti-sexist. I am against any belief or moral that diminishes the value of another human life or strips them of their rights. In America, these beliefs and morals are still very much alive and practiced by millions of people.

Many people close to me understand why I feel so strongly about the sexism in America, because I am a victim of sexual assault. Of course I will openly speak out against sexism and the sexual mistreatment of women, men, and LGBTQIA members. I’ve experienced the trauma that comes along with it. I’ve lived it. I know what it’s like to be preyed on simply for being a woman.

What these people don’t understand is why I support the Black Lives Matter movement, or the fact that Black Americans deserve equality. I’m not a Black American. I’ve never experienced racism personally, nor have I witnessed a racist situation firsthand. So, “why are you so passionate about equality for Black Americans?” Well, as much as I hate to answer a question with a question… why wouldn’t I want my Black brothers and sisters to have equal human rights? They are human, correct? They bleed red, correct? They live in this country, correct? They have families and careers and struggles, correct? Yes, to all of the above. “But Black people are criminals, thugs.” Yes, SOME of them are. And you know what? Some White Americans are criminals and thugs too. There are going to be murderers, rapists, robbers, etc. from any background, race, or nationality. Being born Black doesn’t make you a bad person. Being born White doesn’t make you a good person. We learn who we are and who to be by how we’re raised.

So, yes. I believe that America is a very sexist country simply because I’ve experienced it firsthand and have seen too many friends, family members, and strangers suffer through it as well. And yes, I believe that America is a racist country simply because I’ve done my research, I’ve watched the documentaries, I’ve listened to opposing opinions that have no other “proof” denying racism other than “there’s no one currently enslaved,” or “all lives matter.” In the grand scheme of things, both of those statements are true. Slavery ended on June 19th, 1865, when the last enslaved people learned they were no longer being held. Juneteenth, an amazing day in American history that deserves much more celebration, in my opinion. And to those claiming “all lives matter.” I agree, 100%. However, saying that as a response to Black Lives Matter or as a counter argument regarding systemic racism just proves that all lives do NOT matter. Not yet. Many people saying “all lives matter” are blind as to what’s going on in this country, or they’re just simply ignoring it. I do believe that all lives matter, or I want them to. But Black American lives have been scrutinized for decades, even after the end of slavery.

Supporters of Black Lives Matter are not saying, and have never said, that other lives don’t matter. The purpose behind this movement is to come together to ensure equality for ALL Americans, ALL humans, ALL races, so that we CAN say confidently that All Lives Matter. I am not naive to the fact that there will always be bad people in our world, of all races. I am not naive to the fact that many large civil rights movements are misunderstood by those who don’t support them. And I am not naive to the fact that, no matter how hard I, or others who believe as I do, try to fight for human equality, there will always be those who want nothing to do with us, nothing to do with the movement or idea that inequalities are still very present, and nothing more than for us to burn in hell for inconveniencing their American lives. So many people, across the world, are so quick to turn the other cheek to inequalities and injustices towards their people if it does not directly affect them. This kind of mentality will never cease to exist, and that is what will tear our country apart.

I’ll end with this: We are all entitled to our opinions, our own views, beliefs, and morals. We are entitled to our First Amendment right -- freedom of speech. If you are allowed to post whatever you please on social media, or scream it from the rooftops, don’t forget that others are allowed to counter your statements, whether you like it or not. However, hate speech is not something that I will EVER allow to go unnoticed. It may still be protected by the First Amendment, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. I used to be afraid to speak out against individuals who have no respect for others, but that’s no longer the case. I will always attempt to have an intellectual and respectful debate with someone whose views differ from mine -- I will listen, try to understand their perspective, and allow them to throw their facts at me. And I would expect the same terms when it comes my turn to share my facts and why I believe what I believe. But far too often, these debates that I try to use as an opportunity for growth end up with heavy name-calling, empty threats, insults towards my family, my children, and ultimately a complete disregard of human decency and respect. At which point, I’ll say this -- “You have your opinion and I have mine. However, your opinion disregards the issues present in society and you choose to ignore them, even while innocent Americans are being mistreated and misunderstood, leaving me with the knowledge that you will never support a cause to help others if it does not directly help you.”

All lives SHOULD matter, which is why Black, POC, LGBTQIA lives NEED to matter. Period.