In the past six weeks, America has dealt with Ferguson, Eric Garner, and then the murder of two NYPD cops in New York. These events have grabbed the news and refused to fade away. Ferguson is complicated. Eric Garner’s story is unexplainable and the tragedy of the attempt at vigilante justice this week in New York simply horrific. The events have generated incredible scenes. Looting, dramatic protests, viral campaigns and even violence as we’ve seen this week.
There have been several viral phrases, “Black lives matter” “I can’t breathe” “Hands up don’t shoot” have been the most popular. I think the way people talk about things is important and indicative of how they are relating to the situation.
All of these phrases are centered around something so simple yet so complicated. When people say, “Black lives matter,” what they’re saying is that life matters. When people say, “I can’t breathe,” what they’re saying is that people should be able to breathe because people matter. When people say, “Hands up don’t shoot,” what they’re saying is that life shouldn’t be taken.
I don’t know what happened in Ferguson. We will never be able to get inside the mind of the cop that strangled Eric Garner or the cop that shot a black man in St. Louis, or the cop that shot a boy in Cleveland, but here’s what I do know.
I do know that life matters.
I know that cop’s lives matter and I know that black lives matter. When we see large protests, when we see people driven to extreme behaviors, we explicitly see that this belief that lives matter and are treated as such has eroded away.
What America needs is to foster a sense in people that society believes they matter. People don’t burn down buildings without feeling some level of disconnect. People don’t block highways without feeling like they have a legitimate grievance. Where does this leave us?
When white people view protestors and simply categorize them as whatever stereotype they prefer, well that perpetuates the problem. It perpetuates the belief that people don’t matter because if they mattered I wouldn’t simply categorize them and then walk away. When people say “No Justice No Peace,” “Hands Up Don’t Shoot,” or “Black Lives matter,” our response needs to center around creating a society where people do not feel ostracized or marginalized.
How do we foster a society that helps ensure that people feel like they’re important, and they’re included? It’s an issue not easily solved. There’s not magical solution or a ten-step plan, but it begins with people treating people differently.
What’s the number one way to tell someone they have inherent value?
It’s to go see them.
It’s to take your feet and place them where they are.
Maybe we can’t do that? I can’t go to Ferguson. I can’t go to New York. I can’t be black American.
Here’s what I can do.
I can change the way I interact with people. I can change the way I think about events.
I can mentally step back and change the way I respond and ask myself “How did we get to the point where someone legitimately feels like they need to loot a store or burn a building down?”
Going where people are tells them that they are important.
They’re worth your time, and there is an inherent equality about standing with someone.
So we should stand with our minds and move towards others with our thoughts, placing understanding above a winning argument or worthless platitude.
So take your mind and put it there. Put it in the situation where you feel like there’s nothing left but for you to scream, to yell, to burn something to the ground in a way that cries out, “I’m here and I’m worthwhile why don’t you see that.”
People feel that way. Walk your mind into their shadow and look at the world. Life occurs when we begin that walk.
When we get up and leave our security, and through empathy begin to see the world through a different lens, we begin to understand people and promote a sense that their life matters. There is a certain humility that is required when people walk from their comfort and begin to think through the world from a different place. That choice to begin to walk towards someone, to walk towards their scenario, to walk towards their difficulty and their problems, is the choice a broken world demands.
It is the long walk, but it’s worth it.