It’s a “slogan” said Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush to the hashtag ‘Black lives matter.’ Bush was responding to the backlash Democratic presidential candidates Martin O’Malley and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) received from black progressives at this year’s Netroots Nation conference on the subject of police brutality.
With the ever-present killings of unarmed black men and women by the police, needless to say black people, in particular black Democrats, are filled with anger and sorrow. They are tired of their voices being silenced and the ills of their communities and grievances being ignored. As Karen Aliah addresses in the Huffington Post, “Sometimes, that poisonous pill of black pain comes with an extra barb embedded inside for good measure — when we hear white officers respond to black pain with malicious indifference,” and it pains us.
{mosads}When it goes unaddressed, a guttural outburst ensues − thus #blacklivesmatter.
Oddly, lack of acknowledgement of black suffering is a very real plight on the political left. In response to the protestors at Netroots Nation who wanted answers on resolving police brutality against black people; Martin O’Malley responded with of course “Black lives matter. White lives matter. All lives matter,” adding, “All of the lives that have been lost to violence” Voices shouted ‘no’ insulted by ‘all lives” because white lives are not 21 times more likely to be killed by the police.
Black communities are exhausted with systematic racism. For black protestors and black progressives, O’Malley’s response was insensitive, almost immoral. How could he so causally be complacent to the inescapable ills of overzealous and violent police with dead bodies of black victims in return?
O’Malley’s statement that all races have faced violence is factually true. However, all lives are not affected by systematic racism. That’s strictly been reserved for mostly black Americans and Hispanics.
I’ve written about O’Malley in the past and I’m impressed by his credentials (though not by his criminal justice laws), but in light of the Netroots Nation controversy, needless to say I was shocked by his response to activist Tia Oslo question of, “As leader of this country will you advance an agenda that will dismantle structural racism in this country?” He should have known this question would be posed, and should have prepared a well-thought-out response, not only in compassion but in policy.
Gallup reported that the Democratic Party is more diverse than the Republican Party, and what do black voters get in return: over criminalization in laws, police brutality, economic disparity, violent neighborhoods, underfunded schools, and insensitivity to their grievances.
Sanders response to the protestors was insensitive too, “If you don’t want me to be here that’s okay,” and “I don’t want to out-scream you.” What black progressives saw was an angry white man fed up with black people who refused to hush and let him speak. Of course he has the right to speak but black progressives have the right to shout their grievances − especially grievances that have gone unaddressed and unresolved for years.
Additionally, Sanders was correct to point out his decades-long fight and solidarity with the Civil Rights Movement. Still, his fight for freedom and equality has not cured police brutalization that black communities are tormented by on a constant basis. Sanders left the stage aggravated; however protestors left informed on the position of their candidates who need their votes to win the presidency. Needless to say neither side was impressed with the other.
Hillary Clinton was smart not to attend, though in the past she has stumbled on this subject too.
O’Malley has since apologized but Jeb Bush thinks his apology to the black progressives was not necessary − another dent to the GOP’s outreach program. Republicans like Jeb Bush and conservative Ken Cuccinelli who thinks a “too” should be added at the end of “#blacklivesmatter” should know this: Systematic racism is not inclusive.
I commend Republicans Newt Gingrich and Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) for working with politicians on the political left to address prison reform. It’s too bad that many in the GOP refuse to be in solidarity with #blacklivesmatter. Instead, what’s offered is a whitewashed version that #alllivesmatter. Blacks do not get the luxury to live in this mentality. All black people want is for our lives to matter too.
Democrats and Republicans have a lot of homework to do, on how to better communicate and work with the black community, because right now black people feel like outcasts, when we should feel like Americans.
Fulton has a bachelors in political science. She can be contacted via https://about.me/quianafulton.