Activists on Sunday gave liberal social justice warriors the perfect storm of outrage by raising the Stars and Bars in front of an NAACP office. They also held signs declaring, “White Lives Matter,” a racial response to the “Black Lives Matter” (BLM) protests across the country. The activists condemned black organizations for failing to speak out against the violence perpetrated by BLM activists.
“We came out here to protest against the NAACP and their failure in speaking out against the atrocities that organizations like Black Lives Matter and other pro-black organizations have caused the attack and killing of white police officers, the burning down of cities and things of that nature,” White Lives Matter activist Ken Reed told the Houston Chronicle. “If they’re going to be a civil rights organization and defend their people, they also need to hold their people accountable.”
Here is a video of the protest:
Video of the White Lives Matter protest in Houston earlier today: pic.twitter.com/FtSgnxD2P6
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 22, 2016
BLM protests across the country have indeed turned violent โ especially in Ferguson, Mo., Baltimore, Md., and Milwaukee, Wisc. (It seems that most such protests do not turn violent, however.) After the “Milwaukee uprisings,” NAACP President and CEO Cornell Brooks called for peaceful protests, but did not condemn the violence perpetrated by BLM activists. (I humbly ask for forgiveness if he has.) The NAACP and others did condemn the police shootings in Dallas.
Reed insisted that his counter protest did not intend to “instigate or start any problems.” Nevertheless, the presence of the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia (commonly known as the Confederate Flag) seemed an unnecessary provocation.
As one might expect in Texas, the protesters were armed, and Reed explained they carried weapons only to defend themselves. “Obviously we’re exercising our Second Amendment rights but that’s because we have to defend ourselves. Their organizations and their people are shooting people based on the color of their skin. We’re not. We definitely will defend ourselves, but we’re not out here to start any problems.”
Another photo of the White Lives Matter rally, taken by @puyinghuang. pic.twitter.com/apvrNiJEMF
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 21, 2016
Reed did not defend his accusation that BLM activists or other members of “pro-black organizations” are shooting white people (the shootings in Dallas aimed at cops, not limited by skin color, and while there is evidence that white people were targeted in Milwaukee, to my knowledge none were shot by protesters).
One protester held a “14 Words” sign, which is a reference to the popular white supremacist slogan coined by David Lane, a member of the white supremacist terror group known as The Order: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”
The Chronicle reported that local residents agreed with the opposition of the violence and destruction caused by BLM but were taken aback by the presence of the Stars and Bars. “The Confederate flag throws me off,” local Quintina Richardson said. “You’re saying Black Lives Matter is a racist organization but when you’re throwing the Confederate flag up and saying White Lives Matter, are you saying you’re racist?”
Reed emphasized that the flag “has nothing to do with racism on our part. We’re proud to be Southern. It has all to do about heritage, nothing to do with hate.”
Social justice warriors across the Internet disagreed.
See the liberal anger on the next page.
This is the top tweet for the “White Lives Matter” trend. It not only suggests the group is racist, but militantly so.
https://twitter.com/XLNB/status/767488035051057153
Many people attacked the “White Lives Matter” trend, seemingly without understanding what the protest was actually about.
https://twitter.com/KodiGaddis/status/767554505453875200
https://twitter.com/MADBLACKTWINK/status/767551295456673792
And one user colorfully called it a “white trash reunion.”
https://twitter.com/NatureGuy101/status/767547410285522949
Many responses focused on the idea of “white privilege,” and warned that black people’s biggest problem is … white people.
"White Lives Matter." Please. Our biggest problem is opioids. Black people's biggest problem is us.
— ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐๐ซ (@beardedstoner) August 22, 2016
Then there’s this one.
HTs for Dummies:
Black Lives Matter (the "Too" is silent)
White Lives Matter (the "More" is silent.)#NowYouKnow— ๐บ๐ธ๐ญ๐น Only4RM ๐ญ๐น๐บ๐ธ (@Only4RM) August 22, 2016
One person actually wrote, “White people wanna be oppressed so bad.”
Seeing white lives matter trend is so funny to me. Who knew history never validated white lives. White people wanna be oppressed so bad.
— Black Fat Queer (@FlamingFatQueer) August 21, 2016
Next Page: The other side responds.
Then people started making comparisons between the (peaceful as yet) “White Lives Matter” movement and the (occasionally less peaceful) BLM activists.
Those White Lives Matter people are awful….
Burning communities.
Attacking police officers.
Looting.
Blocking traffic.Wait a minute….
— I Am Leah (@Bossy_Leah) August 22, 2016
Twitter users decried the “double standard” of calling “White Lives Matter” racist but not admitting that “Black Lives Matter” is also racist.
White Lives Matter : Raciiiiiiiist.
Black Lives Matter : Activism.
It's almost like….
Double Standards Matter.
— I Am Leah (@Bossy_Leah) August 22, 2016
https://twitter.com/karmapolitical/status/767541939335946241
One user remarked that liberal billionaire donor George Soros “started and funded” the BLM movement. (This is not true — while Soros did provide funding through his Open Society Foundations, he did not start the movement.)
https://twitter.com/nleecollins/status/767531657129697282
Then came the tweets mocking the SJWs who became so angry to see “White Lives Matter” trending.
https://twitter.com/facmagnaamerica/status/767544139881779201
Lacking on both sides was a discussion acknowledging each side’s legitimate grievances. Yes, black people are disproportionately targeted by police, and it is unfair. (Even Republican South Carolina Senator Tim Scott has shared his own experiences of being pulled over frequently.) But at the same time, Black Lives Matter has become violent in many cities, and the destruction protesters have caused should be condemned by civil rights groups.
Unfortunately, this “White Lives Matter” protest has almost completely undercut its own grievances, just like the violent BLM protests do. By causing damage to innocent businesses and by targeting white people, many BLM activists have undercut their own just complaints.
By waving the Stars and Bars, by holding a “14 Words” sign, and perhaps even by making the sign “White Lives Matter,” Sunday’s protest has aligned itself with white supremacy in a way that distracts from the core message. Upstanding black organizations like the NAACP should condemn violence done by a few BLM protests, while standing by the movement’s grievances.
Both sides must reject the moral narcissism that prevents them from seeing each other’s point of view. Civility, as NAACP President Cornell Brooks called for, should be the touchstone of this, and other, discussions.
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