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crafty  ·  3399 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Who really "runs" Black Lives Matter?

    which is a side effect of a deeply entrenched, deeply regimented paramilitary organization with a hierarchical structure.

I hope whoever is elected in 2016 can do something about this. I may be fortunate enough to not bear the brunt of police brutality because of my race, but they still me nervous; it's not the direction America should be going in. I feel Sanders has some good ideas for addressing it, better than I've seen from any other candidates, at least, but I guess that isn't say much. I wonder if BLM supporters will come to the same conclusion; their activists could be a great asset for him.

Edit: I'd just like to add that it's hard to read Alicia Garza's herstory and not come away with a much deeper understanding of what "Black Lives Matter" means. I don't think there a single person here that could genuinely argue a person's life should be worth more or less on the basis of race. To understand all the ways that Black people, in particular are targeted for violence by the state and white supremacist terrorists, is sickening, and as a white person, I'll be the first to say that type of injustice is intolerable. I can also understand their need to keep it focused on the people who started it, not letting it be diluted, and the necessity of getting their message in front of people; there are far too many 'status quo' liberals who like the talk but aren't willing to walk the walk for equality. I'd like to think Bernie Sanders can make it happen if he were elected, but then again, I felt the same way about Obama in 2008.