Black Lives Matter is doing protests wrong if all they want is to make black lives better and to be seen as equals as they claim. That’s what Martin Luther King Jr. wanted too and everyone who stood behind him. But we’re seeing two completely different courses of action.
MLK lead peaceful marches to make their struggles and the change they want be seen. He insisted on not using violence, even in self defense against the angry racist mobs, fire hoses and dogs, because he knew that wouldn’t get the support and respect they needed for real lasting change; change that would move the masses to better themselves. And It Worked.
BLM is leading protests that consistently turn into violent riots that degrade into burning black neighborhoods and businesses to the ground, actively attacking the police and anyone they believe to not be on their side with excessive violence that they attempt to carry into the personal lives of their targets, calling for the dismantling of society as a whole, threatening further violence if they’re demands aren’t met, and lying about their actions from the very start. They’re using violence to instill fear to make the changes they want and silence any opposition. Creating an “Us vs. Them” mentality that is historically proven to lead to anything but peace. Fear and hate is not what you use to create change for the better.
BLM bases their arguments on emotions and virtues and demand the law and reason mold to them, wanting to shut down any discussion for a middle ground. MLK appealed to emotion and virtue too, appealing to basic humanity for equal treatment, but he also presented fair arguments to reason and law so he could civilly explain to his opponents the whys and hows behind his movement and the change he wants to see. That is what BLM is missing, reason and civil discussion.
You can also see the stark contrast between how everyone reacts to these protests. MLK was given nothing but hate, people found any reason they could to jail him and his fellow protesters and MLK was eventually murdered out of hate. BLM is being praised by the media and everyone not scared into silence, people found every reason to excuse crimes of the “protesters” and fought to get them out of jail, and bigger powers are ensuring their “protests” continue.
I saw one argument supporting the violence of BLM by using MLK’s murder as a reason why, to that I say the actions of your opposition speaks as much about your movement as your movement’s actions. In other words MLK’s peaceful and eventually successful movement caused his opposition to fight even harder to stop the moving train, and they failed; BLM’s violent tactics isn’t leading to support, half of their “allies” are simply afraid and their opposition is forced into hiding least they lose their lives.
One side is peaceful the other is violent and emotional. Which side would you rather have to bring change?
