The reason for the #BlackLivesMatter chant/slogan/movement is never more obvious than in a case like that of Ralph Yarl, a teenager who just knocked on the wrong door and was shot twice (he survived)...and the police have released the individual who shot him pending investigation.
When a Black kid can't knock on a door without fear of being shot, even killed, then we need to be able to say *BLACK* lives matter, because it's Black lives on the line daily for no goddamn reason.
When someone sees a Black boy at the door and the first thing they do is grab a gun...we need to be able to say BLACK LIVES MATTER.
White people, this is why we need to stop letting other white people get away with casual racism in our presence. It's already wrong as hell, but honestly we need to shame people for these attitudes because thinking their neighbors and the people they interact with agree with them is what encourages people to boldly commit violence.
The phenomenon I'm specifically thinking of is when white men walk up to other white men and say racist shit unprompted. Happens with white women too, but based on the experiences of a few men in my life, there seems to be a specific thing white men do with other white men to make themselves feel supported:
Making off-hand racist comments to men who are working in a service capacity such as retail.
Artemis
Lu