Rogerian Letter-A response to the opposition
A.C Spollen’s op-ed article published in the Independent Journal Review, “Black Lives Matter Has Morphed Into A Hate Group. It's Time To Treat It As Such.”, explains that the Black Lives Matter movement should be viewed as a hate group due to their recent actions and rhetoric. Spollen brings up the point of the many occasions that the group has acted violently, like when mobs chanted about killing and lynching white people and cops in protests, burn down buildings and throw molotov cocktails. She continues by talking about how many police officers are being assaulted and killed in the last year or two. She claims that the Black Lives Matter movement were key in all of this negativity and destruction, and this is why they should be viewed them as a hate group. Spollen concludes by supporting the ‘#AllLivesMatter’ Movement’. This sentiment reflects the idea that everyone should collaborate to fix this problem, and stopping the violence and the hate between each other is a good first step. All of this violence and destruction isn’t helping. The acts described are terrible and don’t have any justification. Those who committed these acts were in the wrong, no matter their motivations. The rebutted to her article can be found in the form of a letter, below.
Dear A.C Spollen,
I know that there has been a lot of discussion regarding the unarmed shooting of black people by police officers, the Black Lives Matter Movement and all of the violence and tension in recent times. It is difficult to go too long without reading or hearing about some sort of incident related to this issue. There are people who praise the Black Lives Matter movement while others criticize it. I wanted to find out more about it and other perspectives on the matter, which is how I stumbled across your article published in the Independent Journal Review “Black Lives Matter Has Morphed Into A Hate Group. It's Time To Treat It As Such.” The title explains the main premise of your argument, you are clearly on the side that views Black Lives Matter as a negative group.
In your article, you explain that the Black Lives Matter movement should be viewed and treated as a hate group due to their recent actions and rhetoric. You bring up the point of the many occasions that the group has acted violently, like when mobs chanted about killing and lynching white people and cops in some protests, and how they burn down buildings and throw molotov cocktails. You conclude your ideas by talking how many police officers are being assaulted and killed in the last year or two. You make it abundantly clear that the Black Lives Matter movement has played a huge part in all of this negativity and destruction, and this is why we should view them as a hate group.
It is certainly true that all of this violence and destruction is not helping anyone, even if the group has good intentions. Some of the acts that you described in your article are truly terrible and do not have any real excuse or justification. The people who committed these acts should not have done so, and were in the wrong, no matter their motivations, or whether they did it out of grief and anger. That much is true. One thing to keep in mind is that the violent people are in the minority of the movement. But nobody in the movement should do this, not even one person.
On the other hand, Black Lives Matter should not be completely represented by the actions of few. There has been various terrible acts committed, that’s true. But not all of the people who did them should be associated with the movement. There have been many people who have done peaceful protests and raised awareness on the issue. It would not be fair to label these peaceful people the same as the violent ones. I think that the Black Lives Matter has a lot of positivity and potential.
However, like you mentioned, these acts of hate can’t go on. I think that the movement must stop inciting violence in all forms, and only then everyone work together on the issue. You mentioned at the end of your article that you are behind the ‘All Lives Matter Movement’. I think that this sentiment reflects the idea that we should all work together to fix this problem, and stopping the violence and the hate between each other is a good first step.
Sincerely,
Pedro Salazar Ramirez