I know very little about the political organization, “Black Lives Matter.” It is not known to me whether there are actions or positions on issues that they have taken which deserve scorn, criticism, or outright rejection. Should that be the case, then it would be appropriate to denounce that organization for same.

However, I’m hearing volumes of outrage at the very phrase, “Black Lives Matter”, and I find that appalling. In the first instance, we need to put the phrase in context by adding two words, “…as well”. Hopefully that will help impart understanding to those who suggest that the phrase is inherently racist. It is not. What it recognizes and seeks to counter is a plethora of examples which suggest that in contrast to other ethnicities, black lives have lesser value. I’m aware of no such suggestion that Caucasian lives in particular have diminished worth.

I’d like to cite just a few indicators of inference that black lives do not matter.
1. Slavery. The basic premise of slavery was that people of African descent were property rather than members of the human family.
2. Segregation. Although not slaves, black people, despite being subject to the same laws and taxation were relegated to separate and unequal housing, employment, voting rights, civil services, and health care. Obviously there were consequences with respect to the quality and length of life as a result.
3. Eugenics. This pseudo-science, foundational to Nazi doctrine, was founded in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. It influenced not just attitudes but also legal positions throughout the nation, suggesting that African descent was indicative of lower humanity. Among the remedies were forced sterilization and other birth control initiatives intended to limit the birth rate of black babies.

Some may choose to dismiss these as aged examples, but I believe they have a profound effect on the perception of African Americans to this day. This may be debated, of course. That they occurred is beyond reproach. There are other, more ominous indicators of black life being marginalized as well.
1. Tuskegee Experiments. For decades, African American citizens in Tuskegee, Alabama who sought treatment for syphilis were given placebo, not antibiotics. They were studied to observe the progression of the disease, without regard to their loved ones, their descendants, or their mortality.
2. St. Louis Radioactive Experiments. In order to study the effects of exposure to radiation, the U.S. Army sprayed zinc cadmium sulfide particles over the Pruitt-Igoe public housing projects, where 70% of the African American inhabitants were children under the age of 12. These citizens were studied as they succumbed to painful and sometimes fatal diseases and cancers.
3. The Death Penalty. Several studies have evidenced huge disparities in the application of capital punishment to people of African descent. North Carolina, to its credit, enacted a law allowing black prisoners on death row to challenge their sentences given the overwhelming statistical evidence of racial bias in sentencing.

So, informed of those facts, let’s examine some contemporary indicators of life through the lens of black citizens in America.
1. Trayvon Martin. A black teen watching sports on television with his father, walked to a 7 Eleven where he purchased a can of iced tea and pack of Skittles. On his way home, he was shot dead by a neighborhood watchman who claimed he was attacked by the teen, showing bloody scrapes on his scalp as evidence of his plight. The jury found his action to be self defense against the unarmed teen. So black parents came to realize their children could be murdered by anyone, so long as there was no witness or camera. That murderer’s behavior subsequent to his release, including many scrapes with the law, is a blight on the conscience of the country.
2. Tamir Rice. Ohio is an “Open Carry” state, which means it is lawful to carry firearms openly. Tamir, a 12 year old child, was in a public park holding a toy pistol. Within 2 seconds of arriving at the scene, a policeman fatally shot the kid. His action was declared reasonable.
3. O. J. Simpson. This despicable human being was tried and found not guilty of murder. Over 70% of Caucasian Americans were outraged. Over 70% of African Americans were relieved. No one saw him commit the murders. The evidence linking him to the murders was his blood and that of the victims. A policeman took Simpson’s blood to the crime scene. Another policeman, who discovered the victims’ blood including a bloody glove, when asked under oath if he had planted or fabricated the evidence asserted that he would not answer the question on the grounds that to do so would tend to incriminate him. It is telling that in a criminal justice system which presumes your innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, one where doubt was assumed in cases 1 and 2 above, Caucasian citizens fully expected a black citizen to be found guilty under such circumstances, even Simpson.

There are many other examples, but those presented here are ones that trouble me. I don’t profess to speak for anyone but myself, but I can say unequivocally that for me these examples call into question whether black lives matter, as well.