Observations from a white woman who believes black lives matter
Amid all the upheaval that is going on in our country right now, I found this Facebook post from a dear friend to be both insightful and refreshing. I have known Michele Sarkisian for over twenty five years and she is a thoughtful and extremely intelligent woman who puts actions ahead of words. This is clearly reflected in her ongoing efforts to wipe out human trafficking, her support of women's rights, and so much more. I hope you will read her comments below:
"I could not sleep again last night. For many nights I've gotten up very early and just reflected on what's going on in our Country. At 64 years old, I've not seen anything like this, yet the recurring theme of Black Lives Matter is ever present without solutions to the inequities suffered by the Black population. I think about contributing factors and things that make No Sense when what we All say we want is prosperous and safe communities filled with friendly people. (I have the joy of living in such a community....in fact it is the most diverse neighborhood I've ever lived in with Black, Asian, Indian and mixed families who tell me they moved here for the very reasons we did) Â
Black Lives Matter SO:
Where is the outrage about David Dorn, the public servant police officer who served in tough St. Louis communities for decades? He was murdered protecting black businesses in his community during last week's violent protests. Where was/is Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, etc. etc? Mr. Dorn was a police officer; someone that many kids of any ethnicity in my earlier years would have been encouraged to admire, respect, befriend and obey.....and we would.
Where is the outrage about black murders that have become status quo every week in Chicago? Don't those lives matter? Where are Al and Jesse? Where are the celebrities and athletes? Where were Obama and Biden as murders escalated week after week for the 8 years they set the tone in America. Did those black lives Not matter or just not fit a racist political narrative?
Black Lives Matter, yet there are more black abortions than live births every year. Abortions were supposed to be safe, but rare. Why have they become an accepted default birth control in black communities? No one finds abortions pleasurable. Short of getting into Roe vs. Wade arguments, how can we just help Prevent unwanted pregnancies rather than having more black women go through the heartache, pain, challenge and cost of abortions?Â
65% of black families are led by single moms, going it alone. No male role model and, often, no partner to share the financial burden of child rearing. Where is the outrage for the single moms who cannot get support from absent dads? Why did it take Ivanka Trump in 2019 to actually get serious childcare discussions going for any family, but most important families led by single moms?
What about payday loans with horrific interest payments/fees that are pervasive in black communities? They prey on the most vulnerable. How are they even legal?
What about subprime mortgages because previous leaders claimed Everyone Deserved to own a home? How many black families were put into financial ruin for that fiasco policy from the left?
Ferguson, after Sharpton and other outside loudmouths came in to protest, never came back. The lovely, suburban, St. Louis bedroom community is one forgotten after the destruction spurred on by "activists" who knew they would never return to that community after it served their political purpose.
Why do we pay so much per student in public schools and turn out such horrible results...unless one lives in the right zip code? Tenured teachers...who cannot get fired...end up in the city schools and kids suffer. Yet, school choice, charter schools and getting rid of BAD teachers are fought tirelessly by career politicians. (Especially in blue states)
Where is the outrage over trafficking of young black girls and boys and the glorifying of pimps in entertainment and music? The vernacular is accepted and the black children and adults are left to believe pimping is normal.
Why is capitalism, even among the black community where businesses have been burned and destroyed, such a threat to black leaders? Why is welfare more attractive to the politicians than actually helping residents get ahead with their own businesses? Politicians and celebrities went so far as to suggest the recent riots destroying black businesses in Atlanta, NYC, Indianapolis, Portland, LA, etc. were Justified because of bad cops in Minneapolis? How is That helpful?
Follow that with blue state cries to de-fund police? Really? And that makes residents want to stay in their communities? Who benefits from having no police? Criminals do!
I could go on. Blacks have a disproportionate share of tough lives....no question. But why? I think there are answers beyond systemic racism. Bad cops need to go but so do bad career politicians who have never solved anything and only come around when they have something to gain.
I may be accused of white privilege because of the color of my skin. I will be described as someone who doesn't know....maybe doesn't care. They don't know what I have done, am doing and will do for the less advantaged, many of them black. They won't know that my greatest privilege was being raised by 2 parents who worked hard and saved so they could live in a decent public school district. They won't know that my husband was also raised by 2 hardworking parents who were kids of legal immigrants. They spoke different languages at home and school and had their share of hardships. They won't know that the first thing my husband's mom did when he exhibited behavior that could lead to trouble was to take him to a jail and meet a cop, sit in a cell and get a feel for the consequences of breaking any law. Our upbringing was privileged indeed. We were fortunate and hopefully passed the good fortune along to our kids. We know many families of all ethnicities who were similarly privileged.
They also won't know that I want to join a peaceful protest but my kids keep persuading me to stick with protests in suburbia (even though they attend in the city). My kids know I will speak up if I see rioting just as I signed an affidavit against a trafficker and went public with massage parlor abuses of Asian girls. It is Not okay to be silent when we know of abuse of Anyone. And it is Not okay to let good people lose everything they worked for because protesters and rioters think violence is justified!
You see, I believe action beyond RESISTING matters because LIVES MATTER. Black Lives Matter today but NOTHING will change with the same pandering loudmouths who seek to destroy and agitate but Never to solve problems. They show up like clockwork during election years asking for our money and our votes. Loudmouths call anyone on the other side racist because that is the most damning and guilt triggering accusation imaginable. NO ONE Wants to be considered a racist.
Black Lives Matter so I suggest we Try listening to new voices, even coming from seemingly strange places. Don't be a lemming. Don't conform to group think. Â
If your heart breaks as mine does, question the same old tired answers you've been getting from the states and cities that have continuously failed you. What do you have to lose."