A colleague once mocked #BlackLivesMatter by jokingly referring to #BlueLivesMatter (referring to police) and #RedLivesMatter (referring to firefighters) because #AllLivesMatter. This took place in the tone of *nudge, nudge, chuckle chuckle* ‘what’s all this diversity and social justice stuff about anyway?’ Clearly this person doesn’t understand that occupations are not the same as people’s lives and that there is a systemic pattern of police brutality against black people -whether they are actually committing a crime or not- in this country that is undeniable in recent years’ public memory. I was stunned by this level of ignorance and lack of empathy but mumbled through points about why and how his comment was grossly shortsighted and a perversion of #BlackLivesMatter. I am not confident he really understood what I said to him.
