7 Cups Stands With #BlackLivesMatter
We at 7 Cups stand in solidarity with our Black mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, friends, partners, and community against racism and oppression. To our community members who have been impacted by this, we see you and extend our deepest sympathy to you and your loved ones. Please know that 7 Cups is a safe space for you, and we will continue to do our best to ensure that our platform remains a solid foundation for the giving and receiving of support during this extremely challenging year. We are a community that is stronger together, and we will strive together to overcome these hard times.
If you are interested in helping through donations, I found a few reputable links to check out. There are many, many more, (and if you're in an area where protesting is happening, donating locally is a great idea) but feel free to drop any links you have in the replies!
Support #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd Protesters in Atlanta
Louisville Community Bail Fund
https://northstarhealth.wordpress.com/about-us/
I cannot begin to comprehend the never ending injustice that Black people have been experiencing their entire lives in this society. How can one live in such a world that guarantees bitter, unending unfairness to so many? This system is such an absolute disgrace to humanity. Hashtags, changing social media profile pics for a week, and empty words of solidarity are not what is needed.
I can act for change (real and immediate), listen, and help. In any way possible. Putting myself on the line. To stop this madness, now. No more empty words, no more talk about change, we must all create an actual lasting change, now! Enough is enough. This has to end.
@Dtwo
Incredibly well said. I couldn't agree more. Hopefully, this horrible situation actually forces real change.
@Heather225. I wonder if in everyone's zealousness to support any type of movement, we have not actually exacerbated the problem. Media is starting to show how different race groups are attracting defenceless people throughout the world, is this what the Black Lives Matter movement advocates and stands for? I shake my head in disbelief and serious concern for the future of humanity, if attacking innocent people is what the cause is all about....I can only feel sorrow, for all that humanity is doing to itself...
@Seeker1898 Why shouldn't they (and we in general) advocate and stand for defenceless people?
@AffyAvo that is exactly the point, are we doing that, when children are being attacked fin public by other children and everyone stands around and does nothing, or a person is attacked by a gang of men walking to their car after shopping, and nobody does anything. I have only quoted two examples but there Are many more. In fact I believe we have a duty to protect the less fortunate, frail, those whose rights have been abused, etc.
@Seeker1898 And that's what Black Lives Matter is doing, attracting the defenceless as they advocate for them. Protect them.
I cant expect anything from this world now..
We have to literally fight for basic human rights
@allyswift
True
@allyswift This has been the best post in the entire debate. I am doing my masters degree on human rights and never a better truth has been said
@Heather225 Thankyou for all the hard work you are putting into this community ❤️😊
Yeah minorty lives matter.
@BrokenButBueatiful I think minority and marganilosed rights of everyone matter. The problem arises when we forget all those who fought so hard to ensure those rights and so easily just give up those very same rights without question. And then an event comes along that shakes a country to its core to make people realise just how much their rights have been whittle away slowly but surely.
Race is s social construct, we are all one race. Human .and the differences between us are cultural and assigned by the ruling class. White.
@selfconfidentMelon5824 Stat Strong #BLM
@selfconfidentMelon5824 'Human' is actually species.
I'm seeing a number of posts (here and elsewhere) stating that all lives matter and want to address it because I believe that most people who say this are intending to be supportive, but are not understanding how it is coming off.
All Lives Matter is a problematic saying because it dismisses and distracts from Black lives. It should go without saying that all lives matter, but it doesn't because Black lives are repeatedly treated as though they don't matter by police, doctors, educators, politicians, etc. etc. etc. Black Lives Matter needs to be explicitly called out because Black lives are the ones being repeatedly disregarded.
An analogy that I found helpful is the idea of a house on fire - all houses matter, but I would hope that firefighters wouldn't spray every house with water and neglect to focus on the one that really needs it. Similarly, if you're in an emergency room, all patients matter, but I hope that staff appropriately triage to treat those with life threatening injuries first.
Saying Black Lives Matter isn't saying that other lives don't - it's saying that right now, far too often, Black lives are treated as disposable and that is the 'house on fire' that we need to address as a society right now. And to someone who doesn't know you, All Lives Matter sounds an awful lot like Black Lives Don't right now.
@Anomalia thank you for saying this, I had been feeling similarly seeing those phrases around, I think this sums it up perfectly
@Anomalia
Thank you, Ano, for this incredibly well-said and much-needed insight.
@Anomalia I think some (like me) want to include other people of color like hispanics, arabs and asians.
@BrokenButBueatiful i believe (from what i've read) that the other people of colour don't receive the same kind of treatment as black people. of course we should eliminate all forms of racism and discrimination towards anyone but this is the time to support the black community which has been suffering the most. it's unlikely for an asian to be shot by the police for no reason. this doesnt mean they dont face racism, they do but in a different form.
have a good day :)
@crimsonLand8623
It's not a contest, some people get this wrong on both sides and get offended.
However when events happen and groups become active we have to be respectful and understanding when they put on the spotlight on their group and cause.
Live is precious. Black lives matter, I support this.
@BrokenButBueatiful
I understand.
I think that some the proposed progress made in the "black lives matter" movement that will also extend to help other races. Example empathetic policing will benefit all races.
@Anomalia You're so right. I was telling this to a friend of mine and they refused to listen.
@Anomalia
The problem is that the very same people chanting "Black lives matter!" are the same who are murdering black police officers, burning down black neighborhoods and destroying black small businesses: https://twitter.com/i/status/1268251209426706439
It is unfair to judge one part without looking at the whole. Yes, there are persons causing trouble, persons who are for the BLM and as I understand a few who are against it the BLM are causing problems. But why fail to see that the majority are peaceful and are trying to bring real practical change? There are people of various races who are involved in trying to fix the embedded racism.
Should they be stopped? Then where will that lead us? Or should we separate the msg coming from them from the action of the breakaway groups? The latter makes much more sense to me as I have no political affiliation.
Except that there have been many, many decades of protests against systemic racism. So if systemic racism is the problem, clearly, protests have not been the solution.
@m4x1m1l14n
Pause and Ponder over the changes that resulted from past protests, example: legislative changes.
It is not a matter of 'protesting' but what were the results of said protests. Looking at that will help you better grasp why these protestors (and all different types of protestors) use protesting as a method.
@Anomalia
while black lives matter all lives matter too
racism is everywhere, a global disease
@Kadi21
It is a step to start with Black lives first. Admittedly it is the most affected through the ages. A win for them will also be a win for other races.
Just be patient and allow them their moment.
Yes, of course.
Everyone deserves love and acception. We as humans all have to be considerate and kind. Starting with black lives matter is a good cause to open everyone's eyes and for them to see a person's skin color isn't a weapon. We all are equal, we are human.
@Anomalia It's more complicated though, depending on where someone is. Right now with the fire analogy there are other groups who are 'on fire'. There's the death of Chantel Moore, who was shot by police. With Regis Korchinski-Paquet I keep hearing different things, although it's clear the police didn't de-escalate the situation. What happened with Chief Allan Adam and the RCMP is being publicized a lot over the last few days.
BLM groups are working together with First Nations, so I think it's fair to include to include them as a focus for now.
@AffyAvo this still doesn't mean it's important or "good" to say "all lives matter". BLM is already considering that Indigenous lives matter, there is no reason to make this argument when someone is talking about people saying "all lives matter".
@FoxPrince Sorry, I had missed tagging in @BrokenButBueatiful - replying in with their post adds more context.
Yes, it's not about saying all lives matter, but I have seen adding ons with many posts related to this, such as Indigenous Peoples matter.
I did feel like Glen missed out on some of what's going on with his post too, he keept mentioning African Americans. What about Black Canadians? It can be difficult to tell from the limited profile, but I don't pick up on that. Or Inuit or Metis or First Nations therapists.
@AffyAvo I get it, I don't think there's anything wrong with adding "Indigenous lives matter", it just seemed an out of place comment to make, maybe makes more sense with the other comment's context...
my perception was that Glen was just trying his best to use his understanding of non-controversial terminology, and he did mention his post was very American-centric. Because that's where he is, and it's normal to have more of a focus/understanding of your own country. I don't think there was any intentional exclusivity meant by it, of course there are black communities outside of America facing the same discrimination, prejudice, and racism; in Canada, in the UK, etc. I think it was just a wording choice in the end
@Anomalia Yes thank you! If your neighbors house is on fire and yours isn't, are you going to ask "Well what about my house?" When the fire department comes? No. So it's no different here.
@Anomalia BLM have called for the police to be defunded. How will they protect and serve the public without funding?
@Drew711 the point is that they're not doing a very good job at protecting and serving if so many innocent lives are lost. "Defunding" isn't about getting rid of police, it's about police reform and allocating funding to other services that can address certain issues better than police can, so they can have a more focused job themselves and better training and just serve the public better.
@FoxPrince So ‘defund actually means ‘reform ? Youll have to do better than that.
@Drew711 you missed the way more important "allocating funding to other services" part
@FoxPrince So it's 'defund'again now?
@Drew711 I think you mean "still". Not my fault you can't follow a conversation. Take your useless comments somewhere else
@FoxPrince I'm just pointing out that definding the police would mean that there is no police and that's what BLM have called for. And we'd like to know who would enforce the law and protect the public against crime in this scenario. It's a valid question, I think.
@Drew711 once again, defund does not necessarily mean get rid of police entirely, it means the police budget is way too big and we could take some funding away from them to go to other services that prevent crime from happening in the first place (aka social services like schools, mental health, etc). Here is a twitter thread showing some of the disproportionate funding police get >here
>Here is another to understand why police are not as necessary as we may think (there are other services that can help and respond to emergencies/situations where police are usually called). And some infographics >here
@FoxPrince So now 'defund' means 'reduce the budget' ?
@Drew711 you are so exhausting, yes, that is what defund means, "de" (aka remove) "fund" (aka..their funding).
@FoxPrince It's quite simple. Are you saying they want to remove all of the funding (i.e. 'defund') or some of the funding (i.e ''reduce').
@Drew711 I literally do not care and it's annoying that you're so picky about words and completely missing the point. Either removing all or just decreasing it would be good, either would be helpful, it doesn't matter if you actually understand the sentiment behind it, which you clearly don't. So go away.
@Drew711 The Mayor of Olympia in Washington now says their protests are an act of domestic terrorism, since her house was vandalized.
@mytwistedsoul I wonder if she thought that before her house was vandalised or changed her mind after it happened?
@Drew711 Oh, after they vandalized it of course.
@mytwistedsoul Maybe she thought it before but only said it aftewards.
@Drew711 That is a possibility. She'll never admit it though.
@Drew711
It's easy to take a headline and run with it. An OH THEY WANNA DEFUND THE POLICE!! and in your mind you imagine a police force in debt etc. I know that that's the narrative places like Fox News push to get in fear but take my advice as an adult:
1. Take a pause, breathe.
2. Read from the direct sources who call for 'defund the police'. Find out what they really mean, find out what it entails.
3. Ask further questions to get a full grasp of their point.
These simple steps will help you out of ignorance and onto understanding. I mean no offence to you but based on what you say, it just seems to me that you don't really know what these people are asking for.
There are a lot of propaganda, so best to go directly to the sources (not talking points from those with bias agendas). It's what I do. Example, I go directly to Trump speeches and his twitter to know what he says vs taking talking points. It's what I try to do for all things. You're an adult so it's your responsibilty to properly educate yourself. All the best.
Thank; I think that's what I've done.
The source is the Black LIves Matter Website - posted 30th May 2020. https://blacklivesmatter.com/defundthepolice/
The exact words used are "we call for a national defunding of the police".
My question is 'who would enforce the law and protect the public from crime if the police were defunded' ?
@Drew711
Apparently you thought wrong since you'd not still be asking that question had you done the research as to what 'defund the police mean'. Make the effort as an adult, it's the only way we can move forward as a society.
Here are some readings I'll leave you to do:
1) "Defund means to withdraw financial support from, especially as an instrument of legislative control. The call to defund the police seeks to use the power of money to produce systematic change that previous, incremental efforts at reform have not yielded, according to many activists, researchers, and some leaders."
2) "Defunding the police does not necessarily mean getting rid of the police altogether. Rather, it would mean reducing police budgets and reallocating those funds to crucial and oft-neglected areas like education, public health, housing, and youth services."
Even the website you posted makes no mention of abolishing the police or getting rid of police. It called for "We call for a national defunding of police. We demand investment in our communities and the resources to ensure Black people not only survive, but thrive." and "We demand real transformation NOW. Transformation that will hold law enforcement accountable for the violence they inflict, transformation of this racist system that breeds corruption, and transformation that ensures our people are not left behind."
So either you are being dishonest here with alternative motives to spread misinformation or you didn't read/research on what these people mean when they call for defunding the police. Which is it? Enough is enough, I get that you don't like the BLM and that's fine, you do you, but don't cause trouble for people who are concerned okay.
Reference Material:
[1] https://www.dictionary.com/e/what-does-it-mean-to-defund-the-police-trending-words-in-news-about-policing/
[2] https://www.thecut.com/2020/06/what-does-defund-the-police-mean-the-phrase-explained.html
Empathy should be stressed, in my view.
Black lives matter! I am an Asain guy. I totally understand the feelings.
All men are born equal. But what is happening now? Because of sterotype thinking, we fail to give a chance to relook others. We just think what others are.
Maybe it's time to think in other's shoes instead of staying in the shell of our souls.
It is my opinion...
@Tob57
all people are born equal.
My heart is bleeding right now. There is no humanity left in this world it seems. And even if it's there? It's very rare. 💔
@bubbleCircle3689 it's heart breaking. Let's do our best to restore this faith in humanity.
@kindSoul10
Absolutely
@bubbleCircle3689 I'm surprised to hear that. Why do you think that there's very little humanity in the world? On the contrary, nearly the entire world is united in condemning police brutality and racism.
@YonaOfPeace
Because it is only now that people are united after someone was ruthlessly killed. I mean it takes such heinous events to take place in order to let the world know about racism & everything that people suffer from in the name of caste, race, bigotry, etc.
@bubbleCircle3689 I understand the sentiment. However, why do you think that people only woke up now?
I think we have to establish that there will always be a few bad people in the world (even cops). We can't hope to be completely rid of any evil, even racism. What we can hope for is that racism is not OK anywhere. It should be "beyond the pale" -- everyone should be against it, reject it wherever they see it, and not tolerate it. That's all we can ask for, hope for.
So in that sense, even though even one murder is too many, and nothing can bring Mr. Floyd back -- but as far as the world at large, don't the events of the last few weeks -- all the indignance, all the protests, the near total global unity behind minorities and racism of any kind -- prove that the world is good place? Or at least, as good of a place as we can hope for?
@YonaOfPeace
I never said that this world is a bad place.
All I meant was that it requires such enormous events to take place in order to let the world know that we must treat everyone equally.
We all know police officers are for our protection and for our well-being but when they themselves take people's lives, this is when we know humanity is getting extinct day by day (I was referring to this by my humanity comment). Now, I am not blaming the police force in general but those who were responsible in this situation.
@Heather225
Thank you so much for bringing this up in the community. It is deeply disturbing to see what happened and what is still happening in the world. Sometimes I feel humanity has not learned anything from what people have been going through, the mistakes which were made.There is no excuse for what happened. I do hope that this will not devide the people who genuinly care for each other no matter of what race and that we all stick together.
BLACK LIVES MATTER!
Black Lives Matter.
Yes, some people take this as "If your not black you don't matter" but it isn't true.
Let's say there are 5 kids, and one has a paper cut. You would give a band-aid to the kid that has a paper cut, and not the rest of the kids.
That's how I see it, and right now POC needs us to help them get justice back.