Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

Philippians 2:3 Don't act out of selfish ambition or be conceited. Instead, humbly think of others as being better than yourselves. Of course, it's understood- after all the injustice and harshness that Blacks have endured, why the emphasis of black lives have been at the forefront; but let's all take a moment to genuinely think. We must ask ourselves as a race of people, "Do Black lives really matter?" If so, to what extent? Let us reason together. When a black robs another black, does that black life matter? When a black carjacks another black, does that black life matter? When a black looks at another that looks like him/her and for no GOOD reason, can take a life, does that black life matter? When a black is in political office or positions of power and neglects blacks' side of the town and that people- for years, do Black Lives Matter then? When black children can no longer dream, hope or even play in their own front yards or area playgrounds, because of black gang/turf wars, do their little black lives matter? To those who say, "It's different though from 'them' killing us", I must say to you that I agree that it is different; It's worse to kill your own self. How can one look at someone who looks just like him/her, and hate them so much over something as fleeting as the material things of this world, power or stripes? How can we demand respect, that we refuse to give ourselves? How can we not see, that if we don't matter to us first, we'll never be regarded as a people who should matter to others? Don't just demand the respect of the Asian man, white man or any other race; demand respect and regard and give it to your own race. The truth is, a lot needs to be fixed internally, in our community. Accountability needs to be taken. Truth needs to be told about how as parents, leaders and influencers; we have failed our own. Black lives will always matter. They matter to God and to some who understand the big picture. Black lives just need to matter more, in our own communities, neighborhoods and households first and foremost. Right now, the greatest weapon and threat to the black man, unfortunately, IS the black man. Wake up and take that log out of your eye. It's been time for us to walk in brotherly love, and matter to one other.