A Brief History
On March 24, 2017, Fox News ran a story about a woman in St. John’s County, Florida (Jacksonville- St. Augustine area) who has been flying an American flag with a blue stripe in the middle, a blue stripe that stands for “Blue Lives Matter.” The Blue Lives Matter sentiment is supportive of police, all police of all races and nationalities, and recognizes the danger these brave officers face daily. In today’s world, Blue Lives Matter is an attempt to remind police that they and their efforts on behalf of society are appreciated.
Digging Deeper
Unfortunately, the story is about the homeowners association ordering the woman to take down the BLM flag, claiming that the flag is “racist.” The flag owner has several police officers in her family and naturally is supportive of these police officers. Although it has been pointed out that “Blue Lives Matter” refers to police officers of every race, creed, color and ethnic/national origin, critics do not care and insist the BLM sentiment is somehow racist, even though there has never been a single racist statement attached to any Blue Lives Matter organization or movement.
Apparently, someone somewhere must have complained about the flag, as it has flown without protest for the past few years. Inventing racist intent when none is intended or stated, even covertly, is ridiculous and is a horrible example of “Freedom of Speech” only if you agree with me! Would the homeowners’ association try to force a resident with a Black Lives Matter flag to take the flag down? Would they insist a Gay Pride or Equal Rights flag be removed? Would a flag representing a branch of the military or the country of origin of the resident rate a demand for removal?
Police officers, men and women, gay and straight, from every conceivable race and country of origin have lives that matter every bit as much as anyone else’s. How can this truth even be an issue? Perhaps it is time for America to grow the hell up and knock off the crybaby stuff that seems to define Americans as sniveling whiners, overly sensitive and intolerant of different points of view. Hypocrisy and double standards are not the American way, are they?
At least the heroism involved with this other news story today is more encouraging. A trooper in a chase in Michigan got into a fight with a suspect. The suspect’s brother showed up and attacked the trooper before good Samaritans also showed up and helped the trooper.
The lesson of the day is perhaps that we should all help each other against all forms of villainy rather than suppress our neighbors’ free speech!
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Do Blue lives matter?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Mac Donald, Heather. The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe. Encounter Books, 2016.
