Why Black Lives Matter Is Not a Hate Group

I was attacked going to high school by five police who ambushed me in an intersection as I was walking to school one morning. They ordered me on the ground with guns. As I was complying, one of them tackled me into the street where I landed on my chin and knee. I call it my "trick knee," now.

They screamed and cussed at me asking where the car they thought I stole was. They'd mistaken me for being a different brown skinned person, (They took me to school and paraded me In handcuffs covered in blood through the halls where my drama teacher assured them I was part of the class on our way to perform in the One Act Theater contest (because I was wearing the theater shirt and told them it was where I was headed).

My teacher and fellow students were angry and supportive, but I was told by those I trust the most I must have been doing something wrong because "police just don't do things like that without a reason." I had limited support and was even threatened by my family if I filed a complaint because they thought it would jeopardize my grandfather's job who serviced their cars. I filed a complaint anyway. Since then, I've had a cop drag me by my hair, throw me on the ground and grind my skull into the pavement so hard I thought my head would break open. That was here in Oregon for "illegal camping," as I used to sleep outside sometimes to escape a domestically violent situation at home. The reason this officer became enraged was because I felt terrified of going into the jail. I have a paranoia of jails and hospitals where I panic thinking they want to euthenize me. This seems irrational, but certain life events have fostered this mindset. Too many people have threatened my life. I was crying and told him I was afraid to get out of the car when he pulled me out by my hair. I've watched them arrest my Native friend and slam his face into the trunk of the car while he was handcuffed. His only crime was drinking a beer by the river and surrendering an illegal blade when they asked if he had any weapons. In all cases everyone was exonerated. We were lucky, though. Too many people, the overwhelming majority of which are Black have not survived. Law enforcement is to enforce laws, not decide punishment. Black Lives Matter exists because the plight of Black people does not matter. The police are sanctioned by the states to execute them with impunity. This isn't an opinion. There are approximately 500 dead Black Americans who are proof of this in just this year and 2016 alone. But people want to say," Oh, but what about Black on Black crime? " Black lives matter, huh?

Black Lives Matter exists to assert the God given truth the Black people matter. Listen to what our friends and families say in regards to this issue. So often it gets written off as if everyone were to stand up straight and act respectful then the police wouldn't have to "do their jobs." Read the comments of Black Americans on any story about anything (maybe you've even made some), most recently regarding the Confederate statues, and you'll see Black lives do not matter to a lot of people. Where do you think young Black men get the idea they don't matter and their brothers don't matter in such an acute and profound way the threat of death is just around the corner?

There may be hatred and animosity coming from BLM, but it doesn't make it a hate group against White people. It's not about hating White people, it's hating that it's the current day and their families and friends are ridiculed, threatened, harassed, discriminated against, and murdered by the people sworn to serve and protect.