Detroit Lions defensive back Don Carey expressed concerns over the “narrow mind-set and irony that exists at” the roots of the Black Lives Matter movement, specifically the group’s “blatant disregard for life.”
Carey, in an op-ed for the Detroit Free Press, wrote that “Black Lives” will not inspire productive societal change unless those within the movement recognize that its motto should “also [include] those still within the womb.”
I personally have some concerns in regard to the Black Lives Matter movement. I remember when this movement burst onto the scene several years ago. I was both enamored and repelled by its message. Enamored, because as an African-American man, I have experienced and seen injustices committed against my people, sometimes due to no fault of their own. For the first time that I can remember, it seemed someone was standing up for them on a national level. However, I was quickly turned off by this movement due to the narrow mind-set and irony that exists at its roots. Let me explain my meaning. (RELATED: North Carolina Police Chief Force Out For Calling Black Lives Matter A ‘Terrorist Group’)
According to a study by the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, more African-American babies were aborted (31,328) in New York than were born (24,758) there in 2012. Needless to say, this number is severely repulsive. Yet, we’ve heard nothing from those within the camp of Black Lives Matter on the subject. It seems that we have Matthew 7 dilemma. That is, we are so focused on the speck in eyes of others that we are ignoring the plank within our own. We are so focused on the injustices done by a few wayward police officers that we ignore the blatant disregard for life within our own culture.
I truly want this movement to flourish. I can easily see the Black Lives Matter movement being the catalyst behind moral and cultural change within the African-American community. However, I fear this will never happen unless those within this movement begin to embrace the totality of its name. Yes “black” lives matter. This also includes those still within the womb. Those who seek change must first be proponents of that change or else those on the outside looking in will ultimately view them as hypocrites.
Carey’s column comes days after Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman expressed concerns about how the Black Lives Movement operates and the violent rhetoric some members aim at law enforcement officers. (VIDEO: Richard Sherman Challenges ‘Ignorant’ ‘Black Lives’ Behavior)