My thoughts on #BLM and the intense feelings it has aroused:

[Are_grits_groceries]

How can I help you?

I say this in all sincerity to those in the #BLM movement. I no longer know what to do to help or at least not make things worse. This comes from following posts on DU and interactions on Twitter. There is a lot of anger, pain, and frustration on all sides.

Even as I write this, I am not sure if what I am saying will be attacked. IMO there is a real crisis for PoC in this country. Any interaction with the authorities is rife with tension and fear. This has always been true, but it seems to have ramped up. That may be just because I wasn't paying attention. PoC are dying unnecessarily and those in power are acting with impunity. A tipping point was reached in Ferguson.

I understand the phrase #BLM and I know why the phrase "All lives matter" is so pernicious. People use it to deliberately dilute the very real killing of PoC over matters that should not even register as an offense. Many use it that way. However, do all people understand the urgency in the phrase #BLM and its meaning. I have seen people blocked on Twitter and called racists for even bringing this up.

In different cases I have been told to stand aside, or help the cause, or told I will never understand so I am useless. White supremacist has also been thrown around. I don't think this represents the core of #BLM but I no longer know. This is a diffuse movement much like OWS. The decentralization makes it harder to pin down leaders and focus on them. It also makes the message harder to discern when you begin to try to step in to join some way.

I want to help. I want to be supportive. I am trying to find ways to do so. I accept responsibility to find ways. My main move right now is to stand down and listen. That may be the best action for those with good intentions but who are also unsure. The anger being vented is doing nothing but destroying unity among those who should be working together.

If "Do no harm" is the best that can be achieved, then let that be enough for now. If not, the damage done may become irreparable.

Edit to add: I am not commenting on this again. I hesitated before writing this.

[Fred Sanders]

1. There has been little damage done compared to the value of raising of conscious of visible minority issues.

And the phrase was "liberal white supremacist", intended to stir emotions, but not ever intend to mean "white supremacist" as you have again, in an otherwise OK OP, mistakenly repeated.

Words and phrases and the order in which they are put in a sentence, and especially a phrase, are important!

For instance, I prefer the phrase "visible minority" and not Person of Color. Not to mention, on a personal level, the abbreviation used by white folks to avoid typing or saying those words, in that order, just sucks.

PoC? Really? An abbreviation, for obvious reasons, that a visible minority person would not even dream of coining! Anyway......

What, then, is a Liberal white supremacist?

Ask BLM, not me, it is not what you think it is - but it got your attention, am I right?

[Are_grits_groceries]

2. Not arguing about the damage comparison.

Your post proved my point. You have pointed out several items that you consider to be wrong. There is validity there. However, I did not intentionally write any of those phrases to offend or to avoid an issue.
This same post was dissected elsewhere with some of the same points, new points, and some that do not agee with you. It's a no win situation.

I sincerely asked a question about helping which was not addressed at all.

And as a point of personal order from me, liberal white supremacist is white supremacist to me. Perhaps there is another phrase for that? Perhaps not.

I'm out. Period.

[CJCRANE]

3. You're moving the goal posts.

I've seen POC, AA and various other terms used on DU without any problems before, both by those who identify as that and those who don't.

[Fred Sanders]

4. Just my personal opinion, I am not offended by the abbreviation of the phrases and terms, more like disappointed.

[tech3149]

5. At least you're asking the question

As a tired old white man, I've said for years that we won't make things better until we admit and understand that we are where we are because of the racist and exploitative roots of our nation.
That is at the root of the problem but we have also allowed our police forces to adopt an "us vs them" attitude that is not justified by reality. It will be extremely difficult to readjust our perception of the world unless we recognize where we came from.
Mike Malloy stated very well that you can never, even with the best intention and explanation from a friend of color, understand what life is like as a POC.
The very least you can do is to stand back and listen but when you recognize a problem how can you stand aside and do nothing?

[nashville_brook]

6. as long as allies are labeled white supremacist,

or "liberal white supremacist" (as if that's any better), then there's no basis for a relationship.

until folks wake up and reject this conservative (ratfucking?) positioning, there can be no solidarity.

no one needs allies who would #bowdown to anyone. we need allies who are capable and strong enough to stand up to bullshit.

[Lizzie Poppet]

7. Precisely.

I'm willing, to say the least, to pitch in and hopefully be of some help in rectifying an unacceptable status quo. The vastly higher per capita rate of black deaths at the hands of police is a very real, very serious problem.

Call me a white supremacist and imply that I should basically just shut up and listen instead of being part of the discussion? The only response I will ever have to that will be "go fuck yourself."