Currently, a major issue that is plaguing the United States is racism within law enforcement and the criminal justice system, specifically towards the African American population. Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York are just a few of many examples of police brutalization towards African Americans. David Bedrick's article What's the Matter with 'All Lives Matter' takes a stance on the rising controversial issues of race and discrimination. Bedrick gives his view point on the popular phrase that has given a name to a unique movement garnering change and recognition for African Americans; 'Black Lives Matter'. This phrase took a roaring start on social media and has since grown to become an activist movement creating feelings of mass unity among African Americans all over the United States. In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, however, another movement has also been created called 'All Lives Matter'. Bedrick explains why he thinks this phrase is inappropriate and simply unnecessary. Race brings on different individual …show more content…
Most reasonable people would agree that all lives matter in general, but what those people fail to recognize is that issues such as police violence and brutality also affect African Americans disproportionately. Using a sociological lens to examine the problem, one should be able to understand that all lives do matter while also taking into account how social structures and social institutions- including law enforcement and the criminal justice system- treat African Americans differently leading to the creation of movements like 'Black Lives Matter' and its counterpart 'All Lives Matter'. As Bedrick put it, erasing race will not erase