We are six months in 2020, and it’s been one crazy ride. Thus far, things have been out of our control. No one could have predicted the events that have unfolded, and the experiences we are living under. Up until now, there is one thing we can control. If we choose so, with our actions and behaviors, we have the choice to being united as a whole nation. In my opinion, that choice is the most powerful one we hold.

I like to consider myself a thinking man. I don’t like taking one narrative and running to the hills with it and never look back. I have the ability to crave understanding, take in all perspectives, talk and discuss with people who have different thoughts, opinions, experiences, and insight from my own. I question everything. When I beg a question, that is not me trying to support my case only, nor is it me trying to oppose the other side. It is simply questions that need to be brought up, discussed, and critically thought upon. My goal is to never change people’s minds. My goal is to have healthy conversations designed to make people think, along with myself.

After some thinking, discussing, and gathering my thoughts, I would like to clean the air of any misunderstandings people may have regarding recent narratives and events.

Drew Brees Controversy

Let’s kick off with Drew Brees, and that controversy first. Even though he has apologized, that may not be enough for some and still hold a grudge against him. When I read his statement, I thought nothing was wrong with it. Hear me out. For the pure words he was saying, I didn’t think anything was bad, evil, racist, or anything else people were attacking him for. In summary, he just expressed no one should disrespect the flag, he doesn’t support others who disrespect the flag, and he shared his emotions to what the flag means to him. What Brees got wrong was the ill-timing of his statement, and it brought up two issues and combined them into one. His statement has nothing to do with the current protesting and the Black Lives Matter movement. To others, it came across as if he conflated the two issues: Black Lives Matters and disrespecting the flag. The two are not the same. I understand people’s negatives thoughts and comments against Brees. At the same time, I understand Brees’ statement. Hopefully, everyone agrees that no one should disrespect the flag. That should not be a dispute. Two things can be true at once, so no one should attack someone who we have respected and admired for all these years. Again, the protests we are seeing today has nothing to do with Brees’ statement, and that’s what he got wrong, if that was his implications or not. If you respect the flag, honor it. If you respect Black Lives Matter, honor it. We can do and have both. The question: How do we do that? Let’s think and talk about it together.

Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter

Another issue where I see tensions between people is Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter. When people say Black Lives Matter, they are referring to emphasizing on the basic human rights and racial equality for black people and campaigning against various forms of racism. When people counter by saying, “No, all lives matter”, they are referring to the same principles but to all people, of all races to have equal rights and equality. We understand that. That’s another idea that we all share and should not be disputed against. However, from what I’ve gathered, the problem with that counter is that it comes across as a protest against the Black Lives Matter protest. Even though it is an agreed upon statement of all lives matter, this is not the time to be countering back because the narratives on both sides is causing a stand-still, or further tensions between the people. The Black Lives Matter movement is also about making aware of such injustices in the black community particularly about police brutality. They want their voices to be heard, and the people of all kinds to be united with them. They want to be ensured they are being heard, represented, and banded together to help fight their cause. The all lives matter narrative can be interpreted as the attempt to separate the rights and justices in the black community from other communities, even though that is not the intension, but that is how it is perceived. Black Lives Matter is its’ own movement that needs to be heard and recognized, while All Lives Matter is the general principle we live by to live in a civil, morally bound country. The question: How do we show all lives matter by proving black lives matter? Let’s think and talk about it together.

Peaceful Protestors vs. Rioters and Looters

The media have done an awful job at this issue. They are combining the two as if they are the same to help boost their agenda, or whatever ill-tensions they are pushing. Let me tell you, they are not the same. Antifa are not our friends, George Soros and him paying people to riot and cause mayhem are not our friends. The peaceful protestors are the ones we should be listening to, banding together with, fighting for, supporting, and bailing out. The rioters and looters are giving the good people the bad name and attention. We get their outrage, but do you really think they are rioting and looting for the right reasons? Do you really think they are doing it for Black Lives Matters? How does stealing money, products, damaging property, and killing innocent people in your own neighborhoods solve anything? Yes, innocent people are getting murdered in the streets, but of course, the media won’t tell you that. People of all kinds; white, black, brown, green, purple, whoever!

Does David Dorn mean anything to you? Watch the video, and you will learn of Dave Dorn. I thought black lives matter? Why is this still happening? How could this happen during the time of George Floyd? These are questions to think about. This is happening everywhere, even to people who don’t wear a badge. Innocent people like you and me. Store owners, protestors, people just on the streets, people are killing people in the name of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter which is ruining the legacy and good intentions of such movements.

This video went viral, and it is really hits home and summarizes the innocent people being affected by the looters and rioters. If we all have this kind of understanding and perspective, we will know who’s really doing good and who’s doing bad. Obviously, I don’t have or know all the answers. I know protesting peacefully hasn’t been working, but destroying the innocents is never the answer, and is hypocrisy at its finest. The entire system needs to change, but not in ways many may think. Changing the system does not mean getting new or different people in office. We rotate people all the time, and nothing has changed. The system is still exactly the same. Cities are still governed by the same political parties. Final thoughts and questions to think about. The cities with the most destruction and chaos, which political party is governing them? What policies have they enacted over the years? Most importantly, how do we change the system when it is the elites that control us? We should be fighting against the system, not ourselves.

These are the thoughts and questions I had when I woke up this morning, and wanted to express and share. Many of us like to think we have all the answers, or believe everything we hear and watch. During the events over the last six months, this is the time to take a step back and question the world around us while staying united and fight for our rights, justice, and freedom.