https://twitter.com/eemanabbasi/status/836279756056317954
In February, Kappa Sigma fraternity members from the University of Connecticut were charged with offenses contributing to the death of a fellow student, Jeffny Pally. In October 2016, Jeffny Pally attended a party at a frat house, and was later run over and killed by a fire vehicle. Because Kappa Sigma members were responsible for providing the alcohol at the party, they were brought up on alcohol related charges related to her death. In response, someone “in solidarity” with the accused, spray painted the phrase “Frat Lives Matter” onto a rock on the UConn campus.
While this incident may seem like a trivial thing to be upset over, it is not insignificant. New hashtags and memes claiming that this “matters” and that “matters” have been popping up all over social media since the creation of Black Lives Matter. They may be “just jokes”, but police brutality isn’t. Why are people meme-ing #BLM? Hashtags like “#LilBootiesMatter” and “#FratLivesMatter” are insensitive, not funny. Making light of a strong campaign for stupid jokes not only disrespects the work and efforts of BLM activists, but trivializes the movement and causes it to command less respect. The plight of little booties and frat boys are nothing compared to the struggles of the Black community, especially when it comes to their relationship with law enforcement.
Police brutality is more than a “hot”, “controversial”, topic in modern American debate. It is an actual epidemic. An epidemic that people of color, specifically African Americans, suffer the worst from. 339 people have been killed by police in 2017 alone and it’s only May. Organizations that advocate for victims and demand accountability are instrumental for spreading awareness and improving relationships between communities of color and law enforcement. Black Lives Matter is perhaps the most notable of these organizations, primarily utilizing social media to further their agenda.
On April 29th, 2017, 15 year old Jordan Edwards was shot in the head and killed by a police officer in a Dallas suburb. The incredible attention on campaigns like Black Lives Matter have polarized the issue of accountability. In Jordan Edward’s case, the police chief came forward and admitted that the original police account was untrue, and that video evidence showed something different. Instead of the vehicle “aggressively” backing up towards officers like originally stated, video footage shows the car pulling away as officers approach. This moment of honesty from the police department is a step in the right direction towards accountability, a need brought to the forefront of the political agenda by Black Lives Matter.
The insane amount of attention on police brutality right now puts pressure on police departments to be accountable and scandal free because they understand the magnitude of public backlash that will occur if they don’t play by the rules. Black Lives Matter is one of the main reasons why this renewed wave of focus exists. People should spend more time educating themselves on real issues rather than co-opting movements for retweets.
