People are posting on social media with the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, but doesn’t the message apply to victims of domestic violence and stalking too? Personally, I decided not to have any other children due to the ordeal inflicted upon myself and my daughter. Was that really my choice, or was it a necessary sacrifice based upon oppression? Race and Gender are often used as weapons by abusers and oppressors. The goal is the same: to enact power and control over another human being. The Ferguson issue is not only about race, but also about basic human rights (due process, life, liberty).
Sometimes oppression is generated from fear, or feeling dis-empowered. The police are supposed to serve and protect the population. Lately they are shooting first, and asking questions later. Ask any crime victim if the police are doing their jobs adequately, and you will be told no. Law enforcement needs appropriate training and support to do a good job. They are not getting it.
In short, the cycle of violence is not just an individual phenomenon. It occurs at the institutional level as well. When it does, it becomes oppression. Nobody wins when a system is corrupt and broken.
Is Now The Human Mirror 