All Lives Matter

A decade ago no one would have imagined that someone could be demoted or fired for saying an inclusive statement of universal regard such as, “all lives matter.” That this statement is now considered a racist trope by the media, universities, and corporations is simply Orwellian. This absurdity has to be discussed and dismissed in no uncertain terms. Given the hysteria and the atmosphere of terror that has gripped the nation, we have to take a stand. Silence is not an option.

Central to the creation of this hysteria is the destruction of language. Words no longer mean what they mean. Orwellian double-think becomes the norm. Phrases acquire emotionally charge power that makes propositional thinking impossible. Let’s consider a simple example: “all lives matter.” This is a universal statement of inclusion expressing one’s aspirations of treating all people equally as individuals. One can certainly emphasize “black lives matter” or “blue lives matter” or even “black lives matter but also everyone’s life matters.” Expressing one’s views in one’s own words makes a personal statement that shows knowledge and commitment instead of ritual and obedience. 

What could possibly be objectionable about the inclusive “all lives matter?” All means all. What is it about “all” that some don’t understand? “All” is the universal quantifier, an essential part of the discipline and practice of logic. It is the means of expressing universal statements, i.e. statements of conceptual knowledge, categorical knowledge. Without the word “all” meaning “all,” logic breaks down and no knowledge can be established. Rational discourse comes to an end. Epistemological nihilism is the result and hysteria is its manifestation. 

When the power of reason is destroyed, heightened emotion, rage, and manipulation become the tools used to move men. Words become emotional bullets in a battle to insure conformity and obedience. Anyone not mouthing the woke dogmatic orthodoxy is condemned as racist. Everyone fears the scarlet “R” and scurries to issue boiler-plate apologetic statements. Corporations that had issued statements using their own wording have had to retract these statements and issue proper woke-approved verbiage to avoid the wrath of the mob. 

Silence is not an option as everyone is expected to march in lock-step. When I see social pressure bringing an assembly of people to their knees chanting “Black Lives Matter” I think of the orchestrated crowds in Nazi Germany giving the Nazi salute chanting “Sieg Heil”. Out of fear, no one was silent. You had to use those particular words and make that specific gesture. 

Here in the USA, the woke mob rules. Corporations worrying about boycotts, issue the required statements. Most have yanked their ads from conservative TV programs. Individuals have been fired from their jobs or denied tenure. Social media blocks simple statements of fact, such as crime statistics. Political discussion is now impossible. Patronizing lectures are called “a discussion” by the left, as reeducation and diversity training subjects offenders to indoctrination. Monuments of all dead white men are torn down. History is being re-written by ideological hacks in our major newspapers. The winds of fury sweeping this land were unimaginable twelve years ago when the first black President promised us a post-racial America. Gullible voters believed him. 

Woke propagandists have their twisted logic that assigns narrow meaning and context to the simple phrase “all lives matter.” They mumble something about limiting context. The only context that matters is the human context. They retort that their pain is greater than the next guy as if only pain matters and we exist to soothe their wounds. Sadly people cower in fear, racked with guilt, unable to proudly express the universal ideals upon which this nation was founded:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

That’s what “all lives matter” means.