It’s dumb to say Blue Lives Matter, as if it’s a meaningful slogan. I write this in response to a blog, ‘Blue Lives’ Don’t Matter Because Blue Lives Don’t Exist. The author makes some decent points, but misses the most important one.

I wrote this because I’m all about accountability. I propose we stop saying “Blue Lives Matter.” But I don’t just propose it. I’m accountable for why.

The author made three points:

His point: It’s a logical error: a false equivalence

This is a good point. “Black” has to do with the color of skin, not the color of a uniform. The phrase is setting up a false equivalence between skin color, or race, and an occupation.

For instance, when a police officer takes off the uniform in the evening and goes out, he or she looks like anyone else. They blend into society. But if a black person goes out for an evening, they are still identifiable by race. They are still subject to increased surveillance. They are more likely to be stopped by, hassled by, and hurt or killed by police.

His point: You sound racist

That varies from listener to listener. You sound racist to me. His point is that by saying this unnecessary phrase, you’re taking attention from the very real problem of abuse of people of color.

His point: There’s no such thing as a “blue life”

I disagree with him on this one. Police are hardworking, often low-paid public servants who mostly keep us civilized. They do this by their mere presence, adding risk to law-breaking. And they do this by apprehending some of us who stray. They have higher suicide rates and other health risks. And their average life expectancy is much shorter. Black life expectancy is 3-5 years less than whites’. Police life expectancy is much shorter.

But these differences are another false equivalence. Joining the police is a choice.

My point: Blue (and white) lives already matter

The whole point of the Black Lives Matter movement is that in our society, white lives and the lives of police in general already matter. They’re of the highest priority. But often other actions say black lives don’t matter.

Police are given training, guns and equipment. They are usually featured as heroes in stories, television and movies. They are paid full salaries plus benefits and retirement. If they are injured, they still get a large fraction of their salary from disability benefits. When a police officer dies, it’s a big deal.

They are given power to manhandle others, almost without impunity. We appreciate how they often put themselves in dangerous situations. The legal system favors them. Everything about how we treat them says they matter.

Black Lives Matter

Certainly all lives matter when ethical people are consciously involved. The problem is that some of us are unethical, and almost all of us are unconsciously biased.

We’re inculcated by the biased portrayals from Hollywood. And by how our society has allowed widespread discrimination for most of the last two centuries. And how the media has often let it go unreported.

When we, or the police, are surprised and feel fear, most of us instantly feel blacks are more dangerous, less peaceful, less rational, educated or civilized than whites. It’s not true. It’s really not. Most of us don’t feel this way on purpose. Many are ashamed of it, later. But in the moment of reaction, the brainwashing of our culture often wins out. And it tells us to act as if black lives don’t matter. This probably happens much more than we know. Most of the time we let it go and take the high road. But all too often, we don’t.

That’s why we’re calling on ourselves to say Black Lives Matter. I say this for me. I say it to consciously admit that I’m not perfect. I, too, am a product of my culture. We can be more than that. We can be conscious beings. We can create our culture intentionally. We can say with our own voices a new culture. One in which Black Lives Matter.