Black Lives Matter because all lives matter

On the Fourth of July we put up a yard sign that said, 'Black Lives Matter.” The sign sat in our yard for the entire month without incident. Then the one year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown occurred. With new memorials, marches, and protests in Ferguson, suddenly the Black Lives Matter movement was in the news again. The next night, our sign was stolen from our yard. This was disappointing for several reasons. First, the sign was a gift from a clergy friend in Saint Louis. Second, we didn't think people in our town would be upset by the sign. But it was gone.

Thankfully we had a second sign to put in our yard. So we put it up the next morning. We then went about our day. At supper, there was a knock on the door. A man we have never met before stepped before us. He demanded that we take the sign out of our yard. He crossly told us that North Liberty doesn't allow incendiary signs. We then tried to explain North Liberty's sign ordinance to him. He got more upset and then tried to give us a sheet of paper with a paragraph highlighted. He made his demand again. We then tried to explain the meaning of the sign in order to show him that the sign wasn't meant to be controversial. We also said we'd leave the sign up since it's within the city's code. He then angrily replied, 'Then I'm going to report this to city council!” With that statement, he walked away.

A kerfuffle with a neighbor is not ideal. We had to report the situation to the mayor and the police chief just in case there is more trouble in the future. They were sympathetic and professional. We were also interviewed by local media. They were helpful in getting our story out and helping to continue our community's discussion on race. Hopefully that is the end of that part of the story. We don't want an angry neighbor. And we don't want to be angry neighbors ourselves. More than anything, we wish that stranger - and anyone else who may have similar thoughts - could understand our perspective on the Black Lives Matters movement.

'Black Lives Matter” just means that the lives of African Americans matter. That's all. It doesn't mean that other lives don't matter. Or that other people matter less. It also doesn't mean that black people are more morally superior than other people. Black Lives Matter provides the reminder that black lives matter, too. It can be dangerous to be black. An African American is killed every 28 hours by police. About 27 percent of African Americans live below the poverty line. Black families are 7 times more likely to be homeless than white families. African Americans are 4 times more likely to be murdered than the national average. The statistics go on and on. But the stats also have names: Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, LaTanya Haggerty, etc. These lives matter.

African Americans face danger, discrimination, and injustice that are unique to that community. It's extreme enough that it needs to be named and addressed. That is the reason for the Black Lives Matter movement. And that's the reason for our sign. Obviously all lives matter. But not all communities face the same disparities and prejudice. Until the unique challenges that harm the African American community are addressed, then the Black Lives Matter movement will continue to be needed. In a similar way, we can support the unique need for Breast Cancer Awareness month without discounting the importance of addressing other kinds of cancer. Obviously we can support the Black Lives Matter movement without discounting the fact that all lives matter. It's not just semantics. It's about systems (and minds) that need to be changed for the betterment of the future. And that future will, in fact, be better for all lives.

' Brian Brandsmeier was a religious leader in Saint Louis and is now a teacher in Iowa City. Comments: brianbrandsmeier@yahoo.com