The new Black Lives Matter demands seem to show that they’ve dropped their war on the nuclear family.
I think that’s a commendable move in the right direction. They are now demanding the US overturn the Biden Crime Law, a.k.a. the Clinton Crime Bill. I consider this also to be laudable changes.
Perhaps the most noticeable thing to me about the updated Black Lives Matter demands are that there are two demands regarding Donald J. Trump and five demands in total before they even mention policing.
- Convict Donald Trump again, because Ilhan Omar.
- End Right Wing conspiracy theories and their effects.
- Find Right Wing conspiracies between white supremacists, law enforcement, and Republicans
- Silence Donald Trump from ALL social media.
- Defund the Police
- Don’t come after us with the policies we designed to go after you
- Pass the BREATHE Act which overturns Joe Biden’s 1994 Crime Bill, signed by Bill Clinton
The 1994 Crime Bill contained the Wetterling Act, which created the first Sex Offender Registries, and the Violence Against Women Act, which Black Lives Matter suggests had disproportionate impacts on Blacks in the United States.
Both of these policies have been devastating in states, like Minnesota, with the highly prejudicial Duluth Model of Power and Control.
In 2021, people will see BLM differently than they saw them in 2020. I don’t need to tell you how to think about them but I’d like to share what their priorities are.
BLM’s 7 Demands
1. Convict and ban Trump from future political office:
We are joining Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Cori Bush, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, and others who are demanding Trump be immediately convicted in the United States Senate. Trump must also be banned from holding elected office in the future. Call your members of Congress and demand they support conviction by dialing (202) 224-3121.
2. Expel Republican members of Congress who attempted to overturn the election and incited a white supremacist attack:
More than half the Republican representatives and multiple senators stoked Trump’s conspiracy theories and encouraged the white supremacists to take action to overturn the election. We are supporting Rep. Cori Bush’s resolution to expel them from Congress for their dangerous and traitorous actions. We also support steps to bar them from seeking another office.
3. Launch a full investigation into the ties between white supremacy and the Capitol Police, law enforcement, and the military:
The Capitol was able to be breached and overrun by white supremacists attempting to disrupt a political process that is fundamental to our democracy. We know that police departments have been a safe haven for white supremacists to hide mal-intent behind a badge, because the badge was created for that purpose. We also know off-duty cops and military were among the mob at the Capitol on January 6th. Guilty parties need to be held accountable and fired. We are supporting Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s COUP Act to investigate these connections.
4. Permanently ban Trump from all digital media platforms:
Trump has always used his digital media platforms recklessly and irresponsibly to spread lies and disinformation. Now it is clearer than ever that his digital media is also used to incite violence and promote its continuation. He must be stopped from encouraging his mob and further endangering our communities, even after inauguration.
5. Defund the police:
The police that met our BLM protestors this summer with assault rifles, teargas, and military-grade protective gear were the same police that, on Wednesday, met white supremacists with patience and the benefit of the doubt, going so far as to pose for selfies with rioters. The contrast was jarring, but not for Black people. We have always known who the police truly protect and serve. D.C. has the most police per capita in the country; more funding is not the solution.
6. Don’t let the coup be used as an excuse to crack down on our movement:
In response to the coup, Politicians have already introduced the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021. We’ve seen this playbook before. These laws are used to target Black and brown communities for heightened surveillance. Republicans are already busy trying to create an equivalence between the mob on January 6th and our Freedom Summer. We don’t need new domestic terror laws, facial recognition, or any other new police power for the state. Our government should protect righteous protest and stay focused on the real issue: rooting out white supremacy. There are enough laws, resources, and intelligence, but they were not used to stop the coup. Our elected officials must uncover why.
7. Pass the BREATHE Act:
The police were born out of slave patrols. We cannot reform an institution built upon white supremacy. We need a new, radical approach to public safety and community investment. President Biden has already drawn on the BREATHE Act in his executive actions calling for racial equity screens in federal programs, investing in environmental justice at historic levels, and engaging with system-impacted communities. The BREATHE Act paints a vision of a world where Black lives matter through investments in housing, education, health, and environmental justice.
Black Lives Matter has been silent on the Duluth Model of Power and Control, quite possibly because it’s helping them destroy the nuclear family one Black man at a time.
