All Lives Matter
In stark contrast to the BLM and Blue Lives movements, there exists those who proclaim, “All Lives Matter.” Admittedly, I fall into this group. Whether by conscience decision or by moral convictions, I choose to identify with this side of the argument.
When I say that every life matters, my intentions aren’t to use my opinions as a political catchphrase. Genuinely, I believe that the lives of every person, including those who died long ago and those who are not yet born, matters. What separates my viewpoint from others is my understanding that human life in every form has intrinsic worth. No matter the color of your skin, age, or opinions, your life has purpose.
One aspect of this opinion extends into the lives of unborn children. From the eyes of those who believe all lives matter, pregnant mothers and their unborn babies both matter just as much. As such, abortion is the murder of another human life. Why is this considered a controversial opinion? We allow murderers to live out a life sentence in prison, but can’t give an unborn child a chance at life.
You see, even when someone commits a crime, we punish them for their actions. But even so, our society chooses to give these people a chance at life after their sentence has been served. Our society agrees that even the life of a criminal matters. Our tax dollars pay for these men and women to eat, sleep, and live in a correctional facility, hopefully to once again integrate themselves back into society.
The death sentence has been used in a variety of forms for the last several hundred years of history. From the guillotine, to firing squads, people have decided to end the lives of others for one reason or another. Like war, we’ve decided murder is wrong, unless you have a good excuse. But should it be that way?
With all of these topics - abortion, the death sentence, and war - one must ask themselves one fundamental question: can murder, under any circumstances, be justified?
To be honest, I’m not sure that I know the answer to this question. Immediate impulse says, “Of course murder can be justified.” But on the other hand, if I can justify one form of murder, then why not justify the rest? Deciding to pick and choose who’s lives matter goes against my fundamental belief that all lives matter. By turning the sanctity of human life into a matter of opinion, why would my view be any better than yours?
If you believe that euthanizing old people who have dementia is ok, who am I to complain? This is the same thing as saying, “All lives matter, except for those whom we are at war with.” The United States has tried this time after time, all of which, have resuled in long-term conflicts across multiple generations. Slavery is probably the most vivid illustration of my point.
In the argument about the meaning of life, I believe it is crucial to understand that we all have the potential to be the person which we critisize. Looking down on who others are today, could set our trajectory to be the same as theirs. Justifying the murder of a murderer, could very well make you one yourself.