Blue Lives Matter Explained

Blue Lives Matter
Formation:New York City, U.S.
Founders:Active and retired law enforcement officers
Type:Social movement
Location:United States

Blue Lives Matter (also known as Police Lives Matter) is a countermovement in the United States that aims to show solidarity with the police. It emerged in 2014 in direct opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement[1] and gained traction following the high-profile homicides of NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in Brooklyn, New York.[2] [3] [4] [5] Supporters of Blue Lives Matter have called for crimes committed against police officers to be classified as hate crimes.

Critics have said that while being Black is an inherent characteristic, being a police officer is a choice, and that police officers are already respected in most communities. They add that attacking or killing a police officer already carries a higher penalty than attacking a non-police officer in most states.

History

On December 20, 2014, in the wake of the killings of officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, a group of law enforcement officers formed Blue Lives Matter to counter media reports that they perceived to be anti-police.[6] [7] Blue Lives Matter is made up of active and retired law enforcement officers. The current national spokesman for Blue Lives Matter is retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lieutenant Randy Sutton.[8]

In September 2015, over 100 Los Angeles police officers took part in a Blue Lives Matter rally in Hollywood to "show support for the department at a time when [...] the ambush killings of police officers in cities elsewhere have left authorities across the nation feeling under siege."[9]

Legislation

Louisiana

The Blue Lives Matter movement led to a state law in Louisiana (HB953) which made it a hate crime to target police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service personnel.[10] [11] The Louisiana law, passed in May 2016, makes it a hate crime to target police officers or firefighters. The legislation, authored by state Representative Lance Harris, was signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards. The law allows for hate crime felonies to carry an additional $5,000 fine or five years in prison, while hate crime misdemeanors to carry an additional $500 fine or six months in prison.[12]

The ACLU and others, including supporters of enhanced penalties for crimes against police officers, have opposed the bill.[13] The law has also been criticized for weakening the impact of the Hate Crimes Act by adding categories of people who are already better protected under other laws and characterized by their career choice instead of people persecuted for lifelong personal characteristics they cannot choose such as race, sexual orientation, and gender identity.[14] [15] That police deaths are decreasing overall has also led some to question the need for such laws.[16] [17] [18]

Criticism

Critics of Blue Lives Matter state that one's job does not have the deep identity significance and source of solidarity that one's racial identity can,[19] and that Black identity and history is constantly under threat of erasure while police officers do not face this threat.[20] Another source of criticism is the belief that African Americans in urban areas are unfairly suspected of being thieves and freeloaders, while police officers are typically respected and honored in communities.[21] [22] Some state that supporters of Blue Lives Matter are intentionally or unintentionally supporting a system of discriminatory policing and racial profiling.[14]

Some critics of Blue Lives Matter laws state the laws are redundant as attacking or killing a police officer would already result in a harsher punishment than attacking a non-police officer.[23] [24] [25]

Others, such as St. Martinville Police Chief, Calder Hebert, say these laws will make resisting arrest a hate crime which has drawn criticism as hate crimes are crimes in which victims are targeted because of identity-based characteristics such as race, sexual orientation, or gender.[26] According to FBI data, violence against police officers, as well as crime in general has decreased without these laws; calling into question their necessity.[27]

Frank Rudy Cooper, an expert on the intersectionality of identities and policing, wrote that the Blue Lives Matter movement is essentially an extension of the blue wall of silence, and the newest manifestation of police resistance to criticism.[28] [29] [30]

Following the 2021 United States Capitol attack, many have called Blue Lives Matter hypocritical as many in the mob were showing support for Blue Lives Matter, yet they assaulted Capitol police officers. Harry Dunn, an African-American Capitol Police officer, described being beaten with a Blue Lives Matter flag.[31] This has led some to argue that Blue Lives Matter is more about suppressing minorities than supporting law enforcement.[32] [33]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: U.S. police deaths on duty spiked in 2016: FBI. Sarah N.. Lynch. Reuters. en-US. live. October 16, 2017. March 31, 2024. March 31, 2024. https://archive.today/20240331200854/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1CL2SA/.
  2. Web site: Smith . Christopher . BLUE LIVES MATTER VERSUS BLACK LIVES MATTER: BENEFICIAL SOCIAL POLICIES AS THE PATH AWAY FROM PUNITIVE RHETORIC AND HARM . 8 February 2023.
  3. Longazel . Jamie . 'Blue Lives Matter' and the legacy of blackface minstrelsy . Race & Class . 1 July 2021 . 63 . 1 . 91–106 . 10.1177/03063968211012276 . 235716239 . 23 January 2023 . Blue Lives Matter countermovement, which emerged in 2014 as a rebuttal to Black Lives Matter and gained traction following high-profile.
  4. Book: John S. Dempsey. Linda S. Forst. Steven B. Carter. An Introduction to Policing. January 1, 2018. Cengage Learning. 978-1-337-55875-4. 34. A pro-police movement called Blue Lives Matter was established in response to Black Lives matter and to the increasing attacks on law enforcement, which resulted in 63 officer line-of-duty deaths by gunfire in 2016.. January 24, 2019. September 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200918180329/https://books.google.com/books?id=K69EDwAAQBAJ. live.
  5. Web site: Valencia . Milton J. . How 'Blue Lives Matter' trend has emerged as the identity politics of the right - The Boston Globe . BostonGlobe.com . 23 January 2023.
  6. Web site: Blue Lives Matter. Blue Lives Matter. June 8, 2016. August 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200818121205/https://bluelivesmatter.blue/. live.
  7. Web site: Blue Lives Matter Facebook. Blue Lives Matter Facebook. June 8, 2016. June 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200618011332/https://www.facebook.com/bluematters/. live.
  8. News: Newsome. John. 'Blue lives matter' bill set for Louisiana governor's signature. May 20, 2016. June 8, 2016. CNN. June 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200611144142/https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/20/us/louisiana-blue-lives-matter-legislation/. live.
  9. Web site: Police, Supporters Hold 'Blue Lives Matter' Rally in Hollywood. KTLA.com. September 27, 2015. November 30, 2015. August 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200829231542/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/police-supporters-hold-blue-lives-matter-rally-in-hollywod/. live.
  10. Web site: HB95 . legis.la.gov . Louisiana State Legislature . 3 August 2023.
  11. Web site: Louisiana Police Chief Shows Why The State's 'Blue Lives Matter' Law Is So Dangerous. Julia. Craven. January 23, 2017. Huff Post. April 9, 2017. February 10, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190210070304/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/blue-lives-matter-law-lousiana_us_588653dde4b0e3a7356ae3ae. live.
  12. News: Izadi. Elahe. Louisiana is the first state to offer hate crime protections to police officers. Washington Post. May 26, 2016. July 30, 2016. May 30, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200530192949/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/05/26/louisianas-blue-lives-matter-bill-just-became-law/. live.
  13. Web site: Louisiana governor signs 'Blue Lives Matter' bill . May 26, 2016 .
  14. Web site: Why Blue Lives Matter Is Just as Dangerous as White Lives Matter . Treva B. . Lindsey . September 6, 2016 . Complex . September 4, 2020 . August 18, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200818011639/https://www.complex.com/life/2016/09/blue-lives-matter-bill . live .
  15. Web site: Methodology. FBI. May 26, 2017. March 19, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160319115445/https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2013/resource-pages/methodology/methodology_final/. live.
  16. News: FBI data showing drop in police deaths undermines 'war on cops' theory. Jamiles. Lartey. May 16, 2016. The Guardian. May 26, 2017. December 30, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181230031002/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/16/us-police-deaths-decline-2015-fbi-data. live.
  17. News: Martin . Kaste . September 17, 2015 . Is There A 'War On Police'? The Statistics Say No . NPR.org . April 5, 2018 . April 9, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180409172720/https://www.npr.org/2015/09/17/441196546/is-there-a-war-on-police-the-statistics-say-no . dead .
  18. Walker . Savannah . Policing Hate: The Problematic Expansion of Louisiana's Hate Crime Statute to Include Police Officers . Louisiana Law Review . Spring 2018 . 78 . 4 . 12 October 2023.
  19. Web site: Here's What's Wrong With #BlueLivesMatter. September 4, 2020. Jonathan. Russell. July 9, 2016. Huffington Post. September 2, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200902190956/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/heres-whats-wrong-with-bl_b_10906348. live.
  20. Web site: Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter at odds. The Washington Times. Kelly. Riddell. July 29, 2016. May 26, 2017. November 30, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181130071545/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/29/black-lives-matter-and-blue-lives-matter-at-odds/. live.
  21. After Dallas, We Don't Need to Say 'Blue Lives Matter' . Rolling Stone . July 8, 2016 . September 4, 2020 . Natahsa . Lennard . August 18, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200818075531/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/after-dallas-we-dont-need-to-say-blue-lives-matter-155330/ . live .
  22. News: The 'Blue Lives Matter' Bill Is Bullshit. Jamil. Smith. May 26, 2016. MTV. MTV News. April 9, 2017. November 30, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181130071550/http://www.mtv.com/news/2885104/the-blue-lives-matter-bill-is-bullshit/. dead.
  23. Web site: Louisiana's New 'Blue Lives Matter' Law On Cop Killers Is Actually Pretty Redundant (UPDATE). Julia. Craven. May 25, 2016. Huff Post. April 9, 2017. December 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181205024429/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/louisiana-hate-crime-police_us_5745ba0ee4b055bb1170c4de. live.
  24. Web site: Arizona conservatives finalize redundant, disingenuous 'Blue Lives Matter' law . April 18, 2017 . Alan . Pyke . thinkprogress.org . September 4, 2020 . April 13, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210413193201/https://archive.thinkprogress.org/arizona-blue-lives-matter-law-a386e3ff6001/ . live .
  25. News: TechDirt . March 30, 2016 . September 4, 2020 . Tim . Cushing . Congressman Wants To Make Attacking A Cop A Federal 'Hate' Crime . July 9, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180709220852/https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160328/08115734031/congressman-wants-to-make-attacking-cop-federal-hate-crime.shtml . live .
  26. Web site: Kentucky Governor Signs Redundant 'Blue Lives Matter' Law . . March 24, 2017 . September 4, 2017 . Michelle D. . Anderson . November 8, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181108151936/https://rewire.news/article/2017/03/24/kentucky-governor-signs-redundant-blue-lives-matter-law/ . live .
  27. Web site: 'Blue Lives Matter' criticized by ACLU . Daily Journal . Caleb . Bedillion . January 26, 2017 . September 4, 2020 . June 11, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200611132830/https://www.djournal.com/news/crime-law-enforcement/blue-lives-matter-criticized-by-aclu/article_d6250003-c9d3-505b-88d9-5bda8f9cac6a.html . live .
  28. Cooper . Frank Rudy . Cop Fragility and Blue Lives Matter . Scholarly Commons at UNLV Boyd Law . 2020 . 14 September 2023.
  29. Book: Parks . Gregory S. . Cooper . Frank Rudy . Fight the Power: Law and Policy through Hip-Hop Songs . 3 February 2022 . Cambridge University Press . 978-1-009-02236-1 . en.
  30. Web site: Frank Rudy Cooper . University of Nevada, Las Vegas . 14 September 2023 . en . 16 June 2020.
  31. News: Boggs . Justin . Capitol Officer: They beat law enforcement with 'Blue Lives Matter' flags . 25 April 2021 . The Denver Channel . 22 February 2021 . April 25, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210425025755/https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national/capitol-officer-they-beat-law-enforcement-with-blue-lives-matter-flags . live .
  32. News: Blow . Charles . Blue Lives Matter is Over . 25 April 2021 . New York Times . 14 February 2021 . April 25, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210425025756/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/14/opinion/blue-lives-matter-trump-impeachment.html . live .
  33. News: Attiah . Karen . Opinion: The impeachment videos put the hypocrisy of Blue Lives Matter on full display . 25 April 2021 . Washington Post . 11 February 2021 . May 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210519143458/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/02/11/impeachment-videos-put-hypocrisy-blue-lives-matter-full-display/ . live .

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