What I am about to say may be deemed as uncomfortable and controversial but for the greater good of Black Americans in this country, it needs to be said. The morning of Halloween, I was woken up to the heartbreaking news that another Black woman’s life had been taken by the hands of a Black man. She was 19.

When I and many others took to social media to discuss the protection of Black women, I was surprisingly met with a rebuttal.

I was told that although it is evident that Black women are targeted and in need of protection, white women are too. This rhetoric has been used countless times against Black Americans and other marginalized groups when discussing the adversity they face in this country. The most exigent example is the Black Lives Matter slogan being met with “all lives matter.”

It is beyond obvious that the creation of Black Lives Matter was to address the brutality that Black Americans face at the hands of the police. Not to stir up the imaginary idea that Black people believe that we are the only ones who matter.

Black people don’t want your “but.” We don’t want your rebuttal. We want your support. But if your support is followed by a “but,” then keep it.

People are fighting for their people in this country every single day. Fighting to be heard. Fighting to live. When they address the pressing and deadly issues that occur daily, listen. That is not the time to shift the focus of the conversation. Playing devil’s advocate belongs in conversations about opinion. The fight for our right to live is not one.

Victoria is a freshman in Media.

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