America Cares More About Animals Than Black Lives & It's A Disgrace [Editorial]

America is (allegedly) the greatest country on Earth where you can be anything you want to be if, of course, you haven’t been murdered by cops yet. Oh yes, the land of the not-very-free and home of shameless do-nothings disguised as politicians who shun non-white humans, female humans, poor humans, elderly humans, LGBT humans and the very humans who built this nation.

It’s also a country where animals have more humanity than many of its human citizens. A country where a gorilla was mourned by millions without being shamed, belittled and defamed like murdered Black youth. A country where Black lives mean literally nothing compared to dead animals treated as heroes by those who claim ALL lives matter.

For years, white Americans have sobbed over dead wildlife, demanded justice for abandoned pets, donated millions to pro-animal groups and scribbled sternly-worded letters on behalf of their beloved zoo inmate. It’s quite amazing, actually, considering that murdered Black teens are never treated this way.

But ALL LIVES MATTER, right? RIGHT?!

Even the life of Mike Brown whose bullet-riddled body was left in the street like road kill? Or the life of Trayvon Martin who was stalked and murdered before the best years of his life? Or the lives of Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and Paul O’Neal who were executed by cops ON CAMERA and STILL unfairly judged?

Of course not.

Well, I’m lying.

Your life definitely matters if you’re a dog or any animal, really, in America.

In 2007, disgraced superstar Mike Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison on federal dog fighting charges, stamped the most hated man in America and buried by the NFL. According to court docs, he played a key role in the disposal of mangled pit bulls while funding the heinous operation.

At that moment, justice prevailed for dogs in a country where innocent Black men and women are murdered in broad daylight by trigger-happy cops who know they’ll never serve a day in prison for murder.

To many, Vick committed the worst crime imaginable–worse than sexual assault, domestic violence or murder–a crime that cost Vick nearly two years of his life compared to the 30 days served by star receiver Donte Stallworth who hit and killed a construction worker with his Bentley while intoxicated.

Fast forward to 2016 where white, blue and furry lives matter more than Black lives tragically cut short on the daily. Seriously, why would Black Americans think our lives matter in a country that cares more about abused chickens than a Black woman killed in police custody after a routine traffic stop? Demands of justice for Harambe and Cecil the lion and Tilikum the killer whale and Pinky the flamingo but silence for Sandra Bland?

Someone PLEASE help me understand how my life matters because I genuinely don’t think it does. Well, not in America. Not in a country where laws protect dogs more than tax-paying Black citizens.

It’s simply incredible how white people can see the injustice in a SeaWorld star’s death but scoff at our outrage when innocent Black kids are gunned down by cops simply for being Black.

So yes, that’s why the Black Lives Matter movement exists (and hundreds flock to join) because if we don’t dismantle systemic racism, shut down cowardly “all lives matter” mentalities and demand immediate change in this “great” country, no one will.