Editor,
In a letter to the editor on Wednesday, June 17, the writer described Black Lives Matters (BLM) as militant anarchist insurgents. This is totally false; BLM is not militant, anarchist or an insurgency trying to overthrow the country. Instead, the Black Lives Matter Foundation, established in 2013 in response to the senseless murder of 17-year-old Treyvon Martin in Stanford, Florida, is dedicated to campaigns and political action aimed at protecting Black communities and individuals against violence, including from white supremacy groups. There are now chapters in cities across the country as well as in the United Kingdom and Canada. Yes, BLM is involved in rallies and marches and in taking strong stands but not in hurling Molotov cocktails or looting. Their tactics are much closer to the non-violent protests of Martin Luther King. Nevertheless, in his railing against BLM, the letter writer
Nevertheless, in his railing against BLM, the letter writer went on to conflate Black Lives Matter and the anti-fascists bunch, Antifa, which is not an organization but instead disparate groups of individuals that are dedicated to confronting white supremacists, including Nazis and the Boogaloo Boys, armed instigators of violence. Antifa has been involved in destruction of property, however in protests after the murder of George Floyd, officials including police chiefs in Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Nevada, attributed the violence and arson to opportunists and hardline right groups, not Antifa and certainly not Black Life Matters.
Jerry Whitus
San Marcos, TX
