#AllLivesMatter

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed certain hashtags floating around the Internet. At least here in America.

#blacklivesmatter

#policelivesmatter

#translivesmatter

It probably doesn't take a genius to figure out what these are all about. Two of them relate to each other, the last one stands alone... but both issues have been all over the news. Racism, the injustice in our police system, bullying, parents not supporting their children, suicide... I can barely watch TV anymore because it's everywhere and it's heartbreaking.

What truly blows my mind though is that we have to point out that certain people's lives matter.

What?

Really?

We have to point out that lives matter?

Call me naive, but this seriously boggles my mind. We have to remind people that other people's lives matter.

Do you want to know what I wish we would see trending?

#AllLivesMatter

Black. White. Police. Transgender. Gay. Straight. Asian. Polynesian. Hispanic.

The list goes on and on and I can't list them all. But I don't want to list them all. Do you know why?

BECAUSE THEY ALL MATTER.

Whether you agree with their lifestyle, religion, life choices, whatever - THEY ALL MATTER.

The reason we shouldn't hurt, bully, or kill other people is simple. It's because they're people too and it breaks my heart that we need to point out specific groups of people saying whose lives matter and then other groups put out their own and then it almost becomes a competition of whose death is more tragic and makes a bigger difference.

Guys... all death is tragic. It's the biggest tragedy of our world. Because even if someone "deserves" it (whatever that means), it's tragic because they didn't get to live longer so they could make a change in their lives and choices.

Also because they're people too.

We need to make changes in our society and political and economic and police system. I understand this. People are outraged and exhausted of how it's been and are taking a stand. I understand this and support it.

But while all of this is happening, we need to remember the other side are people too. On both sides there are guilty and innocent people and situations. I think about stories like Game of Thrones and one of the reasons why I love the series so much. It's because George RR Martin shows that people aren't one dimensional and everyone has their own side to the story. Characters you LOVE and you think are the "good guys" make big mistakes. Characters you HATE suddenly have a plot line or a moment where you actually like them and feel bad for them. The villain always thinks they are the hero of their own story, right?

It reminds me of the musical Into the Woods. (So appropriate since the movie is out and everyone is seeing!) There's this song "No One Is Alone" and it's so perfect. It's in the part of the story where everything has gone wrong and it looks like there's no hope and the characters have to make some choices where they aren't sure if there is a right or wrong way to go.

People make mistakes. Fathers, Mothers,

People make mistakes, holding to their own,

Thinking they're alone.

Honor their mistakes, fight for their mistakes, everybody makes

one another's terrible mistakes.

Witches can be right, giants can be good.

you decide what's right you decide what's good

Just remember: someone is on your side

Someone else is not, while we're seeing our side, maybe we forgot: they are not alone.

No one is alone.

Can we just remember this during this time of unrest and anger and tragedy?

#AllLivesMatter

*additinal note: I want to be sure you all know that I understand why pointing out specific lives matter, particularly on some of these issues. I support that! What bothers me is that now people are adding these other ones and almost making it a competition and people not seeing here are two sides to every situation. Each side has mistakes and each side has innocence too. I hope that came across.