Town Square, June 24, 2020

Town Square is an opinion column to which readers can submit their views. As a true community newspaper, we’re always looking for ways to include local thought and pertinent viewpoints. This column is a way to share those thoughts. Civility and fair comment will always prevail.
Readers had much to say about the “Black Lives Matter” mural painted in Cambridge.

THREATENED: I feel so helpless, don’t know how to help the community, the nation, with this problem of inequality and injustice. It’s disheartening to see and hear people around me insisting, “All lives matter.” Well, excuse me, but duh. Of course they do. But the lives that are being threatened, disproportionately, are those of people of color. Black lives matter y’all. Full stop.

DETOUR: I love seeing all the folks bothered by this. Take a detour if you don’t want to be on the street and go somewhere else, but black lives matter.

MAKING IT WORSE: Give me a break. All lives do matter. If it had been the opposite race, we would have never heard about it. All this is just making race issues worse. The point is that police need to be trained differently. The officer killed someone because they are trained to be violent first and ask questions later. It happens all the time to all races. That should be the focus of this not the race of the victim. I’m not a racist, never have seen color. I see people.

FUNNY RACISTS: Watching racists try to explain why the phrase “Black Lives Matter” deeply bothers them so much while also trying not to admit that they’re racist is lowkey hilarious. I love the art idea, can’t wait to see the final product in person.
COLOR IS BEAUTIFUL: I think you might be on to something about police training. That is one of the goals. Thank you for your support. You should try seeing color though. It’s beautiful.

A GOOD SIGN: This is pretty amazing in a town that my parents could not even eat a meal in a restaurant downtown. The same town that beat protesters inside Dizzyland restaurant back on July 12, 1963. It’s amazing to think roughly 50 years ago blacks weren’t even allowed to have basic rights in downtown Cambridge. This is a good signal that we can stand in solidarity.

ALM: All lives matter. If you need a color in front of those words, you’re a racist.
SPECIFIC CAUSE: Cancer matters. By this logic, can people no longer choose to support breast cancer or lung cancer specifically without the qualifier that all cancer matters? I respect your statement, but people are allowed to have movements where specific causes are supported, without being prejudiced towards another cause.
When someone is trying to save dolphins from going extinct does it mean that’s that’s the only thing in the ocean they’re concerned about? No, because they’re not mutually exclusive.
You can care about all life but focus on helping better the state of one. You’re making an argument no one is opposed to for the sake of arguing.

PRIDE: Way to go Cambridge, I’m proud of the words on our downtown street. Also proud of all that has helped make it happen. Please, people, don’t be offended.
SINGLING OUT: Why doesn’t it say, “All Lives Matter”? Don’t all lives matter? Isn’t that part of the problem? We are singleing people out.
PROMINENCE: It’s not at this time. We can’t belittle or water down the BLM with the inclusion of ALM. We need to address the necessary systemic problems of one before we begin the all inclusions. We are addressing just BLM now.
Eventually as the systems change and allow for the ALM to become necessary. Yes, all life matters completely. However, we are only addressing the one at this time to give it the prominence it’s required for a very long time.

LOCATION: If it was painted in a black neighborhood nobody would care.
AGITATION: Somebody is always stirring the racial pot. ALL lives matter.
SUPPORT FOR MURAL: What do you mean by “stirring the racial pot”? I know some black and brown residents really appreciate this and don’t feel at all that it’s pot stirring. I for one, as a tax-paying white resident, love seeing the support for BLM.

SHAME: It is shameful that the leadership of Cambridge will allow this. They are terrorists because they are using racial tension and fear to get political gain for a liberal agenda that will ultimately destroy our past, our present, and our future.
CHANGE NEEDED: Aare you afraid of black lives matters? What political gain do they have? I wasn’t aware that saying people matter was only a liberal agenda. I would think all people would agree but maybe that’s just me. I also feel like some things in our past need to be destroyed, but I’m interested to know what things in the present and future will be in your opinion? I would think making lives better for black and brown people is a good thing.

JUST VOTE: My belief is that if you want reform you go to the polls and vote. The past involves monuments that are being torn down, the present is teaching our children that it is ok to disrespect authority, and future is creating an America that has lost all focus on moral values and has had the past erased or destroyed.

Town Square - your public forum - is moderated by Dorchester Banner Editor Dave Ryan. Email your comments to dryan@newszap.com.