BLUE LIVES MATTER

More than 300 demonstrators marched on the Capitol in support of the nation’s police

The deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner at the hands of white cops led hundreds of thousands ‘Black Lives Matter’ protesters to participate in anti-police demonstrations throughout the U.S., with some of those demonstrations still going on.

Right after the assassination of NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, three wives of DC cops, Kelly Wince, Bobbie Padgett and Rachel Bowman, used social media to organize a ‘Blue Lives Matter’ march and rally at the Capitol in support of the nation’s cops.

On Saturday more than 300 ‘Blue Lives Matter’ demonstrators marched in a sea of blue to the Capitol in support of the police. In addition to the “Blue Lives Matter” signs, some other signs read:

“We Are Part of the Blue Family”

“I Support My Man In Blue” (carried by women)

“Breathe Easy, Don’t Break the Law” (a reference to Garner’s ‘I can’t breathe’)

The protesters, many wearing blue t-shirts imprinted with ‘Blessed Are the Peacekeepers,’ marched from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial to the steps of the Capitol where they held their rally. The demonstrators were addressed by a number of speakers. Andy Maybo, chairman of the National Memorial Committee of the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, said:

“This is a blue family reunion. Blue lives matter. It’s not about Ferguson. It’s about supporting law-enforcement as a whole. Law-enforcement needs to be recognized as those who are there to protect and serve. No matter what the situation,” Maybo told the crowd, “law enforcement will be there for you.”

It was great to see a large group of demonstrators supporting the police. Kelly Wince, Bobbie Padgett and Rachel Bowman are to be commended for organizing the rally. I just wish there had been more people participating in the pro-police demonstration, especially since an anti-police, Sharpton-led rally at the Capitol attracted hundreds of thousands.

As for me, I agree that black lives matter. But cops are not out to kill blacks! Instead, they protect the black community day in and day out. That’s why I feel blue lives matter even more!