Is the Thin Blue Line symbol (becoming) anti-BLM?

[wambam]

Maybe I'm being naively optimistic, but I don't think it started out that way. But today? Yes, it's absolutely anti-BLM.

[andwhat]

And if someone/many people at a BLM protest scream fuck the police or kill those pigs, then all of BLM is anti-cop?

[brandnewday]

Feb 10, 2017 13:03:25 GMT -5 andwhat said:

I am just going to have to disagree with every damn person in this thread. 1. Thin blue line has been around forever. Before BLM, before 9/11. If I am not mistaken it goes back to the 60's. First it was a big secret. Only people who were LEOs knew what it meant. There is also a thin red line for fire fighters. Just because a group of the 700k LEOs in this country has used the thin blue line with the all lives matter nonsense, does not mean that all law enforcement agrees with it. It is a symbol of police, a symbol of community. It is something that was around that no one noticed or knew what it meant unless you were part of group.

There are so many black officers who believe in BLM and have the thin blue line somewhere in their life.

I will never understand why people are in such an uproar if a negative characteristic is attributed to any group, but it is ok to do so with law enforcement.

I relent to your first point about the blue line. I did not see it anywhere, even before the age of social media. I didn't know it was meant to be kept secret.

Blue Lives Matter as a slogan is in response to BLM. The slogan and symbol have become synonymous for bad reasons and representation. 700k officers is still something to be mindful of. That is not a small number. It has an even greater impact because it extends beyond officers to civilians who have to taken it's meaning to bring down BLM.SaveSave

[oliviapope]

Feb 10, 2017 13:19:09 GMT -5 andwhat said:

Well I am going to disagree that the thin blue line is now the confederate flag or Nazi symbol. But I am not going to change anyone's opinion. So I guess when you see a black officer with a thin blue line sticker on their car, you can just assume they hate all black people.

Yea. I'm not down with this. I used it when the Dallas officers were killed to show solidarity as my SO is LEO in Texas.

[pixy0stix]

Feb 10, 2017 13:19:09 GMT -5 andwhat said:

Well I am going to disagree that the thin blue line is now the confederate flag or Nazi symbol. But I am not going to change anyone's opinion. So I guess when you see a black officer with a thin blue line sticker on their car, you can just assume they hate all black people.

Well, that's why a lot of the comments here included the context. I can't remember the last time someone didn't pull out the "thin blue line" comment that wasn't in conjunction to protesting the BLM. That is my personal experience with it, and it's been a LOT in the last couple of years. You have a better experience with the symbol. Neither of our experiences discount the other. But I know for damn sure I'm not going to look for support from someone with a thin blue line symbol in their facebook profile in regards to anything BLM related.

[andwhat]

Feb 10, 2017 13:26:00 GMT -5 brandnewday said:

Feb 10, 2017 13:03:25 GMT -5 andwhat said:

I am just going to have to disagree with every damn person in this thread. 1. Thin blue line has been around forever. Before BLM, before 9/11. If I am not mistaken it goes back to the 60's. First it was a big secret. Only people who were LEOs knew what it meant. There is also a thin red line for fire fighters. Just because a group of the 700k LEOs in this country has used the thin blue line with the all lives matter nonsense, does not mean that all law enforcement agrees with it. It is a symbol of police, a symbol of community. It is something that was around that no one noticed or knew what it meant unless you were part of group.

There are so many black officers who believe in BLM and have the thin blue line somewhere in their life.

I will never understand why people are in such an uproar if a negative characteristic is attributed to any group, but it is ok to do so with law enforcement.

I relent to your first point about the blue line. I did not see it anywhere, even before the age of social media. I didn't know it was meant to be kept secret.

Blue Lives Matter as a slogan is in response to BLM. The slogan and symbol have become synonymous for bad reasons and representation. 700k officers is still something to be mindful of. That is not a small number. It has an even greater impact because it extends beyond officers to civilians who have to taken it's meaning to bring down BLM.SaveSave

But Blue Lives Matter (which I even hate typing) and Thin Blue line are 2 different things. Yes they both have a thin blue line, but they are not the same. 

[pixy0stix]

Also, it's important to note that we're talking about the symbol and not the phrase. Or at least I am.

[brandnewday]

Feb 10, 2017 13:25:56 GMT -5 andwhat said:

And if someone/many people at a BLM protest scream fuck the police or kill those pigs, then all of BLM is anti-cop?

Fuck the police was made more popular after NWA. It wasn't a phrase invented by them, but they made it popular. That sentiment has historical ties to the Panthers (and beyond) and their work against police brutality. I don't think that is quite a fair comparison.

When people shouted kill those pigs, I did not agree with that. I believe it was damaging. People were saying that after black people were gunned down by officers or after the officers got off in court. Again, it's not quite the same context.


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[andwhat]

Feb 10, 2017 13:29:58 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Also, it's important to note that we're talking about the symbol and not the phrase. Or at least I am.

But when an officer is killed in the line of duty there will be pictures of the officers badge number with a thin blue line over it. That has always been. Before BLM. That is the symbol. 

[oliviapope]

Feb 10, 2017 13:29:58 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Also, it's important to note that we're talking about the symbol and not the phrase. Or at least I am.

So any picture with a thin blue line? Because often that is how police departments acknowledge a death. The badge with a thin blue line across it.

I think the symbol and the phrase are two separate things entirely.

[andwhat]

Feb 10, 2017 13:33:22 GMT -5 brandnewday said:

Feb 10, 2017 13:25:56 GMT -5 andwhat said:

And if someone/many people at a BLM protest scream fuck the police or kill those pigs, then all of BLM is anti-cop?

Fuck the police was made more popular after NWA. It wasn't a phrase invented by them, but they made it popular. That sentiment has historical ties to the Panthers (and beyond) and their work against police brutality. I don't think that is quite a fair comparison.

When people shouted kill those pigs, I did not agree with that. I believe it was damaging. People were saying that after black people were gunned down by officers or after the officers got off in court. Again, it's not quite the same context.


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What I am saying is a argue with people to the end who try to say this is what BLM stands for. I will argue with people to the end who try to say that the thin blue line is anti-BLM. Now I do think Blue Lives Matter is anti-BLM, but again, those are 2 different things.

[PatBenatar]

I admit I wasn't aware of the history at all. The only time I've seen it is from people that are very pro trump/anti BLM.

[brandnewday]

Feb 10, 2017 13:28:46 GMT -5 andwhat said:

Feb 10, 2017 13:26:00 GMT -5 brandnewday said:

I relent to your first point about the blue line. I did not see it anywhere, even before the age of social media. I didn't know it was meant to be kept secret.

Blue Lives Matter as a slogan is in response to BLM. The slogan and symbol have become synonymous for bad reasons and representation. 700k officers is still something to be mindful of. That is not a small number. It has an even greater impact because it extends beyond officers to civilians who have to taken it's meaning to bring down BLM.SaveSave

But Blue Lives Matter (which I even hate typing) and Thin Blue line are 2 different things. Yes they both have a thin blue line, but they are not the same. 

I am saying that they have become interchangeable. Maybe not to some LEOs, but to most Americans. While I don't think the thin blue line can be really compared to a swastika, I think pixy's point is that symbols can change in meaning over time. That's happening now because people don't know the historical context of it. Just like I didn't before this post. I know how it's being used now by the wrong people and the attention they're getting.

I think social media has a huge role in its interpretation as well. SaveSave

[thejackpot]

I have never seen the thin blue line symbol before this thread. I knew the phrase and never took it as anti BLM. Blue lives matter is what I see as problematic.

[pixy0stix]

Feb 10, 2017 13:33:40 GMT -5 andwhat said:

But when an officer is killed in the line of duty there will be pictures of the officers badge number with a thin blue line over it. That has always been. Before BLM. That is the symbol. 

Feb 10, 2017 13:34:05 GMT -5 oliviapope said:

So any picture with a thin blue line? Because often that is how police departments acknowledge a death. The badge with a thin blue line across it.

I think the symbol and the phrase are two separate things entirely.

These are different than the flag I posted, which is what the OP is talking about. Taken contextually, the images you two are saying are different than what is being talked about here.

[Tacocat]

Feb 10, 2017 13:41:22 GMT -5 brandnewday said:

Feb 10, 2017 13:28:46 GMT -5 andwhat said:

But Blue Lives Matter (which I even hate typing) and Thin Blue line are 2 different things. Yes they both have a thin blue line, but they are not the same. 

I am saying that they have become interchangeable. Maybe not to some LEOs, but to most Americans. While I don't think the thin blue line can be really compared to a swastika, I think pixy's point is that symbols can change in meaning over time. That's happening now because people don't know the historical context of it. Just like I didn't before this post. I know how it's being used now by the wrong people and the attention they're getting.

I think social media has a huge role in its interpretation as well. SaveSave

I think people need to be educated on what the thin blue line means because I think it's common to think that symbol means "blue lives matter" when that's not the case. My H is in LE and we know many in LE and everyone I know has only used that symbol to recognize an officer that has passed away. I can see how people might equate the symbol to mean they are anti BLM or "blue lives matter" but I think a lot of people fail to remember how many LE officers were killed in the line of duty last year. Just because that symbol became more prevalent recently doesn't necessarily equate to meaning a symbol of racism. I just wanted to give a different perspective.

[pixy0stix]

Feb 10, 2017 13:41:22 GMT -5 brandnewday said:

Feb 10, 2017 13:28:46 GMT -5 andwhat said:

But Blue Lives Matter (which I even hate typing) and Thin Blue line are 2 different things. Yes they both have a thin blue line, but they are not the same. 

I am saying that they have become interchangeable. Maybe not to some LEOs, but to most Americans. While I don't think the thin blue line can be really compared to a swastika, I think pixy's point is that symbols can change in meaning over time. That's happening now because people don't know the historical context of it. Just like I didn't before this post. I know how it's being used now by the wrong people and the attention they're getting.

I think social media has a huge role in its interpretation as well. SaveSave

This was exactly my point. I did know what the historical interpretation of thin blue line was, though going into this discussion. I have several LEOs in my family.

FWIW, to google the image of the flag I posted, I googled "blue lives matter flag." The flag and other thin blue line imagery popped up. This isn't just coming out of the blue (no pun intended). 

[StrawberryBlondie]

I think this is a situation where context really matters. If I just see the symbol on someone's car with nothing else, I'm not going to assume anything other than that the owner is probably a cop. If I see it as your non-cop's facebook profile picture the day after Philando Castile's murder? Yes, I'll probably assume you're at minimum a little racist.

[bernsteincat]

I think the prevalence of Blue Lives Matter (for sure) and Thin Blue Line in the general public over the past few years in direct response to Black Lives Matter is intentional. For people connected to LE for a long time, I don't doubt it all holds a different connotation, but this is not a coincidence.

[brandnewday]

Feb 10, 2017 13:49:04 GMT -5 Tacocat said:

Feb 10, 2017 13:41:22 GMT -5 brandnewday said:

I am saying that they have become interchangeable. Maybe not to some LEOs, but to most Americans. While I don't think the thin blue line can be really compared to a swastika, I think pixy's point is that symbols can change in meaning over time. That's happening now because people don't know the historical context of it. Just like I didn't before this post. I know how it's being used now by the wrong people and the attention they're getting.

I think social media has a huge role in its interpretation as well. SaveSave

I think people need to be educated on what the thin blue line means because I think it's common to think that symbol means "blue lives matter" when that's not the case. My H is in LE and we know many in LE and everyone I know has only used that symbol to recognize an officer that has passed away. I can see how people might equate the symbol to mean they are anti BLM or "blue lives matter" but I think a lot of people fail to remember how many LE officers were killed in the line of duty last year. Just because that symbol became more prevalent recently doesn't necessarily equate to meaning a symbol of racism. I just wanted to give a different perspective.

I don't discount the LEO lost lives. It's a hard job, and I do not want it.

If this was a silent or secret form of solidarity, I feel like maybe the frustration is misplaced in this thread. People have been saying in thread that they see the symbol in response to an incident that sparks a BLM protest or action. That has been what I've seen in my social media. Not when the white men killed 6 officers in November. I didn't see one blue line profile picture or IG post.

If most civilians were purposefully kept in the dark about the meaning, and racist cops and family members began to change their profile after each BLM protest, it takes on a new meaning. I understand that might be upsetting, but it is rather minor in comparison to people dying needlessly and brutally. 


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[andwhat]

This is the thin blue line symbol. 


I think the flag with the blue line that pixy posted is the image for Blue Lives Matter, but I am not sure, I really try to ignore that. Even if you took this image and wrote Blue Lives Matter on it, it is not thin blue line. They mean and are 2 different things. 

[bernsteincat]

And I have a family member in the Minneapolis Sheriff Dept. that posts TBL and Blue Lives Matter imagery in response to black Lives Matter protests. I don't think the different images are easily differentiated any more.

[andwhat]

Feb 10, 2017 14:00:41 GMT -5 brandnewday said:

Feb 10, 2017 13:49:04 GMT -5 Tacocat said:

I think people need to be educated on what the thin blue line means because I think it's common to think that symbol means "blue lives matter" when that's not the case. My H is in LE and we know many in LE and everyone I know has only used that symbol to recognize an officer that has passed away. I can see how people might equate the symbol to mean they are anti BLM or "blue lives matter" but I think a lot of people fail to remember how many LE officers were killed in the line of duty last year. Just because that symbol became more prevalent recently doesn't necessarily equate to meaning a symbol of racism. I just wanted to give a different perspective.

I don't discount the LEO lost lives. It's a hard job, and I do not want it.

If this was a silent or secret form of solidarity, I feel like maybe the frustration is misplaced in this thread. People have been saying in thread that they see the symbol in response to an incident that sparks a BLM protest or action. That has been what I've seen in my social media. Not when the white men killed 6 officers in November. I didn't see one blue line profile picture or IG post.

If most civilians were purposefully kept in the dark about the meaning, and racist cops and family members began to change their profile after each BLM protest, it takes on a new meaning. I understand that might be upsetting, but it is rather minor in comparison to people dying needlessly and brutally. 


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Well obviously we are not friends on FB. I post every LEO death from a shooting (there are many more) on my FB. But I also post things against LEOs and all the news I hear about LEOs doing wrong on my FB as well. It is a very all over the place FB page.

I hate that the symbol has been co-opted but I will say despite me having many LEO friends on FB I do not see Blue Lives Matter stuff often and if I did I would call it out or block posts from that site. So I am sure I do not see it as much as most others.

But yes I think Blue Lives Matter people only care when a cop is killed by a non-white person and I have said that to people. 

[kadams767]

Feb 10, 2017 14:08:11 GMT -5 andwhat said:

This is the thin blue line symbol. 


I think the flag with the blue line that pixy posted is the image for Blue Lives Matter, but I am not sure, I really try to ignore that. Even if you took this image and wrote Blue Lives Matter on it, it is not thin blue line. They mean and are 2 different things. 

Can I ask you genuinely, would you fly the flag with the blue line or put the decal of the flag on your car? 

[andwhat]

Feb 10, 2017 14:14:20 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Feb 10, 2017 14:08:11 GMT -5 andwhat said:

This is the thin blue line symbol. 


I think the flag with the blue line that pixy posted is the image for Blue Lives Matter, but I am not sure, I really try to ignore that. Even if you took this image and wrote Blue Lives Matter on it, it is not thin blue line. They mean and are 2 different things. 

Can I ask you genuinely, would you fly the flag with the blue line or put the decal of the flag on your car? 

I don't and never said I did. I honestly think it is stupid for any cop to do so because it makes you a target. Cars have been shot at because they have the sticker on it. But it was done originally I think to get leeway from other cops when you were a civilian. You could only buy them from a small number of places and you had to have credentials. I don't know how it is now.
I have never seen anyone fly a thin blue line flag.SaveSave

[sparrowsong]

I think, unfortunately, the blue line is another victim of binary thinking and our general idiocracy. You are either for us or against us. Good or evil. Conservative or liberal. Pro-BLM or pro-police. There is a distinct lack of deeper thought on any of this by far too many.

[kadams767]

Feb 10, 2017 14:17:51 GMT -5 andwhat said:

Feb 10, 2017 14:14:20 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Can I ask you genuinely, would you fly the flag with the blue line or put the decal of the flag on your car? 

I don't and never said I did. I honestly think it is stupid for any cop to do so because it makes you a target. Cars have been shot at because they have the sticker on it. But it was done originally I think to get leeway from other cops when you were a civilian. You could only buy them from a small number of places and you had to have credentials. I don't know how it is now.
I have never seen anyone fly a thin blue line flag.SaveSave

Thanks.  I wasn't implying you said you did or would, I was just curious about it. 

[meganew]

The thin blue line has been around forever, and I wouldn't see it as a direct response to BLM because it's about police as a community.

Blue Lives Matter was a direct response to BLM so I see that very differently.

[Tacocat]

I just want to point out that you can be pro LE and pro BLM. One does not mean you are anti the other. I support both groups. Just like not every LEO is racist, not every BLM member is anti cop.

[wambam]

Also of note: there was a yard sign in my neighborhood with "Trump" written in the blue line.