Hey, Black Lives Matter rioters: In rioting to emphasize that black lives really, really matter, consider this headline from the Chicago Tribune's online edition, about some stark realities regarding the matters of black lives in Cook County:

Homicides in Cook County are already past all of last year, and most of the victims were people of color

Just weeks into September, homicides in Cook County have already passed the total for all of last year, with nearly all the victims people of color, according to the medical examiner's office.

According to the report from the Cook County Medical Examiner, 95% of the 677 homicide victims this year were people of color, and the vast majority of the homicides, 565, occurred in Chicago.  Breaking down these numbers down further,  the report bluntly noted that 79% of the victims were black, 16% Hispanic (mainly Mexican or Puerto Rican), and 5% white (mainly people of European descent).  No Asians have been murdered so far this year in Cook County.  These numbers do not match the racial/ethnic/demographic composition of Cook County, which is 

White (Non-Hispanic) (41.9%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (22.8%), White (Hispanic) (15.3%), Some Other Race (Hispanic) (8.76%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (7.47%). 

Approximately, 53% of Cook County's residents live in Chicago.

Although many of the murders have not been solved, police believe that the black victims were murdered by other black individuals, the Hispanic victims by other Hispanics, and the white victims by other whites.  However, in a notorious recent murder last week, a black male adolescent stabbed a female Hispanic as she was stocking shelves in a neighborhood Walgreens.   

In other words, tragically, although the report didn't explicitly state this, many black people do not believe that black lives matter.

Shortly after this headline was prominently displayed in the online edition highlighting the important news of the day and accessible to all, it was removed; the headline and the complete article were buried, available only to those who had a paid subscription.  Busy as the Black Lives Matter rioters were, insisting that black lives matter and undoubtedly not willing to pay for a subscription to a white-owned news site, they did not learn that for many black people, black lives definitely do not matter.  

Should someone tell them?  The mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, is a black lesbian; the president of the Cook County Board is a black female; the head of the so far non-defunded Chicago Police Department is a black male.   Hmmm, maybe these influential government officials  should inform the Black Lives Matter mostly peaceful rioters and looters to take their message to the neighborhoods where there are so many black lives struggling to live safely amidst constant danger by other...no, not white police, but by other blacks.  

But would the selfish, destructive Black Lives Matter rioters listen to the words off black government officials?  Up to now they haven't.

Because matters regarding black lives don't matter to them; selfish acting out is the only thing that matters to them.  And innocent black lives are suffering.

Image credit: Pixabay public domain.