Matt Barnes Slammed For Posting ‘Black On Black Crime’ Is A ‘Bigger Issue’ Than Police Brutality
"A civilian that kills another civilian goes to prison. A cop does it and he/she has paid leave, no prison time, and the force lies for them..."
Retired NBA player Matt Barnes found himself at the center of backlash after posting an image quote to Instagram saying "Black on Black crime" is a "bigger issue" than police brutality.
“Y’all know I go hard on cops killing unarmed minorities, mostly blacks…Only because they’re paid to protect & serve, not to play judge jury & executioner! But we all know the bigger problem is we killing each other… Daily!!” Barnes captioned the post. ”We can point the finger [and] try to blame whomever but that’s facts!! We need to cherish this life, cause we only get one.. Stop doing s**t to fit in, to impress others or sell records.”
Although Barnes' post came after the death of XXXTentacion, the 38-year-old reportedly said it has nothing to do with the rapper's killing
While some people agreed with Barnes, others took issue with him conflating crime in Black neighborhoods with police brutality
Some accused Barnes of discrediting groups like BLM
In general, many believe it's problematic for Barnes to speak on both issues as if they are the same
Additionally, the term "Black on Black" crime has often been used by white people to spread racist rhetoric
