A conservationist in Africa began to be concerned about the
Rhinoceros species. Although there are
approximately 20,000 rhinos today, about 20% of them are in captivity (zoos),
while over 20% of the overall population is being poached each year due to the
value of their horns. At that rate it
appears that the species cannot stand for long except behind the bars of
incarceration.
While this
conservationist was starting a movement called the #rhinoslivesmatter movement,
one of his friends told him that he was offended that he was saying that rhinos
lives matter when in fact all the animals lives matter, including the African buffalo. The conservationist told his friend, “Yes,
the African buffalo is a wonderful animal too, but while there are 900,000 buffalo, the rhinoceros is
endangered, and if something is not done it will go extinct.”
The friend said, “But I always see pictures
of rhinos in my flip calendar, and when I take my kids to the zoo the rhinos
are always there. I think I am going to
start a movement called the #allungulatesmatter movement, proving that all ungulates,
whether buffalo, bison, rhino, zebra, deer, or hippo. It’s not just the rhinos that matter, but the
other ungulates matter too.”
The conservationist replied to his friend, “I am in no way
against other ungulates, but this is a critical point in history for this
species of ungulate. Rhinos are being
murdered and incarcerated at rates beyond other ungulates so that very soon the
only way to see a rhino will be behind the walls of a zoo or it horn that was
cut off. African buffalos are also a
beautiful animal, but they are not being poached or taken captive at near the same rate. The poachers have a great monetary incentive
to kill the rhino, while no such incentive exists with the buffalo. The reason I am saying #rhinoslivesmatter is
because it seems that I am a lone voice in a world bent on the extermination of
the rhino, and rhinos need someone to advocate for them before it is too
late. For you to say #allungulatesmatter
misses the whole point that it is rhinos lives that are being poached in such
numbers that threaten speciesicide.
Friend, would you understand that I need your help. Are you listening? Do you hear my heart?”
#blacklivesmatter in a Christian context is like one body
part hurting and needing the body to respond to the hurt. “If one member suffers, all suffer together”
(1 Corinthians 12:26).
I, as a white male, cannot understand what it is like for a
black man in today’s culture. So I pray
that I will listen more to my black brothers than talk about them or to
them. I pray this as someone who loves
to talk and is bad at listening. “Lord,
give me a listening spirit. Amen.”
Christian idea: listen to my brother
A great book to provide information on the topic of the mass
incarceration of black males is The New
Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. 
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