Prince Jackson isn’t getting the point just yet.
Michael Jackson‘s son felt the wrath of Twitter after using the hashtag #AllLivesMatter to argue that people shouldn’t only focus on protecting one race.
While the 19-year-old’s tweets were an outcry to stop the “hate and racist crimes happening everywhere to all people,” the fact that his comments were a reaction to two black men being fatally shot by police within a day of each other didn’t sit so well with the internet.
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The teen’s rant started out with an inspirational reference to his father, but went downhill with the concluding hashtag.
On Thursday, he shared:
We are now living in a world where it’s dangerous to go to public gatherings because of terrorist attacks and we cannot feel safe
— Prince Jackson (@princemjjjaxon) July 7, 2016
Because the one group of people who are tasked(and payed) for our protection are shooting our brothers and sisters.
— Prince Jackson (@princemjjjaxon) July 7, 2016
Everyone need to look in the mirror and start the change there because it’s not just black lives that matter it’s all lives.
— Prince Jackson (@princemjjjaxon) July 7, 2016
Something must be done. ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻🌎🌍🌏#AllLivesMatter #ManintheMirror
— Prince Jackson (@princemjjjaxon) July 7, 2016
Sure, his heart’s in the right place. But as critics pointed out, the teen failed to recognize that the #AllLivesMatter hashtag is all too commonly used to devalue the Black Lives Matter movement.
In his defense, Jackson tried to clarify his use of the hashtag:
If there is some confusion let me correct myself. Black lives do matter and unfortunately are being wrongfully executed
— Prince Jackson (@princemjjjaxon) July 7, 2016
But to focus on one race excludes other races. I was raised by the world and know how different races are prosecuted.
— Prince Jackson (@princemjjjaxon) July 7, 2016
Why just protect only one race I honestly cried when I saw #AltonSterling son cry because Ik what it’s like to have a father taken
— Prince Jackson (@princemjjjaxon) July 7, 2016
I understand that you want to focus on #blacklivesmatter but why only focus on one life that matters when all do?
— Prince Jackson (@princemjjjaxon) July 7, 2016
It’s obvious Prince is sympathetic to what happened and trying to preach equality for all races. We’ll give him that.
Even so, many people found Jackson’s hashtag use not only misguided, but taking the conversation away from the tragic deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
What do YOU think about the controversy? See what people had to say in hopes of educating MJ’s son (below)!
@princemjjjaxon because black people are getting murdered by people who are supposed to “protect” us… DO YOU NOT GET IT?
— florecita (@florecitaxo) July 7, 2016
.@princemjjjaxon if you were at a cancer conference for breast cancer, would you stand up and ask “what about lung cancer?” No, right?
— Marty. (@Atwitisborn) July 7, 2016
.@princemjjjaxon black lives matter does not exclude all lives matter. It just bringing to light that apparently black lives don’t matter.
— Marty. (@Atwitisborn) July 7, 2016
@princemjjjaxon omg Black Lives Matter isn’t excluding or devaluing other lives.
— nana ✊ (@getweirdlesy) July 7, 2016
@princemjjjaxon Do yourself a favor and watch the videos to “They Don’t Really Care About Us” by your father and educate yourself please.
— Gifty (@giftymccauley) July 7, 2016
@princemjjjaxon we shouldn’t protect only one race but it always seems like one race is constantly being targeted.
— princess amanda (@mandachick13) July 7, 2016
[Image via Instagram.]