‘White Lives Matter’ Shirt Under Fire — But It’s Not What You Think

A shirt saying “White lives matter” pretty much comes across as a political statement in opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement these days. Not so, says the White Marlin Marina, which is using the phrase, as well as “Blue lives matter” on T-shirts. It claims it’s using the slogans as a way to raise awareness about the conservation of white and blue marlins.

George Lamplugh, who works at the Ocean City, Md., marina, designed the T-shirts, which also have images of an upside-down fish on the front. “The response has been mostly positive,” Lamplugh told Delmarva Daily Times.

Not surprisingly, this concept is seen as making a mockery of the Black Lives Matter movement — especially among members of the NAACP.

“Let me be clear, all lives do matter, whether they’re white or black, cop or civilian, fish or dog,” Worcester County NAACP President Ivory Smith said in an interview with CBS. “However, we’re living in a time where African-Americans are suffering from a disproportionate amount of violence, and we do need to address that.“

Smith added, “I wouldn’t be surprised if someone wearing these shirts got punched in the face.”

“Any fisherman will know that the upside-down marlin flag means we are catching and releasing. That’s what that symbol means, and I believe people know that. As soon as we bring in the first black marlin, we’ll have a Black Lives Matter shirt,” he told the Delmarva Daily Times.

The public has also been reacting to this cavalier phrasing on the shirt. “You are terrible, and you should feel terrible trying to piggyback on a just cause for profit,” wrote one angry Google reviewer. Another reviewer wrote: “Black Lives Matter. Your pathetic trolling does not.”

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.