Mike Pence says “all lives matter” when asked repeatedly to say “Black lives matter”

“Let me say that what happened to George Floyd was a tragedy,” Pence said 6ABC Action News in Philadelphia to the question directly whether to say that Black lives matter. “And in this nation, especially on June 14, we celebrate the fact that since the founding of this nation we have nurtured the ideal that we are all, all created equal, and our creator endowed with certain inalienable rights. And so everything lives matter in a very real sense.”

The distinction between the terms “Black Matter of Life” and “Matter of All Lives” emerged as something of a cultural division amid a debate over racial equality across the state, which they touched on in recent weeks. The term “black matter of life” has gained widespread use in recent years as a way to draw particular attention to the deadly encounters between black Americans and police.

“Sorry to put pressure on you, sir,” anchor Brian Taff told Pence, “but I’ll notice you didn’t say those words, ‘Black lives matter,’ and there’s an important difference. People say, of course, all lives are essential, but pronouncing words is a confirmation that Black Life also has importance in this country when there seems to be a segment of our society that disagrees. So why won’t you utter those words? “

“Well, I don’t accept the fact, Brian, that there is a part of American society that disagrees in the value and importance of every human life,” Pence said. “And that’s one of the reasons why as we make progress on important law enforcement reforms, as we look for ways to strengthen and improve our public safety in our cities, we’re not going to stop there.”

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Pence continued to suppress the pre-pandemic unemployment rate and the development of economic “zones of opportunity”, adding that the administration is “absolutely determined to improve” the lives of African Americans.

“And yet, for the last time, you won’t say the words and we understand your explanation,” Taff replied.

He also asked the vice president about a video that President Donald Trump posted on Twitter on Thursday, which the social network described as “manipulated media.”

“When you look at a lot of the national news media these days, Brian, they seem to focus more every day on what divides us in this country,” Pence said. “And I think the president saw an opportunity with a good sense of humor to once again challenge the media narrative.”

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