Brown, as most of you will recall, brutally attacked his then girlfriend the famous singer, Rihanna, last February, leaving her face bloody and badly bruised. It had only been a week or so since Brown's court hearing on domestic violence charges when he appeared on King's show. I suspect his motivation for doing the interview had more to do with saving what's left of his career then repenting for his criminal behavior.
The only sound I wanted to hear coming from Brown's direction was the "clink" of jail cell slamming shut. Sadly, Brown hasn't been forced to serve any hard time for his assault on Rihanna. I don't know who is writing some of our laws today, but there's a serious flaw in a justice system that would render a tougher sentence on a school student who gives another student aspirin on school property than a thug who beats and abuses women.
What's even more troublesome to me is the message that this lax, and lack of punishment for abusive behavior is sending to our young people. A week after Brown attacked Rihanna, I was shocked to read a story about the couple in the News and Observer in which several young people, who were interviewed for the article, actually blamed Rihanna for the beating. Even though those who were quoted in the article had never met Brown or Rihanna, they assumed that she probably got what she deserved because she had gotten out of line. They also seemed to be suggesting that a woman who was independent and had made her own way in this world without the help of a man couldn't be trusted.
Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if we're moving backward or forward in this country. Where do you think those young people adopted their bigoted and narrow-minded opinions, anyway? More often than not, their hatred is fueled by adults who harbor a misconceived notion that they are better than others, and somehow this screwy attitude gives them the right to treat their fellowman or woman as they see fit.
I don't know what will happen to Chris Brown in the future. If he doesn't seek counseling for his anger problem and use what's left of his influence to do something positive for women who are abused by their spouses, he's destined for a life of turmoil and trouble.
Many of us have either known ladies, or have a friend who is familiar with a lady, who has suffered abuse at the hands of her significant other. Personally, I've heard horror stories that have brought me to tears. Years ago, a friend told me about a woman whose in-laws would pick up her children when her husband returned from work because the in-laws didn't want their grandchildren to see their son abusing his wife.
Often, women who are victims of domestic violence are the most neglected segment of our society. It's well past time for us to let these abusers know that we're not going to tolerate their criminal behavior any longer and reach out to those women and children who are crying for our help. Let's adjust our attitudes before the next punch is thrown.
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