Chris Brown vs Rihanna

By now everyone's heard the story of Chris Brown beating up girlfriend Rihanna. What I want to talk about today is some people's reactions to the entire thing. But for clarification, I should point out that while I obviously don't and probably will never know what actually happened that night, I do in fact believe Chris Brown abused her. I'm sure there is some exaggeration in the reports, but he did apologize (half-heartedly), and you don't apologize for something that didn't happen.

I'm absolutely sickened by some of the reactions I've heard, all of them from women. Chris Brown has a lot of fans, and they all seem to be sticking by him. Ladies: This man hit a woman. Repeatedly. No matter who he is, this is inexcusable. If it came to be that Gerard Butler, who is my celebrity love, did that to a woman, I would be so digusted by this, I wouldn't know what to say. I would not continue to support him, nor would I make up excuses for that behaviour.

Friends of mine at work believe Rihanna "did this to herself" because she "seems like the type." Um, what? I don't honestly have a reply to that. I don't know what to say. I'm not really a Rihanna fan, but even I couldn't ever be that thoughtless and heartless. As it is, I feel so badly for her and can't imagine what it must be like to have to go through this.

Over at TMZ.com, a poster commented the following about the reported police photo from that night:

i believe that she provoked him into beating her down, and pretty much u can blame him 4 something he seen from his stepfather.

(Source: TMZ.com comments, #69.)

Another comment, on the same page, comment number 71:

WOW...SHE LOOKS HORRIBLE BUT I GUESS IF YOU PUSH SOMEONE TO A BREAKING PT. THEN I GUESS YOU WOULD HAVE TO SUFFER

I can't wrap my head around it. People actually believe that she provoked him and should have to suffer for it, and that Chris Brown isn't to blame because he saw it happen in his own household? Seriously? I wish I could tell these people

1. Violence is never okay or excusable. Even if Rihanna did "provoke" him in some way, there is absolutely, positiviely no acceptable reason or excuse for Chris Brown hitting/hurting her in any capacity. The same goes for all women out there who have been abused by their husbands/boyfriends - and yes, to all the men out there who get abused by their wives/girlfriends. (It does happen.)
2. Chris Brown should know better. If anything, he should have learned from his stepfather's mistakes. I have no idea whatsoever about his personal history, but if his stepfather was in fact beating up his [Chris's] mother, then he should know better than someone who has never witnessed abuse at all - know what it does to a person, and what the permanent effects of abuse are.

This should be taught in schools. If people really are that ignorant about abuse, then this sort of info should be grilled into people's heads: violence is not okay. Never ever, never once. (Well, with the exception of self-defense, but that's not the same thing.) And never should the victim be blamed for "provoking" or "asking" for it.

In conclusion, I hope Chris Brown's career goes down the tubes, and that he spends the rest of his life performing at malls and state fairs, at best. After he spends time in jail, of course. And Rihanna, and to any women out there who have to suffer through the same thing - stay strong. You're in our thoughts.