Give Chris Brown a Donte Stallworth...I mean break!

by J-One Royal Fam

Everybody should have heard about teen sensation and heart-throb Chris Brown. He sang and danced into our hearts, living rooms, and iPods. His potential was on pace with his superior singing and dancing talent. Well... That is until he beat up his girlfriend, fellow songstress Rihanna.

We should all know the story by now. Recently, he's been to trial and sentenced. Some say it was not enough. Some say it was too much.

The problem that I have with this is not with the justice system. He did commit a crime, so he must and should do the time. The problem that I have is with the fans and fellow entertainers who have alienated him. Radio stations stopped playing his songs, he lost his endorsements, and he can't even perform.
It's like he can't go anywhere without someone making a big deal about him. I mean, come on Jay-Z, you wouldn't perform your song (which really isn't that good) at the BET awards if Chris did his. He is only trying to make a living just like you and your wife.

I'm not condoning anything that he's done, but it's not like he killed the girl. That would be something entirely different. Then, I could understand if no one wanted to air Chris Brown or have him headline their tour. The fool would be in prison.

Then, there is star wide receiver, for my beloved Cleveland Browns, Donte Stallworth. To put it bluntly... He killed a man while driving drunk. He was recently tried and sentenced to 30 days in jail. Not prison... JAIL! And, he even served only 24 days. Let me repeat myself... HE KILLED A MAN! This guy might even be able to play football somewhere (not with the NFL) again. Which is how he makes his living. I know that he is getting some grief from his peers, but I'm pretty sure the Browns will still play if he shows up to one of their games.

I don't know about you, but that is what I call a BREAK. Would it hurt a radio station's ratings if it played the new Chris Brown club banger? No, it would probably boost them. Would it have hurt BET if they'd let Chris Brown perform at the BET awards? They wouldn't have had Jay-Z, but I bet their ratings would have gone up as well. These questions and more lead me to this: In an urban entertainment industry that feeds off of violence, crime, prison, death, sex, and drugs, why is it okay to glorify most--if not all of this--but destroy that young man's career? After all, he is human and he is bound to make mistakes.

So, come on America... Please, give Chris Brown a Donte, because I know you can't wait for that hot, new club banger.

Open your eyes. That's what they're for.

J.R. Junior Says:
I would have to deem the media and the mental state of people in today's society the main culprits in this whole "oust Chris Brown fiasco". We are conditioned to hate any negative act towards women and children. Killing a man is bad, but hitting a woman or child is horrible and outrageous, and will not be tolerated.

Another thing you have to look at is the media itself. Television, radio, and magazines/newspapers are all businesses, first off, and businesses want to make money. Whether it's via viewer ratings that result in higher advertising dollars, or magazine/newspaper sales which equate to sales profits and more advertising dollars.

These companies consult with psychologists to determine what stories spark emotions in the people to get them to watch/read and become interested in a particular event. As a result, certain stories receive heavy media coverage while other, more alarming, stories rarely come to light. There was much more media attention (from what I saw) on the Chris Brown and Rhianna ordeal. I'll explain why in a few, but by the time I get there, you will probably already have figured it out.

It's the case of "The Missing Person". Always, the national light is cast upon the white woman. Many people go missing daily, but we seem to only see and hear about the pretty white girl or the slim, mildly attractive white woman. I know Rhianna is not white, but she does have the female part down, and she is far beyond mildly attractive. That's two positives attributed to her.

Then, you must look at Dante's victim, Mario Reyes. I haven't seen a picture or read much about him, neither am I the one to fall to the acceptance of stereotypes. But, reading his name and taking into consideration the fact that he was a near-60-year-old construction worker in southern Florida, I think it is safe for me to assume that he is Hispanic. So, we have the beautiful Islander (every man's dream) versus the old Hispanic man. Rihanna hands-down wins in media coverage, stealing a lot of light from the Stallworth case. And, who really cares about a poor, dead man?

And, media folks saw a perfectly good opportunity to further demonize the Black man. It was like... "Hey look! Young, Black men are beating up some of our world's most beautiful creatures." Yeah, just look at what happened to Michael Vick and DMX.

So, now, Chris Brown is a demon, and if a station plays a demon's record, they become demonic. As for Jay-Z. That's something a little different. He was just a little bitter, because he felt that no one should be hurting his mistress. It is never a good idea in entertainment to go against public outcry. Remember after 9/11, Dixie Chicks, in a time of over patriotism, made statements about President G.W. Bush that would be commended today but were frowned upon at the time. They were banned from several radio stations. (If only we had been listening to them...)

It's okay for Rihanna to sing, "I'm gon' fight a man tonight." It's okay to rap about murdering Black & Latino men or selling drugs to poor, pregnant, and minority women. Just don't touch the wealthy, beautiful sex objects. Turn Your Page.

Uneven Justice

Chris Brown gave Rihanna a beat down? Seriously? I am so out the loop these days when it comes to celebrity lives that I don't feel like a teenage girl anymore. I really need to get back into the gossip channels so that instead of worrying about important things, I can marvel in the lives of these superstars. Even if I know that it makes no difference in my life, I am going to be steadfast in my dedication to celebrity chatter with all my heart. I promise that no new couple will go undetected, no divorce or breakup unnoticed, and absolutely no crime will be looked over. ~ Typical American

I'm sorry, but I could care less about Chris Brown, Rihanna, or Dante Stallworth. I do, however, care about the millions of victims of domestic violence and the 15,000 plus people killed by drunk drivers per year. I especially care that each case gets handled evenly and just, and that the perpetrator gets a fair sentence.
There are many things wrong in American these days but our justice system has to be in the top 5. I mean, a man gets 23 months for killing a couple of dogs, but other man gets 30 days for killing other human. A man gets 15 years for taking back items that belonged to him, but there are hundreds(maybe thousands) of neighborhood crackheads that get off with a small stint in city jail for stealing other people's belongings. This uneven justice is a shame for a country that prides itself on being the best.
I could go on about victimless crimes (the "War on Drugs" in particular), the focus on punishment instead of rehabilitation, or the forced/coerced labor in the prisons, but for now, I'll settle on putting the right people in there for the correct amount of time.
~truffsekka