Why is Charlie Sheen better than Chris Brown?




Where shall I start?

First, I’ll say this. Domestic violence is a crime. I do not, have not, and will not condone violence against any innocent man, woman nor child.

If you will, please indulge me for a moment. I’d like to offer a comparison. A comparison between singer Chris Brown and actor Charlie Sheen. I chose Charlie for my comparison because he too, was recently arrested for assaulting a woman, his wife…on Christmas Day; just 6 months ago.

But, by looking inside the Court of Public Opinion, it’s very hard to comprehend that Mr. Sheen, too, has committed an abuse toward a woman; better yet, WOMEN. Sheen threatened his wife’s life with a knife to her throat-just last Christmas. This is according to his wife’s statements to the police. She also, wasn’t the first woman to accuse Mr. Sheen of something.

I’d like to provide a brief background on Mr. Charlie Sheen, or shall I say, Mr. Hollywood, or His Highness:

In his early 20s, Sheen has a daughter, Cassandra, with his “baby-mamma,” Paula.

In 1990, Sheen accidentally shoots his former fiancee, Kelly Preston in the arm. She decides not to marry him…a…duh.

In 1995, Sheen is noted as a client to Heidi Fleiss. Sheen testified to spending $53,000 on prostitutes.

In 1995, He marries Donna Peele. He also settles a case out of court with a UCLA student who claims that he hit her in the back of the head, after she refuses sex.

In 1997, Sheen pleads no contest to battery charges of splitting the lip, and throwing to the ground, former girlfriend Brittany Ashland. He only received a year’s suspended sentence, two years’ probation and a $2,800 fine.

Soon thereafter, Mr. Sheen was rewarded for his behavior by getting the role on the sitcom “Spin City.” The 71 days remaining on his probation were dropped as an extra bonus.

In 1998, Sheen enters rehab. Sheen was admitted to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks outside of LA, reportedly because of a drug overdose.


In 2005
, Sheen’s pregnant wife, Denise Richards, files for divorce. She accuses him of plenty of things; prostitutes, drugs, alcohol and gambling.

On December 25, 2009, Christmas Day, Sheen is arrested on felony menacing charges against his wife, Brooke Mueller. She tells police that Sheen threatened her with a knife to her throat.

Currently good-ole Charlie is awaiting his plea-bargain. Sheen will plead no contest to misdemeanor assault and will be sentenced to 30 days in jail. It has been reported that Sheen will only really serve 17 days of this 30-day sentence, while taking part in a work release program at Theatre Aspen.

Who doesn’t love Aspen? Sheen will get to leave the jail by 8 a.m., before “jail breakfast”,of course, to go work with some adoring fans at the theater, then return just in time, after dinner at 8 p.m., to the jail.

I’m sorry, I know that I said this would be a BRIEF background, but who would have known that 45-year-old Charlie Sheen has cut such a fool over the past 20 years.

I should also remind some folks that his BIRTH name is, Carlos Irwin Estevez. Who knew that by simply changing a name, such ease in our judicial system would come. I’ll be sure to send this tid-bit down to our brown sisters and brothers in Arizona; that and some sunblock. Back to my comparison…

So on the other hand, we have Chris Brown, who at the age of 19 got into an argument, which led to physical violence, with his then girlfriend, singer Rhianna. Chris has no history of charges of any previous domestic violence.

But, Brown, who isn’t even old enough to drink the alcohol that Sheen was accused by his ex-wife of abusing, was sentenced to five years probation and 180 days of community labor to be served in Virginia. He will also complete a year of domestic violence classes, and pay fines.

I saw the pictures of Chris Brown in that orange jail suit, out there whacking weeds in that Virginia field. That was no ride in the park, no crispy clean Aspen weather, that’s for sure.

Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault by means likely to cause great bodily injury.

This felony is the one that’s keeping Brown out of the UK. Britain doesn’t want to extend a visa to Chris Brown. He was recently forced to postpone a three-date Fan Appreciation Tour in England and Ireland because his work visa was denied.

At this point in the story, I’d like to suggest that Chris Brown fires all of his attorneys. Brown, who has no previous record, gets a felony, while Sheen–full of priors, pleads no-contest to a misdemeanor assault.

Charlie obviously does what he wants, when he wants. Chris, I bet Charlie can go work in the UK…

About 10 or so months after the February 2009 altercation between Brown and Rhianna, Brown reportedly stated that he could not find his newly-released CD, “Graffitti” in any Walmart stores. This–after his fans gladly informed him on his previous twitter account, Mechanical Dummy. Walmart never to my knowledge, admitted to this. The CD had dismal first-week sales.

Meanwhile in other, “your rules mean nothing to me” news, Charlie Sheen just signed a 2-year contract with CBS, for the long-running sitcom, that I have never seen,”Two and a Half Men.” I heard that Sheen is supposed to get up to $2 million per sitcom episode. Sheen, hasn’t even gone to jail yet, and he’s ‘stackin that chedda.’

This past Sunday, Chris Brown performed on the BET Music Awards. He performed his year-late tribute to the deceased-Michael Jackson. While attempting to sing, Michael Jackson’s, “Man In the Mirror,” Brown broke down crying. I don’t know about you, but I accept his tears, I accept his apologies. I am no judge nor jury. The hatchet that you sharpen for the next person neck, may very well be the one used to cut your own.

What Chris did was wrong. It was terribly wrong. But I’ll offer Chris Brown the following advice:

Mr. Brown, please review the timeline of Mr. Sheen. This is your guidebook on what NOT to do. It’s obvious that you are being held to a higher moral ground than that of Charlie Sheen. Chris, please, rise to the occasion. Be the upstanding young man that we all want and expect you to be. If you can do that, I wish you much success.

Written by
Richelle R. Ransom



(Richelle R. Ransom is a Broadcast Journalism graduate of FAMU. She is currently in Oprah’s OWNetwork contest to get her OWN Show, “NEW.” You can vote for this HBCU grad here>> www.richelleransom.com)


41 responses to “Why is Charlie Sheen better than Chris Brown?”

  1. Had the same discussion with Tirani just this morning…glad to see that you’ve brought it up for discussion in the cyber-world!!

  2. I totally agree with you what they BOTH did was wrong and BOTH should be punished . Unfortunetly there is no perfect Justice System

  3. both of these fools are effed up. Sheen is off the hook and out of control. He is held at a different standard because he is seen as “white”. That isn’t new nor is it news. For that very reason young black boys and girls KNOW they have to do and be better (black tax).
    Chris was young that’s the only reason i would reconsider buying his CD. the reason I dont, is because of his antics following the violence. the mtv interview THE SAME DAY rihanna had her diane sawyer interview. the acting up in Miami. The “oops” necklace nobody thought was funny, the phoney tears on BET and promise he “wont let us down ever again”. He is a PR nightmare. He is super concerned with his own career and image instead of being sincerely sorry.
    He should have: disappeared for a while, started seeing a well-known THERAPIST, made a better public apology, made an i’m sorry song about it, hooked up with a charity, stopped getting tattoos, pulled up his pants, became a member of a church and apologized to rihanna infront of the cameras everytime he showed up at an awards show. put his pride down and act like you’ve learned and you mean it. he doesnt and i’m over him.
    charlie sheen is a drunk and a moron and i hope karma isn’t done taking a bite out of his ass. I won’t be watching his show either. Nice try on the comparison but i’m not sold-it isn’t new that blacks are discriminated against and held at a higher standard- that’s why they should think twice before actin’ the fool.

  4. Thank you for a very well written and well researched article. Everybody loves to give celebrities another chance…unless they are black. I rarely get into the whole race thing because I think entirely too much is blamed on race but there is a huge discrepancy in the attitudes of African Americans towards our “stars” then that of European Americans.
    We are so quick to vilify. I do not condone domestic violence but I do not see every case in black and white either, there is some gray. Chris at age 19 is still learning how to control his emotions and he grew up in a volatile household so he definitely needed extra care and guidance with communication. Pair that with a young woman who seems to feel like so many women do these days (that it is okay to poke/pinch/yell at/slap a man) and like Eminem said “that’s what you get when you mix a tornado with a volcano”.
    He was not right and deserved punishment and HELP, as did she. I think the pictures of her are what put it over the top for most. I sincerely hope the officers that sold the pictures were persecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Many athletes are well known abusers but still get the million dollar contracts and endorsements because they have been able to “leave no evidence” but people know.
    The whole situation is sad and I was so happy that BET gave Chris a shot when no one else would and I pray it opens doors for him.

  5. I also agree with you. Standards should be set high for & by all races. By the way, I hope you win the contest!

  6. Domestic violence is never right. Violence is never right. The problem exist because as humans, we err, we grow & we hopefully mature to learn to be & do better.

    Your post shines light on an issue that people never truly want to address, justice. Justice is something that is right for every living being & injustice gives life to anarchy. This anarchy results from gross inequities in how justice is dealt out.

    It’s clear that Charlie Sheen has a LONG history of abusing numerous women throughout his life, while Chris Brown has 1 instance of DV. Since such time, Chris’s career has suffered & his apologies have consistently fallen on deaf ears. These same deaf ears are held by tongue-tied individuals of great knowledge & influence within the Black community. The fulcrum of justice when you compare Charlie Sheen to Chris Brown is ridiculously lopsided. Where are the voices of conscious that say if Charlie Sheen is allowed to prosper unscathed by his criminal past, why is Chris Brown not allowed to do the same?

    I don’t need to name the rappers who are ex-drug dealers who now are profiting greatly from the success of their creative abilities. Where are the women & men of consciousness opposing forgiveness & reconciliation for these individuals who have destroyed families, communities & lives of thousands of people? It seems the issue is deeper than even Charlie Sheen & Chris Brown, but a complete lack of wisdom as it relates to justice in society.

    Ultimately, God is the only grantor of forgiveness but in our society we have inherent states of amnesia in the dealing out of dignity to people who have fallen short of “glory.” Chris Brown’s skin color, his age, his looks & a corporate machine that loves to castrate Black men have everything to do with how he has been treated in the media. He was wrong for what he did but just as Charlie Sheen is allowed to live & succeed, so should he.

  7. While I completely agree with your comparison between the two men I think the problem that Chris had was he assulted a well known public figure. Celebrities gain more attention I think if rhianna wasn’t famous he wouldn’t have been punished as harshly as he did. In our justice system we can go through and compare many unfair sentences for the same crime. I have seen two people do the same crime and 1 person recieved a life sentence in the other got 10 years. Our justice system isn’t balanced but as a celebrity all bets are off when you hurt one that so many know and love. One last point Charlie Sheen has been accused of many crimes and might be guilty on all but the problem again Chris faces was the proof of Rhianna’s wombs people also react a lot differently to visual and differently when one only has accusations against them.

  8. i agree and must say that you have brought unbiased insight to the situation and I see we share the same alma mater.

    @Kristin Rihanna is a public figure but every single one of Charlie Sheen’s girlfriends/wives/victims were actresses (sans baby mama, Paula)

  9. @ Christian Joy I know his ex were actress my point is the level of celebrity they are I bet if Beyonce was hit by Jay Z it would gain way more outrage than if Michelle from destinys child was in the same position. Rhianna is a huge figure and the outrage will be greater that’s just how it is. I definently think the star status that Rhianna has definently played a role. But don’t mistake it I think he definently was due the punishment he recieved

  10. Domestic violence is totally wrong. I have to point this out: I have lots of female friends who think they can fight men and this is part of the problem. We are all humans and there is a very thin line between being civil and being wild. We all have that wild instinct in us and once challenged, t is uncontrollable. I am not here to judge. All I want to say is that once you hit, expect aggression in return.
    Richelle points out some striking facts which show on one hand, a pattern similar to…. yet Mr. Sheen comes out of it with bigger pockets.
    Mr. Brown on the other hand, decent young man, inspiring to many, is tarnished by an incident blown out of proportions. The sad thing is that people who are supposed to support him, gave him up and when he needed it the most.
    I m not a parent but I think, when you have a child who goes out of line, the best way to teach is not to reject but rather take him under one’s wings and show him the right path.
    I feel bad for what happened but I do not think Chris was fairly treated.
    In 2010, I found it difficult to digest that there is a justice a double vitesse, like we say in French.

  11. This was a good read, and informative. I knew Sheen had some domestic violence issues recently, but I never looked further into his history. Had know idea about the earlier cases. That said, the last thing I watched Sheen in was Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, so he hasn’t received any support from me. Neither has Chris Brown, the only thing I will be indirectly supporting is “Takers” and it surely isn’t because of him (sorry, I’m usually on point with my boycott skills, but I cannot miss Idris or T.I. or Ealy *smile*). I didn’t care for his music prior to the Rihanna beatdown, so I didn’t lose anything after it happened.

    As for his performance, I started to give him his props but then the tears came and I was pissed that it took shine from the tribute to MJ. I didn’t buy the tears. That said, I think he deserves a second chance at a career. I applaud your pointing out the double standard between him and Sheen. Perhaps he’ll get another shot at doing things right…

    -bc

  12. Some good points, but very incomplete analysis.

    One, some of the cases involving Sheen may not have had physical evidence. Having a “he said she said” case can lead to different outcomes. Although it is not impossible, it is difficult to prosecute cases that rely solely on the word of the victim. Prosecuting DV obviously becomes impossible if you have a victim who is unwilling to cooperate, which brings me to my second point.

    Two, the willingness of the victim to pursue a case is critical. In Brown’s case, Rihanna cooperated. I don’t know if Sheen’s wife changed her story or became uncooperative. It seems clear that in the 1995 case, the victim did not cooperate. Now maybe he bought her off, maybe it never happened. We will never know because it was never litigated in court. While you don’t seem to think that is important, it is. Without knowing the story from both sides, there is no way to know what really happened. You can’t use it as evidence of Sheen’s wrongdoing. It’s all speculation.

    As for the 1997 case (which is comparable), how is Brown’s sentence significantly different than Sheen’s? Neither had to do jail time. Both were put on probation, although Brown’s probation is a little longer. This hardly seems like evidence that they were treated very differently by the law.

    Overall, I think you approached your article with the viewpoint that race was the bigger factor in disparate treatment. However, it doesn’t look like they have been treated very differently by the law when comparing similar charges. You shouldn’t be comparing Sheen’s 2009 and Brown’s 2009 case because they are different circumstances. The more appropriate comparison would be between Sheen’s 1997 charge and Brown’s 2009. Comparing those, they were both treated in a similar way.

    Now if you want to talk about how both didn’t get very harsh treatment for beating on women, I am with you. It is a damn shame how little jail time men who beat women actually serve in jail, particularly when the offender is affluent.

  13. That was well said. To see it all laid out like that about Sheen pretty much speaks for itself. And I was critical of Chris Brown in the past but now I think that he deserves a second chance. I also thought he was sincere at the awards show.

  14. I feel that there are several reasons why Chris was treated differently from Charlie besides the obviously. Charlie comes from a predominant hollywood family. This means that his family had the connects and money to get Charlie out of trouble when he was younger.

    Since Charlie has become a celeb in his own right he has alot more money than Chris to hire the best criminal attorneys money can buy. Clearly, Chris does not have the money or connects like Charlie.

    Charlie’s victim’s have been no names and we didn’t see the pictures. I know that ol girl being a celeb was a major factor in this case. The pictures were the icing on the cake.

    I feel that money and power was at play in the case not just race.

    Black people are very judgemental and un-forgiving. We crucified Chris in the media ourselves. Other powerful male stars turned their black on him instead of embracing him and teaching him about being a man. I don’t condone what he did and never will. But, I have never seen nor heard white folks turn against Charlie.

    Some, black radio would not play his music but that was not criticized. We quickly jumped on the race issue. The real question should be if we have forgiven him and everyone makes mistakes why didn’t we buy his CD?

    Why do we expect so much understanding and forgiveness from the justice system when we aren’t doing it ourselves?

  15. Great Job! Thought I was reading USA Today or NY Times. I accepted his “apology/breakdown” last Sunday as well. I know he is not the first offender of domestic violence (i.e. Carlos “Charlie Sheen” Estevez). Not to mention, I don’t have any stones in my hand to cast at Chris nor anyone else for that matter. I believe it was blown out of proportion due to the mere fact that it was two young, successful African-American music stars involved. Did Rhianna benefit from this fiasco? (I’m really asking but I highly doubt it.) Sheen’s wife has no “superstar” status that I’m aware of. So there’s nothing really to work with (ex tabloids and star studded magazines). Consequently, Sheen has a short record. You have a detailed timeline, but only a battery charge and most recently a menacing charge has been filed. All other events have been accusations, handled outside of court or gone unreported. I feel Chris Brown is on the rebound and the BET awards proved it. He’s starring in a summer blockbuster in August. So who needs England and Ireland anyway?

  16. I had no idea Charlie Sheen had such a history, that’s ridiculous. I’ve never been a fan of either CB or CS, but it’s clear that being a bigger celebrity definitely gets you perks, Charlie will continue to behave like an idiot because people find it more important for him to be on TV than to be punished for his crimes.

    My only issue with Chris Brown (other than the obvious) was when he and his Mother went on Larry King, they answered no questions and frankly behaved like they had no idea what happened to Rhianna. I really think he needs a new publicist because that whole situation was handled poorly. As for his performance last night, like I said, I’ve never been a fan, I think it was ok, but I think the tears were to cover up the fact that he was not singing “Man in the Mirror” very well. A few radio stations here in LA commented on that, he was not hitting the right notes, so in a effort to not look like a fool, he cried. So his next step should be to enroll in some acting classes because that whole breakdown was less than stellar.

  17. This is a hard one for me. I cannot and will not abide domestic or any type of violence and I do see some comparisons, but my issue with Chris Brown was that he displayed nothing but arrogance after he beat Rhianna. The fact that he did not have the legal and PR machine that Charlie Sheen is apparent, but he didn’t get remoseful until it hit him in his pocket. I don’t know if his tears or his remorse are genuine, but I hope they were. I don’t know if because he doesn’t have a record he hasn’t hit any of his previous girlfriends before, I hope and pray he hasn’t. I do believe he deserves a second chance, we all do. I pray that he does not hit another woman and will do some work to see what the lives of victims of DV are like for those who do not have the money, managers, Loubotins and Jay Zs that Rhianna does.

    I do have big problems with Charlie Sheen and his behavior. However, I think they both should have served time so the fact that they both got probation is the same to me regardless of the duration.

  18. Charlie Sheen is white and Chris Brown is Black and that is why Charlie has gotten away with so much and they are trying to lynch Chris…

  19. What a well-written, thought-provoking and insightful article. I agree that level of celebrity, connections i.e. power, and money all played a part, however from crack vs. cocaine to misdemeanor vs. murder the gross RACE-BASED INEQUITIES in our justice system continue unchecked. The question is what will it take to bring the criminal justice field to across the board sentencing – equal time for equal crime?

    I wish Chris and Rhianna the best and it seems they both learned from this unfortunate incident. I hope we all did.

    @ Roslind yes, I definitely agree: we are too quick to throw each other under the bus. However, I noticed how black male celebs would not condemn Chris Brown too harshly though despite being pressured by Hollywood to do so. It seemed like they were almost being forced and THAT made me angry! I felt like “I don’t care if he’s ‘your boy’ he’s wrong, SAY SO! AND I felt like ‘why don’t these white stars stop questioning black ones to see how they feel about it?”

    We NEEDED to let him know we don’t approve and he was wrong, then pick him up and help him back on his feet. Looks like that’s where we are now.

  20. Thanks as always for your excellent work and for sharing your views.

    I personally have a soft spot in my heart for underdogs, and can be very forgiving. I prefer the redemption story to the punishment tale every time.

    I think the main differences here – none of them grand revelations – are Sheen’s age, his celebrity pedigree, and his race. To the culturally deficient eye, Chris Brown looks no different than Tupac, Pacman Jones, or any other “dangerous young Negro” dragged mercilessly through the wringer of the media. These “terrifying ghetto youths”, however, engage people n the media the same way non-NASCAR fans watch car races to see people crash.

    To be fair, Sheen did go through his time when he was persona non grata in Hollywood. He had a significant career lull, but was able to come out the other side highly successful. Some redemption, but apparently he isn’t a better person. I hope Chris Brown is able to experience genuine change. Maybe he started last night.

  21. This is exactly what I’ve been saying since! Thank you so much for bringing this to light. And the best way to answer the question of why “Charlie Sheen is better than Chris Brown?” is quite simple: Charlie is WHITE and Chris is BLACK. And when a Black person slips up and makes a mistake, the public has no problem writing them off forever. There are many White celebrities that have committed similar acts and have been as fortunate as Charlie. Eminem has been reported to have abused his wife Kim, and Tommy Lee and Pam have a history of having a volatile relationship. But it wasn’t difficult for us to welcome these people back. Chris was 19 when this happened and people wanted to end his career on the spot. In any situation, White people have been accepted more frequently and faster than with Black people. Britney Spears had a breakdown and abused drugs, yet she came back and dominated the charts and sold out tours. Whitney Houston battled with drugs and came back and where is she now? We don’t care to follow up and uplift people the way we continue to do with our White celebrities. We need to make a change. No one is disputing the fact that domestic violence is not a crime that one should pay for, but Chris is still serving his time and he is trying to make an effort. Who are we to judge and say his career is over? Why can’t we embrace EVERYONE who is struggling to change? Why does this color barrier have to follow us in every aspect? Let’s make that change!

  22. Amen Richelle. Chis actions so far has led me to believe that he won’t let us down. I so enjoy his style of entertaining and his acting career should take him far. I am a 60 year-old woman who has seen the work of the Lord with my own eyes in my personal life. I pray that He wraps his arms around Chris and lift him up out of this dark place where people are being so judgemental and just plain cruel. We have no way of knowing if some of the people that are judging him are guilty of this same crime or are victims of sorts and want to hold him responsible for that father, brother, boyfriend or husband who abused them and they couldn’t or didn’t press charges against them. I would like to hope not, but I believe I know better. Well, you have opened my eyes tonight. With your article, my prayers, his fans, family and friends, I do believe in my heart Chris will be okay. Thank you Richelle and God Bless You.

  23. “Black people are very judgemental and un-forgiving. We crucified Chris in the media ourselves. Other powerful male stars turned their black on him instead of embracing him and teaching him about being a man. I don’t condone what he did and never will. But, I have never seen nor heard white folks turn against Charlie.”

    I disagree with the above statement. Black people are forgiving to a fault. The real problem is: Black people have to be told what to think,feel, or how to act by the media. (Look no further than the 70’s Blaxploitation films, the Gangsta rap movement, etc.) The Rihanna images were so brutal, you can’t help but to feel sorry for Rihanna. Now that people are seeing her unstable actions, the ice is starting to thaw.

    This article is brilliant!!! I was thinking the same thing when I woke up this morning, but you confirm, with facts, why I feel the way I do. I have also been tracking other examples of Media imbalance, when it comes to the portrayal of people of color. In my Book Plain Talk vol. 1, I talk about a media theory that I call: “Piling it on.” I cite examples like Mike Vick–as opposed to Big Ben (Steelers’ QB) Kanye West–as opposed to John Mayer and Serena Williams–as opposed to John McEnroe. Now add this situation to confirm my theory.

    http://www.plaintalk2010.com
    http://www.plaintalk2011.com

  24. This is yet another excellent article. This is one more example of how the justice system can be quite unjust. It’s simply amazing to me how people feel the need to not only judge Chris Brown, but also want to hold this against him forever; yet excuses are made for others who have a lengthy criminal history. Clearly, none of the consequences that Charlie has received made a difference in his criminal behaviors…and with good reason! His negative behaviors are ultimately rewarded (ie., extended contract, more money). Chris Brown, on the other hand, is scrutinized for publicly breaking down and showing remorse for his actions. He has publicly admitted his wrongdoing and has accepted his consequences; yet the public still wants to throw stones and hold grudges for his ONE offense. This is yet another reminder that separate is NOT equal. Thanks RRR for another excellent article and for keeping us alert…this is a necessary “gut check”!’

  25. This is yet another excellent article. This is one more example of how the justice system can be quite unjust. It’s simply amazing to me how people feel the need to not only judge Chris Brown, but also want to hold this against him forever; yet excuses are made for others who have a lengthy criminal history. Clearly, none of the consequences that Charlie has received made a difference in his criminal behaviors…and with good reason! His negative behaviors are ultimately rewarded (ie., extended contract, more money). Chris Brown, on the other hand, is scrutinized for publicly breaking down and showing remorse for his actions. He has publicly admitted his wrongdoing and has accepted his consequences; yet the public still wants to throw stones and hold grudges for his ONE offense. This is yet another reminder that separate is NOT equal. Thanks RRR for another excellent article and for keeping us alert…this is a necessary “gut check”!

  26. I just made a post about this very same topic on my facebook 2months ago we don’t have any positive insight for own black celebrities.. Though i don’t condone what chris did it was a mistake he made ..the good book days “he who is without sin cast the first stone” so many people threw numerous stones at chris brown and not even paying attention to the details.. Even though rihanna’s pics were leaked do anybody remember when the news first broke chris brown was in the back of a vehicle covered under a coat laying down in the back seat . He was also bruised and scarred … What he did was a careless mistake but we live and learn we see so much wrong doing in our day to day lives is it more of a concern because he is a black celebrity . We throw our own people to the wolves .. SHAME….I felt chris performAnce last nite was THE BEST tribute to MJ and those were tears REAL tears of sorrow,remorse,and very apologetic … I forgive chris

  27. Richelle,

    I appreciate this article. I think you have raised some important and valid comparisons about the criminalization of Black men in the legal system, and about the ways that white privilege benefits white men, even when they habitually violate the law and endanger the lives of others. I also agree that Chris Brown should have a shot at redemption. Lord knows, we don’t need to determine the whole course of another young brother’s life by the ridiculous choices he made as a 19-year old. That said, what bothers me in our community, is that we have a very sophisticated discourse about redeeming Black men. They do something crazy, they beat the snot out of Black women, and we start talking about how our women need to not provoke them or step to them in a particular way. You have certainly not done that here, and I greatly appreciate it. I just hope that what happens in Black public discourse is that we begin to have a real conversation about domestic violence in our communities, one that centers women. No one talks about the fact that the number ONE killer of young African American women (ages 15-34) is domestic violence, generally perpetrated at the hands of Black men. So while the state may be locking up, systematically targeting, and killing our young brothers, it is our young brothers who are killing our young sisters hands down. However, this narrative of black male endangerment is so ingrained in our communities, that normally our conversations sound a little something like “I know what he did was wrong, but we need to hold both parties responsible. Women hit men, too. They need to keep their hands to themselves. And did you forget how rough our young brothers have it.” Yeah, that’s a racial discourse that extends loads of sympathy, understanding, and forgiveness towards black men, but is incapable of seeing the young sister getting her you-know-what beat everyday, by that same embattled brother. So for me, Chris Brown is not my concern. I hope he gets it together. But at this point, I’m infinitely more concerned with changing that statistic about the lives of young Black women, because however effed up, racist, and unfair the treatment of Chris Brown, sisters matter, too.

  28. What bothers me about a lot of the comments left on here is that most of us have been exposed to higher education at an HBCU which means if we don’t know anything else, we know that we can only believe half of what we see and none of what we hear and that we have to do our own research.

    at the person who had a problem with Chris interview being on the same day..research would show you that Chris’ interview was scheduled first.

    Research would also show you that RiRi had a history of hitting her men..

    at RiRi cooperating with the case…research would show you that she didn’t initially cooperate that it wasn’t until JayZ and other deep pocket supporters pull her aside that she began cooperating..cuz if you remember, they were STILL dating after the incident and it wasn’t until the public told her she was stupid that she left him. And if like they both said, this was the first time he hit her, why didn’t they have the right to try and work out their private affairs and get the necessary help that they both needed.

    and research would show you that yes RiRi did benefit from this..her career sky-rocketed..check her record sells and how many hook-ups she has gotten since then…

    and no his CD wasn’t on the shelf…anywhere but Target his opening week. I went in search of it..not to buy it, but just to see if they really were going to Tyler Perry him.

    and if you all cared to really know what took place, you could have simply googled the transcripts of the case before they were removed from the internet, but since court documents are public domain you can still request what hasn’t been sealed for a small fee. in RiRi’s testimony and even in her Sawyer’s interview(which Sawyer glossed over and ignored) she stated she stole Chris first while he was driving.. so according to the law, Chris had a right to use equal or lessor force to defend himself..and yeah it got out of hand..but it had gotten out of hand way before then.

    it got out of hand when we as a society decided that women who hit men should not be hit back because they are women…my father told me that if I struck a man that i bets to be ready to go for what I know, that if I don’t want to be hit, then don’t hit. and that is fair. Domestic Violence is wrong regardless of who the victim is. There are a lot of battered men out here who NEVER come forward because of society’s notion that they are men and should suck it up. I want a woman to beat my child…

    I am not fake and refuse to be fake for anyone so believe me when i tell you that if some chick tries to stomp my manchild that he bets to beat her down before I get there. #realtalk

    I have a problem with color and money being a deciding factor of whether someone eats or not or is guilty or not or condemned or not…They darn near ended this boy’s career yet TI, who is my baby, a convicted felon was not only embraced BUT his bail was posted by SONY, Arista, and other big companies..what does that tell you? (please remember, violence is violence) TI’s music was still played and Charlie Sheen show wasn’t canceled. JayZ made some phone calls and some threats about not performing etc. etc. and now EVERYBODY is boycotting CB..but when that video leaked of JAYZ whooping that lady overseas there was no public outcry..there was a whole lot of covering up and paying off but no JAYZ should be locked up. (did anyone notice who were missing from this year’s BET awards?)

    We as a people need to stop running with whatever we hear and taking sides especially when they have nothing to do with us. I wonder how many of us who have decided that CB or CS is this or that have started being the change we want to see in this world by educating our daughters and sons about self-respect and self-esteem and self-love. If we gonna take a stand, then we need to make sure we at least standing on the playing field and not just off on the sideline yapping, using up precious air.

  29. @Me: Your logic is precisely the thing I was disagreeing with in the response I posted just prior to yours. Yes, everyone should keep their hands to themselves. But I absolutely hate when Black women in particular get on this bandwagon about how we shouldn’t hit men. That is obvious. The problem though is that it is not black men who are dying en masse from domestic violence, but black women. Note my post which states that DV is the NUMBER ONE killer of young black women. In our communities, Rihanna has been blamed at an unreasonable level because unfortunately, we really do believe in many cases that domestic violence is the woman’s fault. Your arguments are tantamount to a white person who says that Black people are racist, too, in response to claims or comments from a Black person about systemic discrimination. While a white person may have encountered one black person or two who doesn’t like them, this in no way equates to systemic discrimination. The comparably small amounts of male domestic violence victims in no way equates to the huge levels of domestic violence that our men perpetrate on our women. Let’s get it together.

  30. here is one of the best articles I have read so far in mainstream: http://www.theroot.com/views/leave-chris-brown-alone

    @Brittany I beg to differ and will stand by my statement. If we as women do not want to be hit, we should not hit. Point blank. Domestic Violence is wrong. Racism is wrong regardless of who is doing it. Black people can and are racist..but due to the definition of racism, ofcourse we know that only a very few can technically be considered racist.

    DV is just not physical it includes emotional and mental abuse… and granted there are some women who are beat who never strike their perps. But the way to eliminate this problem is by dealing with the entire problem and not discounting anyone’s experience regardless of gender. So if you want to help, when your girlfriends tell you that their man is calling them B@$, hoes, etc, tell them to leave them or to get counseling and don’t wait until someone is physically hit. Women are dying yearly from DV because a lot of them NEVER SAY ANYTHING about it or the people that they tell don’t encourage them to take action.

    As a person who has a very close friend sitting in ATL’s jail for killing her boyfriend who was whooping her tail and as a person who watched her mother get stomped by her father.. I say this, I want a female to put her hand on my son and if he don’t stomp her, I will.

    I am for accountability for all parties, not just the one that usually prevails in killing their victim.

    I wonder what your take will be when the media starts disclosing how many women are being abused and killed by their same-sex partners….

  31. OH PLEASE GET OVER IT! DID YOU SEE RIHANNA’S FACE IN THE PICTURES. CHRIS BROWN IS A LOSER AND A A##HOLE. YOU ALWAYS MAKE EVERYTHING ABOUT RACE.
    STOP CRYING!!! MAYBE CHARLIE SHEEN AND HIS FAMILY HAVE MORE RESPECT THAN BROWN.

  32. @kris: YOU “GET OVER IT”! The way Charlie Sheen and Chris Brown are treated by the public given their recent controversies is a double standard based on race. There is no logical reason for the media and the public who spewed so much vitriol towards Chris Brown (some people even going as far as to say he needs to die) to look the other way or down play this Charlie Sheen incident. What Chris Brown did was reprehensible, however, his attack on Rhianna was the only incident (that we know of) of him being abusive towards women. Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson both have a history of abuse against women (Charlie SHOT his fcuking fiancee) yet no one in the media is being as ruthless and judgmental towards them as they were Chris Brown. Those White actors keep getting a second, third, fourth, fifth, etc. chance to redeem themselves. Hell, look at the way Roman Polanski– a man who drugged, raped, and sodomized a 13 year old girl– gets a PR slap on the wrist.

    If Spike Lee or Tyler Perry had done the same exact thing to a little White girl as Polanski, do you think they’d be given the same pass? If Seal had shot Heidi Klum (“accidentally”) do you really think that it would have been blown over and ignored by the media? If Reggie Bush had violently assaulted, terrorized, and threatened to murder Kim K, do you really think he would be sentenced to rehab? Get real! You know full well this double standard is about race.

  33. The same people who still b!tch about Chris Brown don’t give rat’s ass about Sheen, and the countless others who have the same thing or worse. They want Brown to be the poster child for Domestic Violence, even though he doesn’t have a history of violence. Of course I have to remember that America has more hypocritics than other place on planet earth.

  34. ha ha…Charlie Sheen has destroyed a luxury suite I’ve seen today. He’s his own worst enemy. I wonder why he surrounds himself with people that dont care about him?

  35. ha ha…Charlie Sheen has trashed yet another hotel room I’ve seen today. It’s his own fault. Why does he surrounds himself with folks that dont care about him?

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