Not His Fault, Huh? The Aftermath of the Rihanna-Chris Brown Case

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Idiot. She still wants to see him.

Rihanna, through her attorney, thought the “stay away” order issued by Judge Patricia Schnegg was too harsh:

Under the guidelines of the order, Etra said the pair won’t be able to have even a distant, cordial relationship. Brown cannot contact Rihanna at all, while Rihanna reaching out to Brown would be considered a violation on Brown’s part, punishable by law. Should they both appear at an event, Brown would be required to stay at least 10 yards away from his former girlfriend.

Etra said the order was issued for the duration of Brown’s five-year probation, although the judge said she would reconsider the issue when Brown is sentenced in August.

Number one, I think P. Diddy was wrong to bring these two together again in Miami, as this article also says. Rihanna essentially snuck over to see Brown even though she had been awarded a restraining order against him. She cannot be trusted to make her own decisions when it comes to this young man. Two, I think the judge was right to enforce this order, because in a lot of cases, the couple reunites after the assault and everything is lovey-dovey until the next time the perp puts his hands on her, and then they are back in court. Or worse, she is dead. These children don’t know what’s right. I think Schnegg is taking a parental role in this case.

Critics all over are wondering whether Brown got off light or whether he should have gotten hard jail time. If this case had gone to trial, with Brown’s not guilty plea, he would have faced close to five years in jail. Even a few months in jail would have been damaging to his career. I think Brown had to see the handwriting on the wall.

Fact is, most first offenders in abuse cases do get off relatively light with community service, jail and/or counseling. They cop a plea, too. But one has to wonder how light is light in Brown’s case. He had to admit that he was guilty of abuse, despite all the bravado in the hip-hop culture that Rihanna deserved what she got. He has to do community service in Virginia and enroll in anti-domestic violence workshops. He’d have to begin to revise his own view that beating Rihanna was not his responsibility, as his new single implies: \"Not My Fault\" by Chris Brown, That may be too hard for Brown to admit. He can front in the courtroom and before the cameras, but not in real life. Instead, he’s called on Keri Hilson–already known for damage control with Britney Spears–to help him with his new comeback album.

It’s perfectly rational that Rihanna Fenty would want to have some contact with Chris Brown. Rational, but it’s ultimately a stupid move. She should step on with any of the young men to whom she has been linked to in gossip columns. More to the point, she needs some counseling as well. She should go on with her career. Perhaps she can sing a confessional album as well to get the pain out creatively. Sure, it would be hard for any woman, but that is how you grow. That’s how you break the cycle of self-destruction and victimization. That’s how you truly become a role model, not act like one.