Confession: celebrity news

Often to unwind at the end of a long day I look at celebrity news sites. How this started and why, I have no idea. I think it is a mindless form of entertainment, and that is what I need at that moment. Television doesn't do it, movies don't do it, reading doesn't do it...celebrity gossip, that's the ticket for shutting off the brain. Until this...the Chris Brown, Rhianna domestic violence story.

In case you haven't heard about it...he's 19 and she just turned 21. They got in a fight leaving a party when she discovered a text message from a woman he had a previous sexual relationship with. Supposedly, this woman is his former manager who is about 20 years his senior...if they were having sex at that time it would amount to statutory rape because he was underage. Anyway, Chris beat Rhianna and the police are filing felony charges. In her initial interview with police Rhianna told them the violence has happened before and is escalating.

When I lived in Kansas City I volunteered with a domestic violence shelter. Everything reported in this story is textbook cycle of violence in abusive relationships, including her willingness to take him back despite the pain and shame he's caused. The one certainty in situations like this is, the violence will continue and continue to escalate.

Rhianna is beautiful, talented and rich. In my experience many women stay and put up with the abuse because they are financially dependent on the abuser. That isn't the case here. She has plenty of money to be independent. So, obviously there is some other hold he has on her. What will it take for her to leave? Obviously public humiliation wasn't enough. I am so glad that domestic violence laws do not require the abused to press charges, the state does it with or without consent, because too often the perpetrator would get away with the crime due to intimidation and manipulation. Chris Brown should be charged. It is never okay to beat another bloody, never. That is not love.

What's been even more disturbing is the response from young people. Boston surveyed their youth surrounding this issue, nearly half believed that Rhianna was to blame for the incident. Fourty-four percent believed fighting is a normal part of relationships. We aren't talking about arguing, but fighting, involving physical altercation. That is not normal! This is greatly disturbing to me. Why do our children not know better than that? Do they think it's normal because that is what they see at home or in media? Who is influencing their opinion?

Have you been following this story? What are your thoughts?