Once a beater, always a beater? Maybe not. It appears that Rihanna has forgiven Chris Brown for physically abusing her all those years ago.
She Tweeted a picture of the half naked Brown laying on top of her in a bed Saturday night. This photo comes shortly after pictures of the two hanging out together flooded the web.
She had left him after he became physically violent with her on the night of the 2009 Grammy Awards.
A bruised up photograph of Rihanna was somehow leaked from police files to TMZ, and viewers clearly saw that something disturbing had taken place between the two.
He was slapped on the wrist with community labor when he pleaded guilty for the crime, which meant he had to do some community service and get some domestic violence counseling.
Well, all that’s in the past now because it seems the two love birds have moved forward from the bruises and are smashing again.
Although the couple looks like they’ve moved on, there is a public outcry from celebrities and civilians alike for Rihanna to set an example for her young fans and leave him.
According to these people, the rebirth of Rihanna and Brown’s romance sends the message that young women in similar situations will be OK if they stay with their abusers too. It could teach young girls that it’s OK for a man to treat them the same way.
Although this may be the case for some people who follow Rihanna, it’s not Rihanna’s job to parent her young fans.
All her job requires is for her to wear minimal clothing, dance a little and do some average singing.
Teaching children the consequences of staying with a formerly abusive boyfriend is a parent’s job. Don’t expect Rihanna to do what moms and dads should be doing.
Rihanna is just living her life, and Brown is who she wants to live it with. If you don’t like what Rihanna is doing, then don’t buy her CD and move on with your life.
I would hope that Brown is a changed man and that the two are on the correct path, but what they do is not up to us. It’s up to them.
If a child is a Rihanna fan and knows about the abuse, what a perfect opportunity to sit down with the child and have a conversation about the topic.
When a parent or guardian hears Rihanna on a child’s radio, they can take five minutes to express how they feel about the situation. It isn’t that hard to do.
So instead of expecting Rihanna to teach the masses by leaving Brown, parents should take the opportunity to teach a child about domestic violence.
Rihanna isn’t some god that you should expect to walk on water; she’s a pop singer and a person just like the rest of us.
The responsibility to set an example for children isn’t hers. It’s the responsibility of their child’s parents.
Jack Chavdarian is a senior journalism major and is an assistant social media editor.
