Abuse of Women is Always Inexcusable and Unacceptable

A recent Essence Magazine article quotes a survey that stated that more than 45% of young women believe that Rhianna might have provoked Chris Brown to abuse her. This is hog-wash. Chris Brown is a bully, a criminal and deviant creep. What he, and every other man who raises his hand to a woman in anger, did was and is wrong, unacceptable, inexcusable and each of them should have been taken out to the public square and hung. Obviously, money does not buy decency, respect, integrity, honor or wisdom.

There is too much abuse of our girls and our women in this country and around the world. Sexual abuse, date rape, physical abuse, intimidation and any other form of violence against women and girls should never be acceptable in any venue whether culturally, ethnically, politically, traditionally or customarily. There was a time when we, as men, did not accept this type of violence towards our mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, grandmothers or cousins. What happened to our backbone?

To hear that so many young women think that because a man is handsome, rich, or with any other tribute can have a justification to beat up a woman is disturbing. Some commentators have said that this is so because they may be jealous these women towards the other woman who landed the man. They also believe that the same thing would not happen to them. They are sadly mistaken. A rat is a rat even if you dress it in a tuxedo and they will act like a rat even if they live in a mansion. A rat hole in a mansion is still a rat hole.

I hope that Rhianna and all my sisters and daughters do not ever come to accept this type of treatment at any time from anyone ever again. I also hope that my fellow male brothers will stand up to the abusers and say enough is enough. It must stop. Then we all need to get on our knees and ask God to protect us from this kind of evil either as a recipient or perpetrator.

May God have mercy on us.

Does Our Word Still Mean Anything?

I am have been wondering if our word still counts as our bond? The Bible tells us to "let our yes be yes, and our no be no." There was a time when men did not need ten page legal documents to be bound by their word and a handshake. I used to be able to count on most people to show-up when they said they would. I used to be able to count on most people to do what they said they would do.

I was reading a futurist article that said that in the near future we will be smart enough to believe that people can be good on their own and no longer need the Judeo-Christian ethic to believe in a need for Jesus Christ as a guide. We will come more to depend on science than faith and doctrine. Yet I find that more and more when people tell me something, there is a good chance that they will not keep their word. The more technology we have then less we seem to stay in touch. The more we simplify, the busier we seem to get. With e-mail, voicemail, texting, tweeting, Facebook, cell phone and video-conferencing, I would think that we could stay in touch long enough to the people of our word. We have so many ways to send or post words now, maybe we have word overload.

Unfortunately, our actions still speak so loudly that they drown out our words. An update on Facebook and a text message is not a substitute for talking to each other and spending time together. They are also not reasons to let our world be diluted by our actions.