Brutal details are emerging about the reported abuse of 19-year-old pop singer Rihanna at the hands of her alleged attacker, Chris Brown, who has been charged with two felonies. She is an attractive and talented young woman and these disturbing reports—and wildly outrageous rationalizations for hitting a loved one—are a reminder that there ought to be zero tolerance for domestic abuse. Though no one knows what goes on between two people behind closed doors except those two people, based on what I’ve seen and read, Rihanna deserves better and I wish she would discover that selfishness is a virtue.
Rihanna is not alone as an at-risk youth and men are not the only abusers. One parent’s only child, a girl named Jesse Logan, apparently committed suicide when her peers relentlessly bullied her about nude photographs she had privately sent to her boyfriend. Every parent should read this cautionary tale and strive to keep an open dialog with their children, boys as well as girls, fostering an atmosphere of trust and safety. In my view, a child ought to have confidence that she can go to her parents with the deepest problem without being pre-judged. Peer pressure and bullying can be hurtful to a child. Rational parenting and friendship can help. If a troubled someone comes to mind as you read this, know that speaking up and reaching out counts. I have witnessed it firsthand.
Not to be a downer—and the state of our union is totally depressing, with the government making the economy worse every day—but there’s been another murder-suicide, this time in Ohio. How many men and women feel helpless about their problems? Why are some driven to commit murder—and suicide? Is suicide ever a rational choice? For answers to these important—and, I suspect, increasingly relevant—questions, I suggest that one begin with history. Several years ago, I read a French book on the subject on assignment for the Dallas Morning News. I have added the article to my Books index and included a direct link here.
