Society… We Have a Problem Here

Has our world gone totally and utterly mad? There has been much reaction to the reemergence of Chris Brown from woman beater to grammy-winning star, but probably the most shocking and frightening have been the tweets and posts from young women. You can click on the link above to see all the responses, but here are a few: Call me crazy butttt I would let Chris Brown beat me up anyyyy day O.K. YOU’RE CRAZY! Everyone shut up about Chris Brown being a woman beater… Shiiiittt he can beat me up all night if he wants ARE YOU SHIIIITTTING ME? I don’t know why Rhianna complained. Chris Brown could beat me anytime he wanted to. SERIOUSLY? YOU DON’T KNOW WHY SHE COMPLAINED? Attention Girls! Domestic violence is not hot… even if you think he is! Unfortunately these controversial and contrarian comments did exactly what these girls wanted them to do – get attention. Sadly our current culture seems to be hyper focused on becoming well known and famous and less and less concerned about becoming good and productive citizens. One might argue that 25 comments does not exemplify nor speak for an entire society, but this sampling is but a microcosm of the whole and represents an undercurrent of skewed values and a cry for renewed attention to character development and morality. My good friend and colleague, Dr. Robyn Silverman is a Character Development Specialist and had this reaction “It amazes me in a horribly disturbing way that people would glorify domestic violence in their own head and then tweet about it. What a society we live in where celebrity, charisma and appearance take precedence over character, good sense, safety, and self worth.” So where do we go from here? Hopefully we’ve hit bottom and there is nowhere to go but up! One thing is for certain, our children and young women especially need us now more than ever before. Girls need to be taught and guided to find their voice and authentic power within, to understand that love and self-esteem must begin with self-respect and be reminded of just how big of a role they play in our lives now, and in the future. We need our girls to step up, and lead the world from a place of love, character and self-worth. The fate of our world is in their hands. To say my fate is not tied to your fate is like saying: “Your end of the boat is sinking.” – Hugh Downs We are all in this boat together. Please let allow me the opportunity to inspire your girls and to show them how to find their power and true essence within.