In yet another epic display of criminal behavior acceptance on steroids in America, we have this latest installment of what defenders are calling a "Beat Down." This term implies that there was a justification for such an assault, but there isn't, nothing justifies this.
Fox news, as well as multiple other outlets have reported on this story, and according to the U.S. Sun, this fight began when attacker Brittany Kennedy's anger over Emily Broadwater's taking care of Kennedy's child, at the request of the child's father, which happens to be a friend of Broadwater, boiled over as she pulled out a chair from under Broadwater and then proceeded to assault and batter her.
Yet as we see from Broadwater's social media accounts, the internet "keyboard warriors" have already begun their combination of victim shaming and race baiting, and are determined that she must be the guilty party, despite the clear and incontrovertible evidence in the video above.
I don't care if she "stole your man." I don't care if she said "racist things." I don't care if she insulted your prison record. I don't care about anything that "provoked it" when this is your method of restitution. This isn't justice, heck, it isn't even vigilantism, it's just plain and straight criminal, and there is no grey area or two ways about it.
Assault & Battery, under Ga. Code Ann. § 16-5-23, § 16-5-23.1. One year back in jail, a $1,000.00 fine, and the covering of all medical bills (Ga. Code Ann. § 17-10-3). (read more here)
Further if her original jail time is violence related, this could be, and should be, charged as a felony assault which means multiple years in jail, lots of fines, and potential loss of all parental rights over the child in question. I won't even bat an eyelash at an enhanced sentence like that after she dished out a savage beating reminiscent of medieval peasantry.
Yet, those defending her actions, and the actions of people in similar situations (which happens every day if you look for them), shine a big bright spotlight again on one of America's worst realities. That reality is our acceptance of criminal behavior as a substitute for justice.
Yes, it's not the fault of the thief for stealing from the store, it's the fault of the corporation for not paying him enough to not have to steal it.
It's not the assaulter's fault, it's society's fault for creating an environment where they HAD to assault someone to get "justice" because they don't think they'll get the verdict they want.
!!!BOLOGNA!!!
And let's not even get into the reality that people stood around video recording this encounter without one single person, employee or bystander, attempting to break it up. (The UK's Daily Mail does a decent write up here)
Heck, when a toddler has more morality than a room full of adults who only care about themselves and their own well being, we're in deep trouble as a country and as a society.
But if you listen, you'll hear them. Those voices crying out how nothing should happen to her, and how the victim "brought this on herself." What if this had been a police officer assaulting a black woman like this? There would be protests across every city in the nation and buildings would be on fire right now.
Yet now? Now everyone wants to stand around and blame the victim? I thought victim shaming was wrong... or is that it's only wrong when the victim agrees with your agenda?
Robin Hood Syndrome, drug trafficking & usage, "beat downs," tagging, vandalism, prostitution, resisting arrest, and more are all a part of this new glorified criminal behavior.
You can blame rap music if you want, but the truth is that it's the culture that's producing the music, not the music that's producing the culture.
And before you think that's a racist statement, go down to any poor White, Hispanic, or mixed neighborhood and take a look around and a listen to their music. It's not a racial problem, it's a societal one.
We have to start labeling crime as crime and stop it when we can. We have to report it. We have to stop glorifying it. We have to stop venerating those who perpetrate it.
If we don't, then we can't be surprised when people begin to take the protection of themselves and their property into their own hands.
It'll be the wild west all over again.