Rihanna & Chris Brown: A Father's Conversation with His Daughters

Celebrity gossip website, TMZ.com acquired a photo of a battered Rihanna taken by police shortly after her Grammy-night run in with boyfriend Chris Brown. The picture is absolutely horrible and the abrasions, bruises & cuts to her face from her forehead down to her lips make it plain that Brown didn't just slap her a couple times, he beat her as we say among my folks "like she stole something."

Normally I would say, hey you know that is too bad for the lady; here's another out-of-control celebrity with issues who will probably get a second chance because he is a great entertainer (see Michael Jackson). However, in this case, I'm especially concerned as a father of two daughters because now I look at everything from the perspective of a married man with children. I know exactly how I would feel if someone did (or tried to do) what Brown did to one of my daughters, especially as I have learned of females in my family who were abused by males in their past. I would seriously go postal. The average man due to a number of biological factors is physically stronger than the average woman of the same size. Due to the differences in strength, it is quite possible for a significantly smaller man to physically intimidate a woman of larger stature, whereas that same man would not try to antagonize another man of larger stature than himself.

This week while driving my girls to school, radio host & comedian Steve Harvey was briefly discussing on the Steve Harvey Morning Show how bad Rihanna's injuries apparently were from the leaked picture. I used that opportunity to educate my girls on what to do if any boy or man ever tries to physically harm them in any way. I let them know that first of all a real man does not harm women for any reason, and secondly if any male ever tries anything, they need to fight back and defend themselves with all vigor. The fact is that a man that is capable of fighting a woman is also capable of killing that woman. I let them know that there is a good man for every woman, but they when they come of age they will need to not allow the losers access to their lives.

In the final analysis, I don't have to pass judgement on Chris Brown because he has already judged himself. The 19-year-old Brown is currently free on $50,000 bail with a court date schedule for March 5. For the sake of my daughters and my nieces, I hope (21-year-old) Rihanna receives the justice she deserves.