Chris Brown Calls Shenanigans, Might Actually Have A Point

Here at INSTITUTIONALIZED we believe that our society tends to filter information through layers of systematic, below-the-radar, even unintentional prejudice, including institutionalized racism. Nor do we hold ourselves apart from such behavior; on the contrary. Our point here is that these prejudices are so ingrained in our socialized world view that most of us don't even recognize them as prejudice.

Case in point: The post that launched INSTITUTIONALIZED - our discussion of the whole Charlie Sheen meltdown. Do we think the guy's crazy with a capital Z? You bet your Adonis DNA we do. But we questioned the degree to which immediate medical intervention was really necessary. We were speaking from the perspective of his audience, but we nevertheless failed to point out that Sheen has a fairly nasty history with domestic violence, including but not limited to "accidentally" shooting his then fiancee actress Kelly Preston in the arm (after which she subsequently ended their engagement. Yup, sounds like an accident to me).

While we were focusing on making the point that Sheen is not a threat to his audience, who but self-admitted abuser Chris Brown should point out our own unintentional hypocrisy? At the same time our society continues to condemn him at every opportunity for battering Rhianna (and rightfully so), Sheen has reportedly begun touring with a one-man-show netting him $7 million a month. He is currently adding more dates, since tickets for the original tour sold out in 18 minutes. 18 minutes you guys.

Brown addressed his aggravation with society's apparent willingness to embrace Sheen's violence while condemning his own after an interview on Good Morning America. Rather than getting an interview designed to promote his album (the only reason most performers agree to participate in such interviews at all) the interviewer focused in large part on Brown's past domestic violence charges. 

After the interview Brown reportedly threw a nice little hissy fit and then tweeted the following:

"I'm so over people bringing this past shit up!!! Yet we praise Charlie sheen and other celebs for their bullshit!"

(He apparently caught enough flak for that comment that he later deleted it.)

Now don't get me wrong, if anyone has the right to be annoyed with the constant media attention over the beating it's Rhianna, and she seems to be handling it just fine, so Brown can stick a sock in it as far as that goes. But he's not wrong about the interplay of racism and criminal justice issues. 

According to criminal law professionals at the University of Dayton:

• African Americans are arrested an average of 2.5 times more often than Whites in general, 3.5 times more often for violence or drug related charges, and 6 times more often for serious felony charges.
• African Americans are more likely to be sentenced to prison and less likely to be given probation than Whites.
• African Americans are sentenced to prison at a rate 6 times higher than that of Whites.
• Prison sentences average one year longer for African Americans than for their White counterparts convicted of similar crimes.
• African Americans are 5 times more likely to be sentenced to death row than their White counterparts.

Wouldn't it be so simple to explain the disparity by believing that African Americans are just inherently worse, meaner, more violent people than Whites? That way everything would be someone else's fault, we wouldn't have to pay attention to what's going on in the system, or examine our own beliefs, or ask how and why a nation supposedly founded on personal freedoms is systematically punishing its own citizens for being born the wrong color?

Yes it would be easier, simpler, safer ... and the epitome of institutionalized racism. 

Mr. Brown, you have a point. Now put your shirt back on.