Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 3/10/09
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/01/02/liveblogfinal.copy.jpg]
Tonight on AC360°, there are reports that singers Chris Brown and Rihanna are in a recording studio working on a duet. That's even though Brown is accused of brutally beating Rihanna, punching her repeatedly in the face until she was bloody. He also allegedly threatened to kill her. Oprah Winfrey warns Rihanna he will hit her again. Tonight, we look at the question: Why do battered women go back to the men who attack them? Let's keep this live blog going on this topic. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Sound off below.
Want to know what else we're covering tonight? Read EVENING BUZZ
Keep in mind, you have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules.
Here are some of them:
1) Keep it short (we don't have time to read a "book")
2) Don't write in ALL CAPS (there's no need to yell)
3) Use your real name (first name only is fine)
4) No links
5) Watch your language (keep it G-rated; PG at worst - and that includes $#&*)
About this Show:
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°
Subscribe to the podcast
On Twitter
Search the AC360 blog
The reason Mr. Perry doesn't talk about magnet schools is that he can't have them in Connecticut due to the way the schools are run town by town and not regionally. Students from West Hartford aren't going to be attending a magnet school in Hartford even though it's only 5 miles away.
Maybe they can institute victim statement sessions for Mr. Madoff at the sentencing hearing. Let him sit and listen to the failed charities and impoverished people whose dreams he ruined.
Jo Ann, you have every right to choose not to support an artist if you don't agree with their behaviour. Heck, we should all do the same with corporations (who are legally "people") as well! 🙂 But for the most part, I've seen that people usually look the other way at a person's/corporation's behaviour when it is convenient to do so.
i stayed , and it got worse.... but you will get differ answaer on why you stay so long. i thought i had nowhere to go.
Charter Schools are not the answer. I'd like to see the number of students with disabilities in these charter schools. Public school teachers work hard to teach accross the spectrum. From Special Education to the Gifted and Talented.
People are just too willing to overlook their bad behavior because they are famous and have money!
Or because there is so much abuse in the entertainment industry that its tiresome to sort out. If you had to boycott everyone that has engaged in bad behavior there would be few people left to watch or listen to.
Rihanna is obviously a success on her own merits. However, I can only surmise she has a "serious confidence problem,” and when anyone is in this situation; they are susceptible to control. In this case, she is crediting her self-worth entirely to her relationship with Chris Brown – an extremely dangerous and false perspective as she will always yield to Chris’ beatings because her self-worth is based on his approval. There are deep and serious issues she must explore. It starts with her climbing out of the abyss of denial.
Jay in New Mexico
Paula, I think that was a really good analysis of abusive relationships.
Let me also add that I am a little taken aback by the bravery of the women who have been sharing stories of their own abusive pasts on this blog...I applaud you and I am grateful for your frankness. It serves to educate us all. Good for you, ladies, for getting out.
@KIRA- Well, its hard to take the artist away from the art because the fans would support that artist through thick and thin, so it would be impossible for the artist to stay away from the art since they have to create new songs for their fans to listen to since the fans supported them.
@Simone, domestic violence is an epidemic and if it takes discussing Chris and Rhianna to save maybe one life or to open the eyes of one woman, media frenzy would be worth it.
Anderson, I'm a 7th grade teacher and I feel it's unfair to base teacher pay strictly on performance. People don't realize the challenges that we face on a daily basis. Often we are parents and teachers! I spend the majority of my time in and out of class dealing with discipline problems. When parents start sending kids to school that know how to act, then hold me accountable!
Parents need to be involved in their children's lives!
I believe the lack of discipline in schools and at home directly correlates to the failing of education.
It is unfortunate that Rhianna cannot move forward without Chris Brown. He is a batterer, and he will not stop. I honestly pray for her safety and hope those who love her continue to offer her support.
My husband was a teacher yrs ago. He thinks the merit system is a great idea. Seems it would give teachers the initiative to work harder. For too many years they've been underpaid and, I feel, under appreciated. Maybe the proposals coming from this administration will give them the chance they deserve.
Regarding President Obama's coments on education, I love that he is asking parents to be involved in their childrens education. In todays society, WOW, what a concept. Fortunately, in the 50's and 60's, my parents were very involved in my education, and it paid off. If todays parents know what their kids are doing and being taught in school, perhaps the system will correct and rebuild itself.
WOW that number could rise up from that Alabama rampage. I hope not 10 lives is way to much to be lost for no reason.
@ Glen Up North:
Madoff is 70 years old, I dont think he has enough time left in his life to reform. He has ruined too many people's lives. How could anyone respect our justice system if he serves anything shy of 20 years without parole? People who rob banks have served more
Vouchers also allow the rich to rob the public schools of their top students so the richer schools can have "diversity" while contributing very little to the larger community from which those "diverse" students came.
i'm sorry but this is getting ridiculous.
It's so simple! He beat her! No book, tour, or even marriage (i heard tonight) is going to save his reputation. I'm very optimistic that the majority of America is dealing with this situation the way it should be dealt. I can't see girls thinking that it's suddenly ok to get back in their abusive relationships JUST because that's what Rihanna is doing. This has been an issue long before the Chris/Rihanna situation.
Self esteem issues....I was a victim. The guy tried to choke me..then he came back saying i love you etc...it was only then that i realized i had to leave or i would lose my life. For me, i didn't feel loveable but i was wrong because i found someone who loved me so much that sometimes it doesn't feel real. Stay away from abuse,. It is not worth it.
Yvon, there's a lot of places where someone can hide money without anyone asking question. That's how the term "tax shelter" was coined... not to mention the infamous "swiss bank account", so to speak (not wanting to single out the Swiss or their banking system, but it _is_ the most cliched term for keeping money out of others' reach).
I do believe that the issue of education approaches merit more coverage.
@ @ KIRA KLEAVELAND AC360°\
I separate the person's behavior from the person. I can still like Chris's music even though I disapprove of his bad behavior!
The only way education can succeed is with the help of parents. If the parents give the message to their children that school is not important, then the kids won't care about going to school. As an elementary school principal, I see the kids of parents who care and the kids of parents who don't care about school. There is a difference!
The teacher IS one of the most important aspects of the education system. Parents are important for the support system but teachers have a direct impact on minds. They are trusted figures and expected to provide honest and truthful information. Bad teachers harm generations. About time we wake up to this fact.
Aww, I was enjoying the education discussion.
I can't help but wonder how much of the Rihanna/Chris Brown "reconciliation" is being driven by their representatives – Business Agents/Record Labels/ and the like... – for whom they both generate millions of $$$.
Both are young and more easily manipulated by those who have "their best interests in mind" – (Britney Spears anyone?)
I think 360 should produce a special program on Education in America. There needs to be as much focus as possible on this subject and we all need to be better educated on the subject.
Anderson (and everybody working at 360/CNN)
Thank you so much for taking this situation with Rihanna and Chris Brown and using it as a spring board to publicize resources and information regarding domestic abuse.
This is why I enjoy your program so much, Mr. Cooper. You do not simply report the news and sensationalize celebrity junk. Instead, you use it as a way to look further into societal behaviours and issues.
Thought provoking, respectable and enlightening.
My take on the Rihanna/ Brown situation, which I am quite tired of hearing about (not that I don't care) is that She probably is not back with him, per se. But the industry is behind her to put on a front for the sake of saving his career and keeping him from going to jail. It's old Hollywood stuff.
Battered women stay mostly because they are in denial and feel intimidated if they report their mate to authorities; that it would only make matters worse in doing so.
I am sick of these folks talking about schools when we don't fund them. Most schools are funded locally and that favors rich areas. Moreover, we don't provide support for students so schools have to take up the slack with pregnant students, mental problems, personal problems etc.
I actually went to a charter school for most of middle and high school, it wasn't bad the class size was was dramatically smaller than the surrounding public schools, in our high school the largest class only had around twenty five students in it compared to around forty or fifty in some of the other public high schools here in south florida.
Great segment about the schools Cooper.
The details will, of course, bedevil everyone on the issue of education reform. The only detail that bothers me is the 19 years old wafrehouse employee who comes into our office and can't fill out simple financial forms requiring nothing more than addition! Don't even ask about penmanship!
While teachers can do a lot to help kids learn it ultimately falls on the parent. If the parent doesn't take the time with their kids to help them then it doesn't matter what the teacher does.
Cindy..Ga.
Lets get one thing straight, this is not a relationship spat or brutal fight, and what Rihanna might have done to spark this is irrelevant and distracts from the real issue. This is abuse, not love, and abuse is about power, control, and manipulation. As long as this relationship continues so will the violence. I fear for Rihanna's safety and hope she lifts her head from the fog, and more than anything I hope there are many people in her life telling her she does not deserve this. Chris Brown deserves time in prison, his records boycotted, to be banned from children's networks, and a scarlet letter A branded on his chest for Abuser.
I am just guessing:
1) they feel they don't deserve any better
2) they feel they can change the man
3) they feel they have their own shortcomings
4) they are scared of the next round
Bottom line: deep psychological problems lie underneath. Battered women should first of all get psychiatric assistance. They don't need a reprimand, they don't need to be told they are wrong for putting up with it.. They need to understand why they keep going through passive self-destructive behavior.
Merit Pay in schools – a great idea, but...
Usually all of the membership of the school system, excepting the superintendent and principals are union members. It has been the dendency that the unions bring down the plan by wanting to spread the merit bonus across the board to all teachers. The weakest link = the the strongerst one in that type of situation.
Hi AC 360 Crew,
President Obama should be commended for placing education as a top priority for America.
Education is the key to success. I feel higher education is currently a privelege in this country, considering how difficult it has been for me to personally fund mine.
I want to see higher education as a "right" not a "privelege" in America for everyone.
@ KIRA KLEAVELAND AC360°\
Whew, you ask really good questions. I think it just depends on each person. What would be interesting whether being male or female makes a difference in the statistics....
Merit Pay might create other problems.
Which teacher is going to be thrilled to teach the slow learners? Merit is so objective I wonder how it will work?
But I like the Voucher alternative.
Bea, I think it is a combination of both the parent and the teacher. Unfortunately, I think the biggest failure has been with the parents. Even when the teachers let them know that their child is not doing well many of them don't seem to care.
need more focus on education, period. HOORAY for Pres O. heard today that graphic novels are being studied in college. um, aren't these comic books?
why not ask the simple question on education......India and China both send their kids to school for 12 months a year...and why are we not doing the same thing?
Kira, perfect example: seen the Ray Charles bio-movie "Ray"? I rest my case.
@Kira.... Puleeeese.... leave the celebrity stuff to ET.... domestic violence is so terribly prevelant in this world and is rarely put as Headline News", just because they're celebs makes no difference, just something for the press to harp on..... why don't you ask people on their thoughts about the "real" news.... this is disappointing to me coming from such a great show as AC360
Don't forget the economic situation of each schools teachers. A teacher in a poverty stricken ghetto is definitely going to have a harder time teaching than another teacher at a wealthy suburban school. One can concentrate of teaching, while the other is trying to survive.
Get out of your bubble and see the realities that teachers must face everyday.
Vouchers provide a out for students that are not otherwise benefiting from what is provided in their school districts now... I do say give them an out.