Promoting tourism by bringing Chris Brown to Guyana…It’s getting more bizarre!

Oct 20, 2012 Letters

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Dear Editor,
As if life in Guyana could not get more bizarre, we read yesterday that the Government of Guyana as part of its mission to promote tourism is bringing Chris Brown to Guyana. Chris Brown gained additional notoriety for his attack on his girlfriend, Rihanna.
According to police report, this is what Chris Brown did: “Christopher Brown and Robyn F. have been involved in a dating relationship for approximately one and a half years. On Sunday February 8, 2009 at 0025 hours, Brown was driving a vehicle with Robyn F. as the front passenger on an unknown street in Los Angeles. Robyn F. picked up Brown’s cellular telephone and observed a three page text message from a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with. A verbal argument ensued and Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door and attempted to force her out.
Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit, he took his right hand and shoved her head against the passenger window of the vehicle causing an approximate one inch raised circular contusion. Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F ’s. mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle, her back against the passenger door.
Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, “I’m going to beat the s**t out of you when we get home! You wait and see!” Robyn F. picked up her cellular telephone and called her personal assistant, Jennifer – at (818) {redacted} {redacted}- did not answer the telephone but while her voicemail greeting was playing, Robyn F. pretended to talk to her and stated, “I’m on my way home. Make sure the cops are there when I get there. “(This statement was made while the greeting was playing and was not captured as a message).
After Robyn F. faked the call, Brown looked at her and stated, “You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I’m really going to kill you!
Brown resumed punching Robyn F. and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face. She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown.
Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps that was approximately two inches in diameter and numerous contusions on her left hand. Robyn F. then attempted to send a text message to her other personal assistant, Melissa – Brown snatched the cellular telephone out of her hand and threw it out of the window onto an unknown street.
Brown continued driving and Robyn F. observed his cellular telephone sitting in his lap. She picked up the cellular telephone with her left hand and before she could make a call he placed her in a head lock with his right hand and continued to drive the vehicle with his left hand. Brown pulled Robyn F. close to him and bit her on her left car. She was able to feel the vehicle swerving from right to left as Brown sped away. He stopped the vehicle and Robyn F. turned off the car, removed the key from the ignition and sat on it. Brown did not know what she did with the key and began punching her in the face and arms. He placed her in a head lock positioning the front of her throat between his bicep and forearm. Brown began applying pressure to Robyn F’s left and right carotid arteries causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness. She reached up with her left hand and began attempting to gouge his eyes in an attempt to free herself Brown bit her left ring and middle fingers and then released her. While Brown continued to punch her, she turned around a placed her back against the passenger door. She brought her knees to her chest, placed her feet against Brown’s body and began pushing him away, Brown continued to punch her on the legs and feet causing seven contusions…. “
Chris Brown, like many of the men who brutalise women in Guyana, did not do any jail time for this action. The Judge at his hearing reportedly said “I want Mr. Brown to be treated the same as any other defendant who would come into this court. That means something like Caltrans [trash pickup] or graffiti removal and a two-week domestic violence programme.”
In Guyana, the Government and the Private Sector cannot provide funding to sustain the domestic violence programmes needed to rehabilitate men like Chris Brown. It appears that the Government of Guyana and the Private Sector and many of the fans of Chris Brown want us to forgive Chris Brown for this mistake. This is what many survivors of domestic violence are told. Forgive the abuser. Many times the survivors do so, over and over and over again, and often to their peril.
Is there any kind of redemption to be had? The Government of Guyana, Chris Brown and the Private Sector must donate all of the proceeds, and Chris Brown double his fees to the work being done in Guyana against domestic violence. And Chris Brown should spend time in jail in Guyana, with the men who have made similar ‘mistakes’ and brutalised the women they have loved. Chris Brown should work with the men to learn about the behaviour and attitude change needed for recovery. All of this of course, is assuming that Chris Brown has changed.
Vidyaratha Kissoon

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