Cultural Capital

1/13/2019

Martin Luther King Jr.'s bEARTHday is coming up. When I think about Martin Luther King Jr. and all that he sacrificed, not only for his children, but for all children, I cannot help but wonder whether all black men have a responsibility to protect, provide for and unconditionally love all black women.

Then, I think about Robert Sylvester Kelly and how he did the exact opposite of Dr. King when it comes to protecting little girls.

I'm biased. Period. So, let me start this post with, “I always thought Kels was trash." Me too Questlove. I never have been crazy about the over-the-top bravado in his throat when he sings. Nevertheless, I was compelled to talk about this article that I read in a national news publication about celebrity opinions on the entire ordeal.

According to Chance the Rapper, “We’re programmed to really be hypersensitive to black male oppression." Priceless! This is why so many black women and men can still support R. Kelly. And singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and dancer, Ne-Yo says what I believe it is past time for someone to have stepped up and said.

“Music is important. It really is. But it’s not more important than protecting our children, protecting our little girls. Period." What he's saying is Kelly's art imitates his life! (Go be cool with that), but that still does not justify supporting his wrongdoings.

“We’ve all been inspired by this man. We’ve all been witnesses to his musical genius. We have shaped and molded talent we sign after his musical image. We’ve invested so much of ourselves into this man that it’s hard for us to let go. I no longer have that issue.”

Thank you Tank. No one should. And and for those who are bird box blinded by his light and dollar signs. "There has to be a line drawn. Enough has to be enough at some point," says Tank.

Finally, for everyone slobbering about "where were the parents?" of all those young girls. While they do have major responsibility in all this, unless you were and had the Knowles clout to be a presence in that snake pit studio, Kelly's "compound" was iron-clad with goons. Broke, generic parents were not going to have access to the area, let alone their girls. Period.

Finally, Aaliyah's mama needs to sit all the way down! Destiny's children were in the same sex-slaved studio, recording their music too, but Daddy Knowles said even when Destiny's children had to use the restroom, they walked them there. So if Aaliyah's mama wasn't there doing that, or at the ceremony when her daughter was getting married and someone was forging her a fake age, she needs to stop with the "I was always around" song. She was probably getting paid like the rest.

It's sad that little girls get taken advantage by older men all the time. But I remember a time when all the grown men I knew protected little girls from all the predators of the world, even when they were not their daughters. I wish we could get back to that. Girls are pretty awesome, but not for the pleasure of someone who they should be able to look up to.

Read the commentary above, then comment intelligently, academically and with fidelity.

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.
Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

CAUTION!! Do NOT embarrass me, yourself, your class, the English department, the school or your parents with tasteless, meaningless comments. This is for a grade.

DISCLAIMER: If you do not respond AND comment on TWO others, you will not receive credit for this assignment. It's all or nothing.

Due: Fri., Jan. 18, 2019 11:59 p.m. CST

M. Hollwywood 2nd

1/16/2019 09:20:51 am

Men should cherish the women around them and not try to belittle them. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where my dad was present. It taught we not to let any man treat me poorly or abuse me. Therefore just because of someone’s social status I’m not going to let them mistreat me and I’m also not going to find ways to justify their actions. R Kelly’s fame has allowed people to ignore the fact that his actions are wrong and they to relocate the blame to the parents.

J. Gonzalez

1/16/2019 11:52:47 am

I agree with you. Men shouldn't be able to treat women a certain way and get away with it. Men should see that women are more than just items and treat em with respect

R. Mbelwa

1/16/2019 12:56:22 pm

I agree with you in the part that mr kelly had no right to do those things to those girls. Your father is a good man in showing you those things. His fame didn’t hide it at all though, they called him out on it in 2005 and he went to court for it too. Don’t just believe the news research is key

savion stewart

1/17/2019 06:44:07 am

i agree with you bc r kelly had not right to do nun of those girls like that. money and power should not be a reason they over look anything.

Z. Crawford

1/16/2019 01:18:22 pm

I agree because fame and money should never be the reason things are overlooked but nowadays fame and money is like power so you get away with majority of things

S. Houston

2/4/2019 09:11:06 pm

I completely agree. The idea that we, as a society, have become content with allowing destructive behavior to be “okay” is disgraceful. We accept anything to stay in the lime light and on “top”.

M Taylor 1st period

1/16/2019 10:02:55 pm

It’s not just necessarily that the people ignore what he did because of his fame to blame the young females parents (even though some are) but just because he spoke on it him self and is speaking his truth from his side.... other sides and factors shouldn’t be presented and acknowledged just as well as his.. but seriously a social status shouldn’t be used that way nor should you let anyone mistreat you because of it

Z. Crawford

1/18/2019 01:26:08 am

Dang, I didn’t even think about it that way. Yeah totally understood, opened the mindset.

T.Harris 6th

1/18/2019 06:36:42 pm

Yes im definitely feeling this answer i was saying the same thing it’s not normal for a 14 year old to be “friends” with a 27 year old . Nobody see they wrong but they see his.

S. Sanders- 1st Period

1/16/2019 10:52:20 pm

It shouldn’t be allowed for people to do such things should be able to get away with it. Women, girls, and children should be protected by men in society in acts of love and care as humans.

C.Swann 1st period

1/17/2019 06:21:20 pm

The parents do hold blame though. Some parents were teaching their daughters to get noticed by R.Kelly and they didn’t wanna accept all that came with it.

C.Jones 6th

1/17/2019 06:29:47 pm

That goes for any person though, not just a man. Dont take any bs from nobody no matter who they are.

M. chavez 2nd pd

1/18/2019 08:39:47 am

I agree completely, there’s no excuse to abuse anyone, mentally or physically. Social status blinds people in today’s society, causing everyone to just look away and not do anything about it.

N. Medina 6th

1/18/2019 12:08:09 pm

I as well was fortunate enough to have my father around but I agree with you I would not let ANYONE mistreat me.

S.johnson 8th

1/18/2019 02:52:48 pm

Men should not be able to just toss women around and get away with it. His fame was a cover up in plain sight of his actions.

T.Tate 8th

1/18/2019 02:59:31 pm

I was also brought up in a household to not let a man mistreat me in any kind of way.I believe every parent or father should let their daughter know this.

T.Harris 6th

1/18/2019 06:34:41 pm

Yes i feel mutual about the situation why treat the women who just want to support you. They want to be the man because they feel we want they spot.

J. Gonzalez

1/16/2019 11:45:58 am

I totally agree with you. People shouldn't let R. Kelly get away with what he's doing to these girls just because he has money. That's how messed up the system is because, this shows that if you have money you can get away with anything. And men should be the main ones protecting these girls/women, but the world is so twisted you can't even let your children go to the restroom by themselves.

J. Gonzalez

1/16/2019 11:56:43 am

Woooww. You sound like a very smart man. I 100% agree with you and I believe that the system and world shouldn't be able to run this way. Who is going to stand up and do whats right? Everything that black people fought for back in the day, young people and some grown people don't even take in to account anymore They do the opposite of what there ancestors fought for.

L.Allen 2nd Period

1/17/2019 10:35:33 pm

I totally agree, this system we have today and in the past is just "ridiculous"and "disgusted" because of the fact that the judge or whoever had evidence o f the case that was enough to give Kelly time and as a result you can clearly see those people was paid off, but even worse the fans was still blind sighted by the fact that the whole situation was even true.

N. Medina 6th

1/18/2019 12:15:03 pm

I completely agree, it’s sad that you can’t even leave your children alone for a second because there is a possibility something could happen to them.

T.Falls 6th

1/18/2019 01:01:01 pm

Men should be the ones to bring women comfort in life because the first person a girl learns to love is her father. So there is natural thing for a girl to trust people and sometimes its just the matter of the wrong pick.

Lloyd Trimble

1/18/2019 11:14:40 pm

I agree completely he shouldn’t be able to get away with this. This man deserves jail time to be completely honest.

R. Mbelwa 6th

1/16/2019 12:52:34 pm

Robert Kelly did do something wrong it was a horrible act that affect the likes of all people with sisters or daughters or that have female cousins. It doesn’t degrade his music though. There is some people that say since he did that don’t listen to his music but that’s entirely false. People need to learn how to separate the musician from the music because it’s still banging. Oh the other hand this has been resolved since 2005 but they only really honestly wanna bring it back up now because of money.

Z. Crawford

1/16/2019 01:20:20 pm

But why still respect a man who has no respect for us girls. It doesn’t matter that his music is the best he was making songs based on every victim so why enjoy listening to that that’s dumb !

S. Sanders- 1st Period

1/16/2019 10:48:20 pm

Z. Crawford, I feel just as people fear the unknown and do not strive for better or best; people have bought his music without knowing. But it is one thing to not know and another to know not doing nothing in return to make a difference. This makes me also, now think about people siding with Kaepernick or not. People should simply do what’s right.

L.Allen 2nd Period

1/17/2019 10:41:54 pm

S.Sanders, I agree with your statement %100 because people and his fans don't know what goes on behind the scenes of his music so how are they in the outside world post to know or be aware of something intangible and unknown.

C.Jones 6th

1/17/2019 06:26:50 pm

Yeah I dont see how you can separate a musician from his music. If he makes the music it's pretty much part the same thing.

T.falls 6th

1/18/2019 01:15:25 pm

There is no possible way that you can separate his life from his music because his music was his life.

M. Hollywood 2nd

1/18/2019 08:38:52 am

I disagree because would you be able to separate the two if it was someone close to you. If it was your mom or you sister would you feel the same? I can’t listen to someone who is known to disrespect women.

M.horton 5th period

1/18/2019 12:27:28 pm

i didn't even think about it that way. You're right

K.Brown 2nd

1/18/2019 02:07:43 pm

I see where you are coming from ,but by us listening and supporting such a dark person we’re elevating his pockets ,not ours .It just looks like we’re rewarding him with money for his horrible actions . Why lift up someone like that ,who in the end has brought us down with his actions ?Yes he made great music ,but his messed up morals are what should be focused on.

K. Allen 8th pd

1/18/2019 02:30:47 pm

Why support a man, or listen to his music when he degrades women? Also this has not been solved since 2005, he was on trial for ONE girl, that did not come forward not any of the other survivor, money is not the only thing that matters at this point.
.

M. Cain 2nd

1/18/2019 09:54:00 pm

I disagree, there are certain things that you can't ignore or "separate" R. Kelly is a serial rapist, there should be no separation here. Listening to his music after knowing everything he has done is essentially condoning what he did and say forget the victims. At some point you have to be mentally tough enough to cancel somebody, no matter how "banging" their music is.

T.Jones 2nd

1/18/2019 10:13:07 pm

I agree that there should be a separation between the craft and the individual. I hear a number of people stating listeners should no longer listen to R Kelly’s music or any music that was written by him.....R Kelly’s music has always had a sexual undertone. There are writers that are racist and athletes that are criminals, that does not take away from their talent.

D. Jones 3rd

3/1/2019 03:55:35 pm

I agree. All of a sudden people don’t want to CONTINUE to give him the musical credit that they’ve BEEN giving him. Even I, a teenager, know what R. Kelly has done. So for the people who are significantly older than me to start acting “brand new”, shows that they are too easily influenced and just want to discredit him because it’s the popular thing to do now.

I Jones 6th Period

1/16/2019 01:14:04 pm

As a black woman myself, i believe that black men should protect us like they used to. Time have changed DRASTICALLY and not for the better either . R Kelly is the definition of sick. Those were LITTLE GIRLS he was messing with. He is what us women should be protected from. He is a pedophile period.

M Taylor 1st period

1/16/2019 10:18:01 pm

Yes black women.. all women should be protected from the sick pleasure of a man with such “power” but physically the strength may not have been there to take place.. but common sense should tell you not to give in to something so foul.. the blame isn’t equal..no but it shouldn’t be all the way held towards R.kelly

V Parker 8th

1/17/2019 07:29:05 pm

While I believe no one deserves to be abused and that we shouldn't sweep this issue under the rug, I disagree with the notion that black women need male protection. Black women are not naturally vulnerable; they allow society to beat it into them (literally and metaphorically) that they cannot defend themselves and that they are supposed to expect violence. What women need isn't the protection of a man - they need to be empowered and the men (or people in general) who do wrong need to be brought to justice as predators and criminals.

G.Musa 6th period

1/18/2019 08:00:47 pm

People tend to label the black women including the black women because they ignore the hate but when they speak on it, they're dimmed as angry women and when they ignore it they're stuck up. We don't ask for approval from any living thing trust me we honestly don't care. Black women right from time have protected their men and sons and to see some people say it was the girls fault or parents fault i laugh because R.Kelly lured those kids in and persuaded the parents with money and money speaks to the souls so they honestly didn't decline, Understandable.

T. Jones 2nd

1/18/2019 10:17:10 pm

Black women are not naturally vulnerable is a very general statement. Some women whether black, white or other are vulnerable. Some of them do need protection while others can benefit from being empowered.

D. Jones 3rd

3/1/2019 04:07:34 pm

I absolutely agree! We don’t need black men for protection. That is a role that was forced upon them that they feel they need to continue to abide by. R. Kelly didn’t ask to be labeled a “protector.” But since society already labeled him as that from birth, now that he hasn’t owned up to it, he’s the bad guy which shouldn’t be the case.

J. Griffith 2nd

1/18/2019 08:56:11 am

I agree because black women should be protected based on a recent event that has occurred.

I. Chancellor 8th period

1/18/2019 02:17:12 pm

With all honesty, men should protect women in general, because that is what brings up a community and race. To be honest, some of the older generation has done a bad job in teaching young men to become gentlemen and young girls to become ladies. You are telling the truth, because anyone who messes with young girls, is sick. In all honesty, he was so powerful that he could get any woman he wanted, but no, he chose to mess with girls, which is despicable. Lastly, he is the person you keep your kids from because they are a pedophile.

S.Johnson 8th

1/18/2019 02:57:17 pm

Its like at times I wonder if my friends or better yet me fall victim into cruel situations such as the R.Kelly scandal. Its even more sickening how many people knew about it and never spoke about to it to anyone and left those women in danger.

K.Brown 2nd

1/18/2019 03:13:16 pm

Agreed.Black men should protect the black woman and vice versa.Black men have always been made the targets so ,we always defend them .It’s heartbreaking when our black men make poor decisions that hurt or make the black community look bad . They’re just proving what the white man thinks already and it’s really disappointing.

S. Sanders- 1st Period

1/16/2019 10:43:23 pm

This topic on cultural capital as you elaborated makes me think about how it appears our society is imbalanced with unity lacking in morals. As some is seeking society’s status or standing by representing him/herself for one’s own self-gain over others. People present to be selfish, without regard of others causing strife toward others as if that person wronged them. Men as fathers should train up the child to be caring, kind, humble children to adults whose willing to serve or help others. It is sad because lots of the violations taken on the girls with Kelly just as with human trafficking isn’t fair and are done all behind fame or authority, sexual acts, and/or money. We’ve gotten out of order and is without care in our hearts to commit such acts causing mental, emotional, psychological, physical harm. Some people background or childhood experiences haunt their present and cause one to act out negatively toward others as its allowed. Younger girls may be too scared to say no with someone of a certain status. Well Oprah Winfrey just as Missy Elliott are victims of sexual violation, but that didn’t hinder these ladies from pushing forward. Then I think about our country’s leadership wars that is going on right now. There’s still slaves acts or conditions we put ourselves in such doing illegal drugs, selling our bodies, or taking advantage of girls/women, youth, etc or even using folks for making money.

C.Jones

1/17/2019 12:34:44 am

Just like R.Kelly, one of my favorite artists, Michael Jackson was accused of having sex with a minor. It was different kind of children but it makes me wonder if they were singing about little kids the whole time.Its even more messed up because they got beaucoup women chasing them and they want a little kid.

delmetria millener

1/18/2019 01:18:23 pm

Why do you think that is Mr. Jones?

N.Brown8th

1/17/2019 11:53:27 am

The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman, the most unprotected person in America is the Black woman, the most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” ---Malcolm X. This statement shows how women are constatly disrespected. Men should be willing to protect girls/women it shouldn't have to forced. If a man doesn't choose to stand by a women than why try to get with her for pleasure. “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.”— Malcolm X . Men need to see that women need to be protected and not taken for granted. It Doesn't matter if a man is famous or not but taking advantage of a young girl shows you his demeanor about life.“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. ”--- Martin Luther King Jr. Men need to learn and proccess that a women deserves love and protection just as much as they do.

C. Swann 1st period

1/17/2019 06:26:01 pm

I agree with you on most of your viewpoints. We all see that this man is sick, but what was the cause of that? He was taken advantage of as well. Who was supposed to save him? Not only do women need to be protected, men do too. If he was protected then this could have been avoided.

V Parker 8th

1/17/2019 07:32:31 pm

R Kelly may have been affected by sexual assault, but that doesn't excuse his actions. Everyday people carry around this trauma and pain but choose to not do unto others as was done to them; they lead typical lives with jobs, families and the most basic morals. R Kelly chose to be a victim rather than a survivor, using his past as an excuse, and on top of that, became a predator. The only way to end the rampant sexual assault of others regardless of gender is to expose these incidents and never try to defend them.

M. Chavez 2nd pd

1/18/2019 08:34:26 am

Although I do agree with you that men and boys should be protected just as much and women and little girls, there’s no excuse for taking advantage of someone who’s underage. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, no excuse. If a man was hurt that bad, why would he want to put someone through the same pain.

J. Griffith 2nd

1/18/2019 08:54:03 am

I agree because most men don’t cherish them enough. One minute they care then the next minute they’re on to something else.o

C. Swann 1st period

1/17/2019 06:19:08 pm

I see something wrong with R. Kelly’s bump and grind. Though, I can understand why society may be blinded. I know of many people that have relations with older males. We live in a society where it is somewhat praised to have a boyfriend that is older than you, brings in substantial amounts of money, and lives life as he should at his age. R. Kelly isn’t the only one out here doing it. This has gone on forever and at one point in time it was common.

M. Hollywood 2nd

1/18/2019 08:46:39 am

Rkelly isn’t the first and he surely won’t be the last. However now society wants to make it important now. It happens so commonly however we are blinded by it until it’s brought into the light. That doesn’t make it ok but it does show how our minds work.

Estevan Salas 6th

1/18/2019 01:14:36 pm

Having relations with older males is usually all banter in terms of reality, nobody wants an old man as their lover. All because R. Kelly isnt the only one doing it dosent mean he shouldnt be punished for his actions ALONG with the others that do it aswell.

Z. James 8th

1/18/2019 01:38:37 pm

It seems as if it is 'okay' to for a young girl to go through the same problems of a man older than her. It seems as if it's 'okay' to let young woman to chase and lust after older men. This generations minds are very corrupt and wrong.

V Parker 8th

1/17/2019 07:26:32 pm

"I remember a time when all the grown men I knew protected little girls from all the predators of the world, even when they were not their daughters. I wish we could get back to that." This sentence is bittersweet because it shows the perspective you have as a black female from a previous generation where child sexual assault was taken seriously and not defended. However, even then little girls (and boys) were taken advantage of and raped or molested. The issue with our society isn't that we allow sexual predators to walk; the issue is that we refuse to open up dialogue about the warning signs of harmful behavior. Instead we force our youth to carry around this trauma as if it occurred due to their actions and not because someone chose to do harm unto another person. It is something we shame. If you haven't heard of sexual assault on a personal level, it's because of the silence we force its survivors to endure, thus reducing them to the status of victims.

L.Allen 2nd Period

1/17/2019 11:06:37 pm

"Its is not the bruises on the body that hurt. Its is the wounds of the heart and the scars on the mind." This quote speak volumes because all these women tried to escape and was aggressively abuse and molested on their body but more so in their minds to the point they believed that their was possibly no such thing as "help", "freedom", or even "love". In addition, it's sad and depressing to see women but mostly little girls in danger because of how grown men in this generation now wants the pleasure from younger not even developed young women nor ladies is just sickening and heartbreaking.

J. Perez 6th

1/18/2019 03:26:24 pm

That quote beautifully describes the pain that those women went through. It was more than physical. It was mental as well. Mental health is just as important and the amount of damaged they received from that abusive relationship can affect them in the long run. Their relationships could have more problems and they would isolate themselves from society.

N.Brown8th

1/18/2019 09:31:46 pm

I agree girls are becoming insecure women. A male can say sweet things and still take her for granted leaving her in pieces .

J. Griffith 2nd

1/18/2019 08:52:08 am

Men have to cherish their women more than they do. Due to what has happened to a girl in the R. Kelly incident, men have to be careful who their women and children handout with. It’s a proven fact that boys and girls get taken advantage of in today’s society. Generally, men have to keep a watchful eye on who their child’s friends are and establish a curfew. That’s what most families do to ensure the safety of their children.

M.Horton

1/18/2019 12:25:25 pm

first we have to get father's to stop neglecting their children. Single mother's do a great job raising their children but without a father in the household most young men have nothing to go off of as far as how to treat women

M. Sanchez 6thpd.

1/18/2019 01:43:04 pm

It is true, it is becoming very common in today’s society and that is very sad. Somehow people are sayin that is it okay to do and treat people like that, these young girls probably grew up with so many mental problems because of what happened to them. Parents should watch the kids more and create a better relationship so that if anything like that was to happen they could tell them and get justice.

I. Chancellor 8th period

1/18/2019 01:47:02 pm

With all honesty, they need to, so their daughters can grow up and look for respectful men to be with and nothing less. Not only be vigilant, but also be around if their child has to go around family or strangers, so they can protect them. To be honest, the only reason why it is like that is because parents are not paying enough attention to their kids and people today are sick minded. Not only men, but women as well, because both parties have a part, in trying to keep their child safe. Lastly, even though kids and teenagers don’t understand why their parents are hard right now, but they will soon found out when they get older that some people are not trustworthy and are sick minded individuals.

N.Brown8th

1/18/2019 09:35:12 pm

I agree it all starts as youth . Who do parents allow their children around ? What different habits and body languages are they picking up . Parents do need to start paying closer attention to their children then maybe they won’t end up with a messed up mind .

M.Chavez 2nd pd

1/18/2019 08:54:07 am

Everyone turns their heads when it comes to women being abused. No matter the race, Black, Hispanic, White, etc., there’s no justice for women. Social status blinds us, and causes us to make up excuses for the people we look up to. Having someone who has influenced you, abuse you, can cause a tremendous amount of trauma and fear, that will affect your life for the rest of your life. It’s not something to take lightly like we do now. Why is there even a question over if the accusations are true? A woman, or any victim for that matter, loses face, and whatever they have left. It’s a bigger loss for them, than it is for the abuser. Open your eyes to the real world and consequences.

J Butler 5th and 6th

1/18/2019 10:38:03 pm

I agree. All men should respect all women. No matter the race or social status no one has the right to violate the next person, especially underaged. People with high status sometimes feel entitled to use others and those with no status allow it. It’s stupid and people shouldn’t go for that. Truth or false it ain’t right.

M. Cain 2nd

1/18/2019 09:07:52 am

Black men constantly degrade black women. Black women will lose their voice over trying to defend black men, but the energy is never returned. Honestly the only one that is protecting girls are other girls. For example following this R. Kelly documentary everyone took to social media and immediately blamed the girls claiming that they knew what they were getting into. Instead of blaming R. Kelly the grown man that's preying on underage girls. The girls have found the courage to share their story and in response people laughed and kept going about their day. Girls literally came forth and told them a grown man sexually harassed them and people said "I'm still going to step in the name of love at the cookouts" like where is the accountability. Woman shouldn't have to tell a man to imagine if it was his mother or sister in that situation for them to understand the issue. The world would be so much better if black men fought for black woman just as hard. If men period defended women for once.

G.Musa 6th period

1/18/2019 08:19:40 pm

Not all black men tear down their race to be honest, we just tend to run into a lot of Neanderthals with pea-sized brains and ignorance holding such a strong hatred towards black unbiased women on their S**t.

J Butler 5th and 6th

1/18/2019 10:34:37 pm

Can’t take away from his talent. Not saying anything he did was right at all. The man made great music though and I don’t think people who are offended by what he did in his personal life shouldn’t be able to listen to his music.

M. Jimerson 2nd pd

1/18/2019 09:09:52 am

Women all around the world should be cherished instead of getting harassed or worse: raped. For the people that still listen and praise R. Kelly, I think it's sick because there is all this information about him doing girls wrong and scarring them for life but you still wanna listen to him. I really wish that we can have a generation of men that actually protect women and not sexualize them and look at them like they're a piece of meat.

N. Medina 6th

1/18/2019 11:57:48 am

It’s pretty clear that R. Kelly did horrible things and I don’t understand how people can continue defend him and support him. Women should not be degraded but praised. This just shows how women don’t get treated fairly especially when they are the victims. This is proof that if you have fame and fortune then you can literally get away with anything. It must be so hard to talk about things that these girls went through because it’s just a reminder of a point in their life where they became scarred for life.

S. Lara

1/18/2019 01:21:44 pm

I agree this not only scares them for life but with the public constantly defending them who will they be able to speak to about this topic. Fame and fortune really does take you along way.

M. Sanchez 6th pd.

1/18/2019 01:39:08 pm

People let him get away with it because they like his music and support that he’s a wealthy. However that should not be a reason for him to get away with it, if it was another young male doing that they would want him killed and put in prison for life. Just because it’s R Kelly does not mean he had every right to do that because he had no right to mistreat those girls.

K.Brown 8th hour

1/18/2019 05:01:31 pm

It is true that fame and fortune holds a power over others who do not possess these same assets but with fame and fortune comes the double bladed sword. I honestly agree that R.Kelly did wrong and people shouldn't defend him as much as they do. But with the double bladed sword is that people with those assets will be targeted more. I am not referencing R.Kelly in this sense, just that with fame and fortune you are also put under a higher pressure because of your prevalence.

B. Haynes 8th

1/18/2019 10:49:34 pm

It just makes me sick to my stomach. There is literal proof of how disgusting R. Kelly is, and people are still willing to “step in the name of love.” He had no right to do what he did to those young women, and now they have to live with the scars.

Lloyd Trimble

1/18/2019 11:27:11 pm

I agree that what he did was outright disgusting and he should not get a pass for that, but when I hear step in the name of love at a family reunion or something imma get to jigging.

M.Horton

1/18/2019 12:20:37 pm

Men sometimes are shown in a bad spotlight not all are rapist or abusive to their spouses and we should be trying to focus on the positive to show our men from a young age how to treat women

J Perez 6th

1/18/2019 01:18:15 pm

It's true not all men are rapist and there are men who go through abuse as well. However it's more than just targeting men and saying that they're all rapist. The fact that so many people get away with rape or abuse including women is ridiculous. It needs to stop. We can teach the young to cherish and respect one another. Hopefully with time that will help but people no matter how pure their souls are will get tarnished sooner or later.

Jordan bridges

1/18/2019 05:43:58 pm

True,we have to stay positive,negative things won't lead to positive actions.

S. Pirzada 6th

1/18/2019 07:31:23 pm

These topics can be targeting and influence to people to hardly believe in trust. So I understand where you are coming from,

C. San Roman 2nd

1/18/2019 10:59:02 pm

To ignore taboos such as these is the equivalent of letting these types of actions pass by. If we want to teach the new generation of men, then we have to show the negatives too, for if we ignore our actions, we are doomed to repeat it.

I. Chancellor 8th period

1/18/2019 12:59:41 pm

With all honesty, I blame R. Kelly and the parents of those women for ruining their young lives. I blame R. Kelly for taking advantage of them and not being a role model for how men should treat women. Also, I blame the parents for putting so much trust in one man and not being watchful. If the parents were around, all of this would have never happened, and the girls would have never experienced what they did with R. Kelly. To be honest, men in power or not, should respect girls, so the girls can know what a respectful man is and why they should look for that and nothing else.

T.Tate 8th

1/18/2019 02:56:22 pm

I agree,like why would you even put that much trust in a man you know nothing about with your little girl.That don't make sense to me like why,what type of mother or father would be this irresponsible about their child.

K. Brown 8th hour

1/18/2019 04:55:58 pm

I feel that in some ways the parents had lost a bit of their parental control. Though I also somewhat blame some of the girls, I hate to seem to be bashing the victim but some of the girl's stories could have been prevented on their own accords as well. R.Kelly had utterly no right to do what he did, and the parents should have been more watchful in many ways, but those girls also owe it to themselves to sound alarms as well.

M. Cain 2nd

1/18/2019 09:48:30 pm

I completely agree with you the adults should be held accountable not the girls. Even if they may have placed themselves in the situation R. Kelly being a grown man should have said no.

S. Lara 6th period

1/18/2019 01:06:32 pm

The trauma these young girls will go through is horrible. Growing up they will be traumatized and possibly develop trust issues. We should not be blinded by a persons actions even if they have an amazing talent or well known does not make it okay. People need to stop avoiding the topic and stop being supportive of his actions.

Estevan Salas 6th

1/18/2019 01:08:10 pm

We live in the day and age where everyone has the “mind your own business” mentality which puts everyone in danger. Many people knew about what R. Kelly was doing to these people but they decided to mind their own business instead. People now hold privacy and secrecy above moral standards in order to “not get involved” in something that dosent have anything to do with them. Some say that everyone should mind their own business but in the end that is the way that people end up getting hurt and damaged for the rest of their lives. It only takes one person to speak for the masses.

delmetria millener

1/18/2019 01:20:03 pm

Is it a "mind your own business" mentality, or an "I'm getting paid so I gotta keep eating" mentality.....

Estevan Salas 6th

1/18/2019 01:25:18 pm

It is definitely a “mind your own business” mentality. That phrase gets thrown around in all areas of the United States and if someone were to expose R. Kelly wouldnt that help their bag? People knew what he was doing but turned a blind eye not because of money, but because it wasnt their business.

D. Hearne 8th

1/18/2019 06:39:24 pm

Many people, like his team, turned a blind eye because they definitely would have gotten fired for speaking out against someone they represent. For him, those people were easily replaceable but for those people they might not have gotten a job like that ever again. They knew they had it good, so they zipped it.

M. Mason 1st period

1/18/2019 08:45:41 pm

R. Kelly was probably paying his victims families off to keep everything hush hush. He also could have threatened the girls like if they didn’t do what he say he would probably do something to their families.

S.Johnson 8th

1/18/2019 01:09:38 pm

It is obvious that black men and women have been suppressed over the past centuries. It makes no sense that our own kind can be in their right mind to hurt each other and cause a long trail of pain. But I guess I'm wrong. Women should be cherished and not looked upon as a piece of meat or sex object. For example the R.Kelly documentary, R.Kelly knew what he was doing when he took those girls. However our own community immediately blamed the girls and let the predator portray the image as innocent. Furthermore, our men and everyone else should be protecting women and not putting them down.

S. Pirzada 6th

1/18/2019 07:09:15 pm

It's a fancy saying that people either picking sides or just ignoring it. This is frightening because I'm horrified the idea of how a man can use women.

J. Perez 6th

1/18/2019 01:12:40 pm

Women shouldn't be degraded but loved and cherished. It's sad to see such horrible things happen to women. To see them robbed of their womanhood and beaten over "love". It's been happening for years yet no change had been made. They're still scared to speak out and forced to hold in all the pain until they break one night alone in bed. No one should have to suffer through that kind of pain. This has been an issue for years so why hasn't there been any changes.

S. Lara 6th period

1/18/2019 01:19:04 pm

Jniquea jackson2

1/18/2019 04:31:09 pm

Definitely agree!! Talent only go so far. If you have talent hurting innocent people what’s the point of putting on a show . No one wants to be entertained by a person who enjoy hurting children. World need a change and we need it fast.

Z. James 8th

1/18/2019 01:27:02 pm

As a man, it is your moral duty to protect the world and those who inhabit it. Protecting women and children is an instinct. Lately it seems as if we have not been up to par in the protection services. It's time for us to heal the wounds that have been inflicted on our women. Let's take the time to make things right.

Jniquea jackson2

1/18/2019 04:29:00 pm

I totally agree!! It’s past due time for a change. Men have to be better in there actions . But moreso ever women have to be better in choice. It’s in matter of time when the world is destroyed

Jordan bridges

1/18/2019 05:36:18 pm

Its like men do the opposite of what's expected of themselves now.

J Chandler 6th

1/18/2019 10:31:07 pm

I wish it could that easy, but some people enjoy the idea of people’s faces once they’ve been hurt and have no remorse after.

M. Sanchez 6thpd

1/18/2019 01:35:35 pm

R Kelly is a name that millions of people know, and now he has a bad reputation behind him because of his own actions. He mistreated young girls that were unable to protect themselves. Those little girls have lived with that all these years and are not getting the justice that they deserve. This is a reason why many young males think that they can treat young girls however they want. Just because you have a lot of money behind you does not mean that you can get away with treating someone like they’re less than human. Justice should be served and those girls deserve more than money.

K. Allen 8th pd

1/18/2019 02:35:03 pm

I agree with you because money is truly the root of all evil, and it made R.Kelly feel invincible or as if he could not be touched, which caused him to continue degrading women.

M. Mason 1st period

1/18/2019 08:42:57 pm

I agree with you. He uses his name to cover up the fact that he is a monster. Right now today he could care less about what people are saying.

M Martinez 3th

1/18/2019 11:24:16 pm

You’re completly right on young men thinking they have the right to disrespect women just because of their money. Money doesnt give anyone the right to feel as if they’re above them.

K.Brown 2nd

1/18/2019 01:59:59 pm

I’m honestly pretty disappointed in today’s society for just now publishing and putting out all this information 10-15 years later .We all heard the rumors but pushed them to the side because we were blinded by his talent . The show that recently aired ,“ Surviving R.Kelly,” finally revealed and confirmed the rumors we ignored.Im glad the victims were strong enough to finally talk about such dark things so that the world as a whole could see who R.Kelly really was .Hopefully this show will bring awareness to the rest of child predators out there.

K. Allen 8th pd

1/18/2019 02:42:57 pm

Women should be cherished and treated as queens, but in this world we live in most men look at females as sex toys and use them for their own selfish pleasure. For example, R.Kelly instead of him treating these women with compassion and care he used his fame and power to manipulate these young impoverished girls. He then turned around and smiled in societies face so they wouldn't believe these allegations, and of course instead of everyone believing the survivors many seemed to blame them or their parents by asking the question "Where was the parents?". You see this happen frequently, were the victim gets blamed instead of the predator especially when its a little black girl, it's always "well she shouldn't dress like that" or "she wanted it".

J. Maple 8th

1/18/2019 09:25:50 pm

I completely agree. The parents of these impoverished girls wouldn’t have realized the dangers of the industry, and probably wanted to provide their children with opportunities they would never have been able to give them otherwise. It’s always the victim’s fault in some way, no matter how heinous the crime is.

T.Tate 8th

1/18/2019 02:53:09 pm

The society has changed tremendously,because I do remember a time in my life where little girls didn't attract men as much as they do now.Today its like all you see is older men and younger girls,and I believe both the men and the young women take part in situations like this and I'm not taking up for men.But today all you hear young women talking about a 'sugar daddy,'but when it gets out all the blame is on the man. When the young women have took it upon herself to make a decision to mess with this old man.I'm not saying this is ok because its also the men fault.They should be mature enough to know they shouldn't be messing with a little girl.

I. Florence 8th

1/18/2019 11:49:34 pm

The prevalence of social media has caused us to conceive the notion that society has changed tremendously. Yes, society has changed, but not all sections within society have changed that much. Before social media, it was easier for a man to hide his pedophilia. Now, because of social media, a man's pedophilia is more likely to be exposed. The only thing that has really changed is the exposure.

Jniquea jackson-2

1/18/2019 04:27:04 pm

The whole R.kelly story is very sickening to me. How could a man do this to young girls and then apply it in his music . If you evaluate his music he describes his actions in his song. This acts are so not right . And some people have the audacity to blame the parents!!! Why blame them ? A child is going to do what they want anyways . Even if a mother said so no if it was there choice to go that’s where they were going to do. Leading to that some got in bad situations and got brain washed. Don’t understand why the world is how it is today . After Dr. king and other faught so hard for rights but for the world to go back to a repeat cycle is shameful. We are disappointing God and other who shed tears and blood for us.

D. Tonche 8th pd

1/18/2019 05:15:31 pm

It seems to me that people are adamant of neglecting his actions by either blaming his childhood or the victims parents. Why cant they just admit that R. Kelly is horrible man who did terrible actions.

K. Brown 8th

1/18/2019 04:53:00 pm

The issues surrounding R.Kelly have always been some unspoken taboos in the community of his followers. Everyone knew something was up and that something was wrong, but everyone tuned that out and focused on the music. I am not sure of what is 100% true and what is not about the whole situation, but from what I have heard it seems highly inappropriate. In many ways I think that R.Kelly is not the only party at fault, though he is a main proprietor of the issue. It is said that R.Kelly had issues as a child that contributed to his current actions but I am a firm believer that there is a difference between a reason why and an excuse. Though call me skeptical, but I feel that there is a lot more to the story that we are not hearing and seeing.

D. Tonche 8th pd

1/18/2019 05:11:46 pm

The people who didnt address the subject of R. Kelly condoled his actions by not speaking for his victims, I agree with you on the matter when people ignored R. Kelly accusations because of his music.

J. Maple 8th

1/18/2019 09:22:42 pm

The black community idolized this man because he looks like us and came from the same place as us. People identified with him. Those women and men, especially his ex-wife and his manager, could not have been making this story up, simply because you could see how regretful and shameful they felt. It was written all over their faces.

J. McCarter

1/18/2019 11:03:44 pm

Interesting! I honestly feel like both sides of the story should surely be heard. All fingers are being pointed at Rkelly for the the wrongful things ge did but what about his side. Not saying that he could possibly justify his wtong doing but what are the victins not telling us. They can’t possibly be giving full stories.

D. Tonche 8th pd

1/18/2019 05:06:34 pm

I recall an interview of Vince Staples at Coachella. He commented on the accusations surrounding R. Kelly, the interviewer was prompt to change the subject. Vince Staples stayed adamant on speaking about R. Kelly, the interviewer stated she would get fired if they continued talking about him. I never understood why people neglected the subject of R. Kelly, if various people come forth about their abuser then they must be true. When people don't acknowledge and address a problem in their community they are condoling this man’s actions of hurting young girls.

D. Hearne 8th

1/18/2019 06:34:45 pm

It always goes back to the money. This interviewer cared more about her job that the justice of the young women affected by R. Kelly.

T. Young 2nd period

1/18/2019 07:56:23 pm

I agree with you people are continuously putting off the subject for different reasons but it’s a subject that is still happening to this day.

C. San Roman 2nd

1/18/2019 10:49:58 pm

It is not that people wont talk about it, it is the fear of backlash against them that prevents them from coming on forth, but do not fret. With each passing day, brave assault survivors are coming out and telling the stories, the world is making progress little by little

I. Florence 8th

1/18/2019 11:54:28 pm

Exactly. When young girls are not protected from their predators, the predators are then enabled and the cycle continues.

Jordan bridges

1/18/2019 05:28:11 pm

This is crazy how girls are being treated in this day and age. Using girls for a negative purpose isn't cool at all it's just dissapionting to the community we have built up to be great. Not only just men of color but all races need to treat women and young ladies better.

S. Lara 6th

1/18/2019 09:50:58 pm

I completely agree apparently people have forgotten how one should be treated and more light should be brought to this situation so that we can teach children from a young age again what is not okay.

T.Harris 6th

1/18/2019 06:27:33 pm

I believe man should respect women because they are the people who carry them for 9 months. Man seen to treat women like they are nothing but piece of trash they can put them out when they are done. R kelly is a sick man how could a you be low enough to have sexual relationships with minors as if it’s normal. This man admitted to liking his mother how could you be in love with a woman who gave birth to you. Then he is so open to telling people he don’t mind hanging with little girls just horrible. Then these girls aren’t no better knowing this man is a over grown man & still acting as if he is their age. The whole situation & Just sad!

D. Hearne 8th

1/18/2019 06:30:29 pm

I think over time black people have lost that sense of community and it has become more about one upping the next person. Instead of having each others back, especially in the world we live in, we step on them. With that mindset, comes selfish intentions. We’ve come to the point where black people openly state how they genuinely don’t like other black people. R. Kelly had some sort of benefit for doing what he did and his team allowed it to happen rather than being morally correct, just for some zeros in their bank account.

D.Molo 8th

1/18/2019 10:21:23 pm

We've moved toward becoming desensitized to it yes. The other thing is we just point the finger at one individual. There was tons who helped it go on and said nothing regarding it. What's their consequence?

J Chandler 6th

1/18/2019 10:28:43 pm

I agree. People will do things or not do things all for money. Money doesn’t stop problems it jus makes more of them.

S. Pirzada 6th

1/18/2019 06:38:31 pm

An adult suppose to lead their juniors. But this age gap and maturity level was passed into committing a misdeed. I don't know much about R. Kelly, except the fact he's public figure. But hearing this story about a grown man and young child is disgusting. People have to teach each other by a set standard to watch out who may abuse you, this should not be romanticized.

M Taylor 1st period

1/18/2019 07:04:20 pm

R . Kelly is a very disturbing man yes... what he did was wrong.. but he had limited knowledge on certain things and he was limited to things a man would usually be able to get.. so he did what he knew.. this isn’t an excuse for his doings but it’s the truth i feel
but as well as he knew what he was doing.. the 14 year old and others knew just as well.. all the blame shouldn’t be pinned on R Kelly they equally condoned in the activities R Kelly does not seem like the aggressive type so I highly doubt he “FORCED” them they allowed him.. the whole thing to me is i don’t know pointless i guess honestly .. sex is sex.. money is money and opinion is and opinion.. at the end of the day.. everyone has their own opinions as well as a voice.. R Kelly will continue to make music people will continue to listen just to speak on him and his social status and money will continue to rise for the same reason and the cycle will continue
Yes he was wrong but the deed is done he confessed to it admitted his wrongs and ANYWAY how long ago was this !? how many songs has he made since then ??? how many of y’all will continue to listen to his music and continue to speak on this exact subject... ? ok just saying

M Taylor 1st period

1/18/2019 07:09:15 pm

well he didn’t admit to anything my fault but shoooo still !

T. Young 2nd period

1/18/2019 07:53:47 pm

I really disagree with you because even though he went threw some horrendous things too it doesn’t make it right for him to display what was done to him on other people. Even though some of the girls knew some still felt terrible and stupid for what they did.

B. Haynes 8th

1/18/2019 10:43:46 pm

Okay, but the thing is that they were fourteen and R. Kelly was the adult in the situation. I don’t care if they knew or not, he was the one who should have stopped it. Teenagers are easily influenced and impressionable—R. Kelly knew this and took advantage of them. Sometimes, people aren’t what they seem. This is evident in R. Kelly and how people still don’t seem to get it or the severity of the situation.

T. Young 2nd period

1/18/2019 07:48:25 pm

All women and little girls should be protected at all cost no matter the race. The things that R. Kelly and other men are doing in this world to women are horrendous. Even though he went threw his terrible times it doesn’t justify the trauma and things he’s putting these women threw. Every black man should feel the need to protect black women because we’re the most disrespected and pushed away race and for another man if the same race disrespect a women is really shameful. No one should have to go through life reliving the trauma in their head because of the sick and disgusting mans action.

G.Musa 6th period

1/18/2019 08:15:36 pm

"The fault was never in the naivete of the girls he victimized, but in his intentional predation on them and the complicity of other adults and it's absolutely imperative that we state that plainly and loudly"- Sherronda J. Brown. This statement silenced a few supports because they only had and pursued a one point stance. The vivid question is when will we stop protecting predators? Birds fly, fishes swim, humans die and well R. Kelly remains a predator with freedom. Kelly's songs convey a disturbing and sinister presentation "My mind's telling me no but my body's telling me yes", Uhh a little face changer thats avoided by his fans. Kelly's fanbase tend to run to his rescue when allegations rose but the evidence is dancing on their fingertip. Girls face a lot of abuse whether physically,mentally or emotionally and i can't imagine the trauma those girls have been through. Men should respect womens decisions good or bad let it be. Robert kelly can not sit down and say he didn't know what he was doing because he 100% knew his tactics and ways to lure teenagers in by painting and big image of a popstar for them.

M. Mason 1st period

1/18/2019 08:40:42 pm

The recent events that has occurred with R. Kelly is nothing new everybody knew all of this stuff already but we were blinded by his music. It is sad that those young women had to go through all of what they did. They were brainwashed pretty much, but they allowed it to happen because he’s R. Kelly. In most of his songs he is literally admitting that he did those things to his victims. There are a few people of the black community who still support his music. Why? He’s R. Kelly and it wasn’t them so of course they’ll still listen to his music and he will continue to make profit. I am not taking up for him at all but there is a reason why he is the way he is and he should seek help.

J. Maple 8th

1/18/2019 09:18:07 pm

Many of my peers have given their thoughts about the scandal that surrounds R. Kelly. Some believe that the victims are paid actresses who are coming forward to become famous and capitalize from Kelly’s past. These girls are victims of a man of high stature that lured them in with the promise of their dream careers and awakened sexual feelings that they didn’t understand and weren’t ready for, and therefore had immense power over them. These girls were probably terrified to speak up about what was happening, for fear of retaliation and more harmful abuse from Kelly and his entourage. Although I don’t believe in the censorship of his music, the black community and all communities should be mindful of R. Kelly’s music and the message that is hidden within it. This event also makes me realize the power of art and how we idolize these corrupt artists because they happen to look like us, or been in the same position that we might have been in.

D.Molo 8th

1/18/2019 10:17:03 pm

Genuinely the music may have had diverse implications at the same time, for what reason is this entire this a little while ago occurring. I feel as though it resembles the Bill Cosby circumstance yet all that we've seen from Kelly has for the most part been valid. The thing is for what reason is it just him being slammed and not the general population who realized what was happening and giving it a chance to slide until the point that they were motivating paid to disclose to everything. Shows what kind of ethics they had.

T. Jones 2nd

1/18/2019 10:03:11 pm

We are now a generation of glitter and glitz. We want what shines, we want to shine. R Kelly took advantage to young girls by giving them both glitter and glitz. In obtaining this shine a number of us have traded morals and respects. Our mothers made the trade for us. A number of little girls are or have grown up in single parent homes. The lack of a father allows predators to victimize not only them, but their mothers. Mothers are pimping their daughters to be apart of the materialist trade.
Dr. King was raised in a two parent Christian home. He lived and taught the Christian principles. Not many man do anymore, R Kelly definitely does not.

J. Mills 2nd. pd.

1/18/2019 11:41:33 pm

I disagree, because from what I have been hearing Robert was promising the women glitz and glitter, but the women were hardly if ever even heard of again once he took them in.

D.Molo 8th

1/18/2019 10:09:39 pm

Many have given their considerations about the embarrassment that encompasses R. Kelly. Some trust that the unfortunate casualties are paid performers who are approaching to end up well known and underwrite from Kelly's past. These young ladies are casualties of a man of high stature that baited them in with the guarantee of their fantasy vocations and stirred sexual emotions that they didn't comprehend and weren't prepared for, and in this manner had enormous control over them. These young ladies were most likely panicked to talk up about what was going on, inspired by a paranoid fear of striking back and increasingly destructive maltreatment from Kelly and his company. Despite the fact that I don't have faith in the oversight of his music, the dark network and all networks ought to be aware of R. Kelly's music and the message that is covered up inside it. This occasion additionally influences me to understand the intensity of craftsmanship and how we revere these degenerate specialists since they happen to appear as though us, or been similarly situated that we may have been in.

J Chandler 6th

1/18/2019 10:20:37 pm

Okay. I’m not saying that it isn’t true that men should want to protect instead of harm women and young ladies,but there are some girls or women that lead on these older men. 14 year olds looking like there 24, having access to fake IDs and other things that could possibly end horrendously. We know that there are creeps in the world,yet some still have the audacity to walk out the house half naked. We should try to keep the unwanted attention off us instead we attract it. I know that the way we dress doesn’t give anyone the right to do anything the want to us, but why even take a chance?

J. McCarter 2nd

1/18/2019 10:54:42 pm

I completely agree! Young guys and women both take pride in talking to older people. It could most definitely be the faults of the younger individuals. Although the victims of Rkelly were released under his supervision without the knowledge of or without surveillance of the parents. That causing the girls to be taken advantage of. Everyone has a definite part in the situation to be blamed for.

J Butler 5th and 6th

1/18/2019 10:27:43 pm

R. Kelly is disgusting. I don’t believe that black men as a unit should be labeled by him and his actions. Not just black women but women in general should but treated with the utmost respect and not degraded. Not going to lie his music is still good but his personal life was unacceptable.

B. Haynes 8th

1/18/2019 10:35:31 pm

When I watched “Surviving R. Kelly,” I was utterly disgusted by what these young women had to endure from this man. I was never a fan of R. Kelly even before I watched it, but knowing his songs are about little girls makes me wonder how people can still listen to his music. It makes me question how there are still so many rape apologists who will blame it on the victim rather than blaming the rapist. This goes beyond R. Kelly and his twisted ways, and into how people treat sexual abuse. It’s often swept under the rug in our society, and I am so glad that victims finally feel safe and brave enough to share their stories. We need to bring awareness to these issues rather than pretending they don’t exist.

I Jones 6th Period

3/2/2019 02:42:22 pm

I totally agree with you, i watched the series as well and i was purely disgusted .

C. San Roman 2nd

1/18/2019 10:43:21 pm

As time goes on, i can only see that within each passing day, that a part of human kinds morale is fleeting away. Certain people will back up their favorite artist(singer,etc...) no matter what, even if there is concise evidence against them. They feel as if the life of one single artist is undoubtedly prominent than the emotional and mental stability of children.

J. McCarter

1/18/2019 10:49:29 pm

Nowadays, young men are not taught to treat a women like the queens they are. The whole mindset of the young men in this generation is to get as many women they could possibly get and take advantage of them. They don’t even open doors for them anymore. Rkelly isn’t the only guy who has that mindset. It’s honestly sad and the number of examples for young men to follow are getting smaller and smaller.

M Martinez 3th

1/18/2019 11:21:30 pm

The young men now a days only care about how many girls they have behind them. Its not like the same as before and its sad. You're completly right.

J. mills 2nd. pd.

1/18/2019 11:38:15 pm

I agree because clearly too many women are being abused by men instead of being protected. Women should be treated like queens but I feel like with the mindset the world has, this may never be a reality for all women in the future.

M Martinez 3th

1/18/2019 11:19:35 pm

We’re supposed to support and protect eachother and that's the total opposite of what R Kelly did. People still try to defend him by saying to seperate the person from the music but theres no reason to be giving that person money from listening to their music. The documentary shed light on the accusations and somehow his streams and views have grown. No one takes anything serious now a days until it happens to a loved one. Taking advantage of someone is so disgusting especially an adolescent, I hope people see the true him and not just his money. He deserves to rot in jail for the crimes he committed that were covered with his fame.

I. Florence 8th

1/18/2019 11:29:15 pm

It is not matter of black men not protecting black girls and women. It is a matter of black Americans not protecting each other, sometimes even from our own people. Just like the black men, black women in R.Kelly's social circle were well aware of his pedophilic behavior and turned a blind eye because they reaped the benefits of being associated with R. Kelly. And no, I am not solely blaming black women for the actions of R.Kelly, or other black men. I am providing an example of how the lack of protection from both black men and black women leads to the enabling of predators in our community.

Lloyd Trimble

1/18/2019 11:31:14 pm

What R. Kelly did wasn’t right and he should not get a pass for what he did. He took advantage of little girls and there is even proof of what he did and I don’t even understand how he got away with what he did. Us black men need to do better at protecting our daughters and other girls who are being taken advantage of like this

K Eagans 3rd pd

3/3/2019 06:52:22 pm

Yes black men need to step up. I see a lot of black men talk about what they want to do but I never see them doing it. We as a black community need to stand up for one another.

J. Mills 2nd. pd.

1/18/2019 11:35:28 pm

I also think that Robert is doing black women wrong. I feel like he should be held responsible for what he has done. Even though he should’ve already been held responsible, I feel like at least it could happen one day. If he would’ve been found guilty a long time ago, many of the people wouldn’t even have to live knowing that Robert abused them. The police and people that could charge Robert with his wrongdoings are also to blame for not looking into the women’s cases as thoroughly as they can. I feel like because of this Robert probably feels he can keep hurting these women, and so he does.

S. Houston

2/4/2019 09:20:04 pm

I completely agree. It’s sad to see how young black women are always thrown to the side when situations like this arise.

A. Green 3

3/2/2019 03:13:21 pm

The fact that he’s hurting women in general is an atrocity. But the fact that he’s preying on black girls over all is even worse. He knows that the way America and society is set up it would be easiest to get away with molesting young black girls cause people simply don’t care, or will use the excuse that they were being “fast.”

S. Houston

2/4/2019 09:18:55 pm

Though I, myself, can be considered “biased” when handling the R. Kelly situation, my question is “Was he really the only one to blame?” It was evident that Robert was in the wrong, however those young girls had parents, adults, and guidances who were aware of these things. Even after “the married at 15” allegations with Aaliyah, these parents continued to allow their children around Robert Kelly in hopes “he makes them a big star.” This illustrated just how shallow and willing people are to become big. We must look at all angles of the situation. More than Robert destroyed these girls!

I Jones 6th Period

3/2/2019 02:29:54 pm

I totally agree with you, where were the parents when all this was taking place ? how come the girls didn’t tell the parents ? why were they there alone in the first place ?

A. Green 3

3/2/2019 03:10:41 pm

That is true that some of the blame is on the parents. But at the same time why didn’t authorities address the fact that he married a 15 YEAR OLD. And why did people still justify his wrongdoing and continue to listen to him there’s no way he couldn’t have known she was under age at all.

LaDavia Richardson 5th per

3/4/2019 02:44:04 pm

Partial of the blame is on the parents too because a parent knows their child. As a parent, you're supposed to look into every aspect of where your child is to ensure there well-being .

D. Jones 3rd

3/1/2019 04:18:57 pm

I agree that Aaliyah’s mother needs to have a seat. But if Aaliyah were alive, I would tell her fast behind to have a seat as well. Everyone is constantly blaming R. Kelly. Yes, he was wrong. Yes, he was disgusting and should suffer the worst of consequences. But did we ever stop to ask these “young” girls where their senses were? It didn’t seem odd to them that they were doing inappropriate things with a VERY grown man? I just feel that he’s not the only person we should be pointing fingers at. Period.

K Eagans 3rd pd

3/3/2019 06:48:43 pm

Completely agree. Aaliyah’s mom needs to take responsibility too and stop trying to play like she was with her child all the time. As for the young girls, yes they were young but I’m curtain they knew what they were doing was wrong. I’m not at all blaming them I’m just saying they knew what was going on wasn’t appropriate.

LaDavia Richardson- 5th per

3/4/2019 02:46:57 pm

Aaliyah was her own person, so of course she had the ability to make her own decisions. She made the decision to go and be with a grown man. I admit it wasn't a smart move for her to settle down so young to someone waaaaay out of her age range.

A. Green 3

3/2/2019 03:09:00 pm

Men were put on this world to be protectors over women. And R.Kelly is a prime example of imperfection at its finest. He’s a dangerous manipulative sexual predator that preys on vulnerable young BLACK women at that. And many say “they were old enough to know what they were doing, she could’ve moved, she could’ve etc...” but the fact of the matter is the young girls aren’t in their adult minds and the ADULT used the fact that they weren’t fully mentally developed against them. There’s no excuse we as a community need to better protect our young girls and not allow R.Kelly a pass because we enjoy his music.

K Eagans 3rd pd

3/3/2019 06:43:56 pm

Yes all young girls should be protected by our men instead of preyed on. I also think that in this situation that although R kelly is the main person to blame, he should not be the only person blamed. I do think the parents are to blame as well. As you stated, R Kelly has “goons”, so as a parent why would you want your young female child in an environment like that by herself? They all should take some responsibility and stop putting all the blame on just R Kelly.

K. Banks 6th

3/4/2019 01:02:32 pm

Every knowledgeable adult in this situation should be to blame as they were aware of the possible risks.

M Robinson link

3/3/2019 08:11:19 pm

K. Banks 6th

3/4/2019 01:00:34 pm

R Kelly’s fame does play a role in the way society views him as they say and believe “he couldn't have done it”.

AaliyahC

3/4/2019 09:50:34 am

R Kelly was very wrong but it isn't all his fault. At the age of 13 and over you officially know what is wrong and what is right. The girls could have put a end to his disrespect but they didn't.

Ant Breedlove

3/4/2019 09:55:42 am

Men shouldn't be able to treat women a certain way and get away with it. Men should see that women are more than just items and treat em with respect

K. Banks 6th

3/4/2019 12:58:13 pm

These little girls were taken advantage of by a man their parents entrusted. Whether or not the parents should’ve put their trust in him is debatable, but he still used it to his advantage. Robert Kelly around that time was known to “hang with little girls” so the parents should’ve been precautious. This man knew right from wrong, but used his fame and fortune to hide behind it. In the end, the victims shouldn’t be to blame, but the people who were suppose to protect them and the man himself.

LaDavia Richardson- 5th per

3/4/2019 02:39:24 pm

Fame and money is like a blanket in the society we live in today. As long as you satisfy the public eye, whatever you do behind close doors is acceptable. As the MJ case surfaces now, it only confirms the rumors we already knew to true. R Kelly already had speculations of this but nobody acted on ur until it was too late.

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Mixed Ink

Mixed Ink is our class blog, the window into our souls. It was designed to improve students' writing, critical thinking and communication skills by giving them a platform to provide meaningful content based on their interpretation of what they see.

Although the students receive a grade based on a rubric for completing this assignment, they are not graded on complexity of thought. This is a place where students of all levels can freely, confidently and creatively express themselves and their opinions in a nonjudgmental platform. They are required to respond to and critique each other, but degradation, slander, lewdness, etc., will not be tolerated.

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Communicate effectively
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Write concisely
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Have a voice about what goes on in the world around you