The R Kelly Effect

      Since the verdict of the R. Kelly trial became public, there has been a disheartening amount of people defending wanting to continue to listen to his music and tossing fault onto others.  Granted, I am a FIRM believer that those that covered for him and knew about what he was doing should be brought to justice as well.  With that being said, bringing up Elvis Presley and other [now deceased celebrities] is UNNECESSARY!!!!! We ALL know that there were [and are] others that are predators, but that is NOT an excuse for the egregious behavior of Robert Kelly.  Additionally, why all of a sudden must we separate the art from the artist NOW? Any other time we are fervently reminded that an artist's art is an extension of them...it is a part of who they are...it is their "baby".  Yet, when it comes to the music of this particular ABUSER, people can't seem to leave it alone and are willing to turn a blind eye to his actions over DECADES.

       Many of the people that I have [personally] seen discuss that they will continue "step in the name of love" have previously stated that if their child/relative/friend was abused or assaulted they would end their existence post haste.  My, my, my how a few grammies and hits from the 1990s have changed that mentality.  Death threats are being hurled at survivors of the mayhem as super fans of the pedo publicly proclaim that the "hits didn't hurt anyone" or that "those are some of my favorite songs".  Let me ask this question, "if your favorite actor murdered your mother, would you sit down and watch their entire catalog?" Follow-up question, "would you be ok with your family being told that the art didn't kill your mother and how much they love their work?"  

       To add insult to injury, there are faaaaarrrrrr too many people that are blaming parents for the crimes of R. Kelly.  Do these people know how ABUSE works, especially when GROOMING is involved?  With all of the information that was already made public prior to the [most recent] trial regarding parents frantically trying to rescue their daughters and being less than assisted in their plights.  We were also made privy to many of the women admitting to being coached as to how to visit Kelly and the lengths they went to conceal their early involvement with him.  You know, how MOST victimization occurs.  Grooming...threats...isolation...secrecy...manipulation...gaslighting.  How is this the fault of anyone but Kelly and those that were complicit for a check or his friendship?

     When will it END?! When will everyone STOP being made the villain EXCEPT the actual villain when it comes to ABUSE?! When will the sole responsibility and guilt be put on the person that committed the CRIME instead of their victims and their families? let me take a wild guess...when it happens to you or someone that you know and/or like?  This type of mentality is why so few report their experience or even tell someone.  Add in victims being shamed in court and trolled in their [actual] lives, especially when black, and you can get a FIRM understanding as to why this verdict was EPIC for many that have been abused or assaulted in their lifetimes.  This collection of victims did NOT allow anything to deter them from seeking JUSTICE.  Not the blaming...not the shaming...not the trolling online...not the death threats...NOTHING.  Even with people being so unconsciously vile in their proclamations of musical fandom, these victims could not be moved.

     Hopefully, this case will serve as encouragement for other victims to stand up and demand justice DESPITE society's utter [collective] lack of empathy for CERTAIN victims.