Because forgiveness should have nothing to do with repentance.

Forgiveness is simply the refusal to let my life and my emotions be defined by an incident from my past. It doesn’t mean that I’m getting back together with someone. It doesn’t mean that I delude myself they are trustworthy.

“We get that Rihanna has no desire to be a standard-bearer or representative for battered women.”

Precisely. To her credit, Rihanna has consistently refused to be defined as a victim. This crass incident is yet another milestone on that road. The horrified reactions of many are, for me, testimony to how difficult it is for the public to accept that refusal.

It does seem that many people aren’t getting the point:

MOVE ON.

Rihanna isn’t defined by the incident. She will not refuse work based on the incident. She will not hold on to past animosities based on it. She will not be professionally defined by it.

The legions of fans who spent time hating “the other team” need to get a grip and redefine their fanhood around positivity and not animosity.

Neither does it make sense to demonise Chris Brown. His behaviour is nothing less than bog-standard run-of-the-mill for young men who grew up as targets of domestic abuse. Indeed, Chris Brown stands as warning: this is what happens when you let abuse define you.

I definitely take your point about him enduring more outrage than Sean Penn, Charlie or Ozzie Osbourne, who did equally horrific things to women and have not been condemned for them as much as Brown.

Obviously, that is a whole ‘nother issue that speaks to race.

I can’t really agree with your contention that Brown is sorry for what he did, though. He really just comes off as being sorry for what happened to him because of what he did – and as a result resentful.

I do hope that one day he truly is sorry and attempts genuine rehabilitation and attempts to grow up.

I believe Chris is sorry, but doesn’t know how to be sorry or reflect on his actions to thoroughly understand accountability. Much of this is mixed with the distraction from the public’s harassment of him. It’s not like he’s Sean Penn, Charlie Sheen or Ozzie Osbourne, who can hide behind a publicist or image in the age of Twitter and TMZ.

I think Chris Brown has endured more public outrage than any of the former, and he was a teenager when the incident happened.

We have to be fair. The public has also ignored Rihanna’s need for help too. Both need more rehabilitation.

But, YOU or anyone else can’t get offended if some factions of the public supports and forgives Chris. I have forgiven him, which means I support his recovery when it comes to growth and rehabilitation. I have never purchased his cd but I will give him a chance to grow up and change.

You can disagree, but there are many of us who believe Chris deserves a chance to live.