"Surviving R.Kelly", A means for a Movement or defamation of Character?

When you see a bizzare headline or get word of shocking news, what is your immediate reaction? What runs through your mind? Do you react impulsively or are you more inclined to process and digest the information. Headlines always get the best of me because I never know where the headline is going to take me. Should I be concerned about the content? Should I question the validity and authenticity of this particular source? Is what I am going to read going to scare me? Will my views on X subject be altered after reading this? It may seem like a pragmatic way of thinking, or perhaps a long list of hypothetical fears. But one thing remains, and that is how news moves us; how it effects our state of mind.

These same headlines are what drive us to being knowledgeable beings. This very ideology of seeking to explore various perspectives, in a world full of varying and mirroring concepts is what propels us forward to make decisions. By definition, this can be labeled the art of THOUGHT, through Influence! *Ding* Which in turn, leads us to passing judgement.

Words organized to formulate sentences that catch the eye and draw your attention, may bait you into a perspective that you may not have otherwise composed on your own. By simply agreeing to hear out an explanation, you are automatically "sucked" into a vortex of parallel reality. Which retrospectively only means, you are considering another point of view.

However, though this may all be true- we must still hold ourselves accountable for the knowledge we input into our brains. Which are my sentiments regarding the recent trending discussions regarding R.Kelly's actions following the release of the Lifetime DocuSeries Surving R.Kelly. Essentially, television watching is a choice. So if I have the ultimate power and control to filter the information embedded into it, then why will I fill it up with negativity? This is not to say we should turn a blind eye to the world around us, but rather we should decipher how we choose to intake and process information.

Like most things that surface on the internet, when "Surviving R.Kelly" launched, it was the talk of the world wide web. Bloggers writing reviews, vloggers making commentary and reaction videos, and fans divided over the entire ordeal. My thoughts: acknowledge the wrong-doing and move on. Why must we perpetuate wrongdoing by constantly and consistently discussing a topic we are not going to advocate change for? Some say boycott him by deleting his music, stop streaming, remove him from your playlist, etc. But is that really how we get rid of the problem? Is that how we make him recognize his actions? Perhaps it's one way, but it certainly has no social impacts.

We live in a world where the only way to take a stand against something is to stop supporting it financially. And I can certainly agree that is a great way of bringing an end to tragic demise- but only on the surface. What happens when our [minority/ black/ Hispanic] dollars are no longer valuable? What happens when the oppressor deems our contribution are no longer needed? What do we have to fall back on then?

We must TALK to our CHILDREN. Guide our YOUTH. MENTOR the NEXT generation. Otherwise, we will continue to shuffle in the cycle of waste. We cannot make strides as a people and community if we are constantly sitting around and pointing the finger OR sweeping things under the rug out of ignorance and bliss. Are you speaking up or just speaking? Are you taking a stand or are you just standing? What are YOU doing to change the narrative? It cannot be as simple as watch a docuseries, pass judgement, and make a decision to not support. NO! This is my problem with boycotting. It becomes ineffective when the research and analytics component are taken out.

We must reevaluate our moral compass and make a conscious efforts to making EFFECTIVE change. Not playing a record will not stop nor put an end to lewd behavior, criminal intention, or mental illness. Giving out "Get out of Jail Free" cards and passes to artist and celebrities who commit crimes, will not put an end to the abuse and criminal retention. We are failing to hold individuals accountable. We have failed our judicial system where loopholes can allow you to get away with murder. Just look at OJ. After hearing "HE DID IT" for over 15 years, he was finally deemed innocent. Or look at Casey Anthony, who killed and buried her own child and was found innocent of such claims. It's all too forgivable, and frankly by not speaking OUT and taking a stand, as a society- we simply allow it to continue to worsen.

All in all, I want you to know that your voice is powerful. YOU have the ability to turn something wrong into something right by holding criminals accountable. You also have the power to make your own decisions. So pick and choose what you embed into your brain. I am not going to support tragedies by learning about them via tv when I already made up my mind of R.Kelly back in the early 2000's. What is surfacing now, only further supports what we already knew THEN. So what does me "Stepping to the Name of Love" have to do with recognizing he is WRONG for what he did and should be held accountable. Humans come in many forms- some are good and some are bad. But the fact remains, that we have been granted the divine gift of choice and rationalization. So before you Boycott ANYTHING, ask yourself 2 questions: