Last week's Grammy Award Show was supposed to be a tribute to Whitney Houston's death. But Houston's death was quickly overshadowed by other events — such as the fact that Chris Brown performed that night and was nominated for not one, not two, but three Grammys.
It seems that America has quite a short memory span.
When the news broke in 2009 that Brown violently abused his then-girlfriend Rihanna the night before the Grammys, the world was shocked.
The media, some of his fans and peers in the music industry had heavily criticized him. Brown was reportedly banned from attending and performing at the BET Awards that year because Jay-Z refused to perform if Brown was there.
One Walmart store in Connecticut declined to put his new album on its shelves, causing Brown to berate the company on Twitter for "blackballing" him.
The talk at that time surrounding his name was mostly disdainful, with the exception of a few die-hard fans that insisted that Rihanna must have done something to deserve being beaten.
Brown's behavior during this time was not low-key and remorseful, as one would expect from a public figure whose success depends on what others think.
Instead, he was arrogant in light of the criticism and tweeted out angry messages at anyone who dared to criticize him. Even as late as last year, he smashed a window in the ABC studio when a "Good Morning America" interviewer asked him about Rihanna.
Fast-forward to Feb. 12, and things have changed drastically. Rihanna has apparently forgiven him, and it seems that the rest of the world has as well. Chris Brown was allowed to gallivant across the stage and then was given a Grammy for best R&B album.
Some of his supporters have pointed to the fact that Brown has gone through the proper channels to make up for his behavior and that he should be allowed to start fresh.
True, a person's past should not have to define them for the rest of the life, but every decision has a consequence.
And sorry Mr. Brown, when you chose to ram your girlfriend's head into a car window, attempt to shove her out of the car, bite her on her ear and repeatedly punch her in the face and body, we can't just "get over it."
It would be one thing if Brown appeared to be genuinely sorry for his behavior and interested in making up for his sins. But since the incident, he has continued to be arrogant and disrespectful.
The singer has a huge ego and a serious anger problem. And he continuously probes that he thinks the world owes it to him to look past his actions.
Even after the Grammys last week, when celebrities and viewers alike exploded in criticism on social media, he couldn't just ignore it. Brown took to his Twitter page and spoke his mind, tweeting "HATE ALL U WANT BECUZ I GOT A GRAMMY Now! That's the ultimate F--- OFF." He ultimately deleted the message.
His inability to control himself and utter disregard for civility makes it hard to forgive him and accept his feeble apologies.
And what kind of message is the Grammy Association sending to the world by letting Brown back on the stage only three years after he battered Rihanna's face? That it only takes three years to make up for your domestic abuse? That if you're talented enough you will be forgiven for even the most heinous actions toward another human being? Or that it's OK for celebrities to do what they want?
More disturbing is the reaction from some of his female "fans," which even led to a compilation by the site buzzfeed.com, appropriately titled "25 Extremely Upsetting Reactions to Chris Brown At The Grammys."
Yes, these girls are completely ignorant. But sweeping Brown's actions under the rug doesn't help the situation. We, by remaining silent about this pervasive issue in our society, are confirming what these girls believe — that physical abuse is just not that big a deal.
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