Are Chris Brown and Rihanna Pushing Our Buttons? Communicate to Come Clean

Have you witnessed or directly experienced violence or spousal abuse? With a daily dose of Chris Brown and Rihanna in the news, the topic of violence towards women seems to be pushing a lot of our buttons and is providing an opportunity for many of us to come clean. It's being discussed on all the talk shows - Oprah warned Rihanna that any man who hits once will hit again. On CNN, a panel of men agreed that this is a man's issue as much as a woman's; that it's not just about being a victim who needs to learn to keep herself safe but also about being a victimizer who needs to learn to control rage. I just read on AOL news that Cover Girl may drop Rihanna as a result of her returning to her relationship with Brown. What does our fascination reveal about us? For me, it says that we CAN have an open conversation about a once forbidden subject. The internet allows us all to participate. Then, because it's pushing so many buttons, it begs the question, "Who experienced violence or abuse growing up in your homes, schools and communities?" Remember when people were coming out of the woodwork to acknowledge they had been molested as children and teens by their priests? This was a cathartic cleansing for the Catholic Church. Now the Chris Brown-Rihanna conversation is bringing up another opportunity for us to acknowledge and release our demons. And to take greater responsibility for our results. I grew up in a household effected by the violence of war. The repurcussions circulated through our lives as emotional, physical and verbal abuse. Since then, there have been discussions, forgiveness and declarations of love - but does the onion ever stop unpeeling? I've been working on myself a long time, but this Chris Brown - Rihanna conversation has brought it all up again. What are your experiences and what is your take on what is happening? Please comment below.