Professor Hill, Op-Ed guru

Marc Lamont Hill is my favorite Metro Op-Ed columnist by far. The columns from the last few days have pretty much been terrible and random and completely unenlightening. But every time Marc Lamont Hill writes a column, it makes me laugh, or angry, or reflect. Basically, it makes me think.

Mr. Hill is a professor at Columbia University and a Fox News commentator. His opinions are strong, his language may be harsh, but he always backs up his arguments with concrete explanations. Take, for instance, today's article.

Pg 09, "Brown is not quite there yet", Marc Lamont Hill

On the surface, the article is basically talking about the recent controversy over Chris Brown's abuse record, his trial, and his conviction. Hill points out that althouh Chris Brown expresses his remorse in terms of a momentary "lapse in judgment", the latter fails to reflect upon his life circumstances that has brought him to his present situation. If Chris Brown does not understand the deeper meaning and reasons behind his actions (apparently there is a history of abuse between him and Rihanna), he will continue to unconsciously tolerate a society that normalizes and often promotes the abuse of black female bodies. As Hill puts it, "he must come to honest terms with who and what he is right now... only then, will he be on the road to becoming the person that we all know he can be."

The article is about Chris Brown, but it is also about so much more, and this particular article hit extremely close to home.

Solitude only feels like confinement when you are afraid of facing yourself.

Sometimes we cannot change who we've become because we don't know how. It is beyond our understanding what events have precipitated the solid stones that make up our distinct personalities. There are cases where after reflection, we may come to understand why we are the way we are, and only through that understanding can we whole-heartedly change. However, sometimes it is not that we do not know how to self-reflect, but that we are afraid of what we might find.

Of course, if we find ourselves afraid of what we might face, it means we have some inkling of exactly what is there to find. And usually it's not good.

Unfortunately, sometimes that is the only way to fix the unhappiness in our lives and move forward. Sometimes it's the only way we can truly repent, forgive, and then live life to the fullest potential.

Addendum:

Moral of the story is - Ne-yo > Chris Brown. The end.