To borrow a quote ...

... from Michael Jackson in the December 2007 issue of Ebony, "People are crazy." He's never been so right.
I was all prepared to talk about another politician caught being sneaky and freaky but then I checked my e-mail and watched Headline News this morning and something else just took over my attention. In case you all haven't heard, a television news reporter by the name of Charmayne Brown was attacked in Union, S.C., while simply doing her job.
Brown went to a neighborhood to report on a possible homicide of an elderly man who was believed to be killed by his grandson. While standing on public property, she was attacked by members of the victim and suspect's family.
Take a look at the attack here:

This is so wrong on so many levels. Since you hear all of the bleeps, obviously they are cursing or using "werty derds" as my mom would say. Something else you can't hear is them calling her all kinds of "niggers" and "black bitches."
If I am not mistaken, their usage of those words and the fact that they passed an all white camera crew to get to her may constitute a hate crime. I'm not up on South Carolina's statutes or how they treat hate crimes, but I say they charge them with whatever gets them the most time just like they did for those monsters in West Virginia.
First of all, how is she supposed to feel safe now when she goes out to do her job? Secondly, what's to stop some other fools who don't want the "TV people" in their neighborhoods?
Speaking as a reporter who has had to cover several violent incidents, it is nerve-racking enough to have to go to these scenes where the suspects may or may not have already been apprehended. On top of that, you have to watch your back for a few psychos who don't want you there? That's some bull.
To add injury to insult, reporters are sent into the field by disconnected editors who don't give a damn about their safety. That is the most messed up part of it all. Everyday, we put ourselves in harm's way by going to these people's homes and some of the most obscure meeting places all so that we will have something to show on TV or run in the newspaper and the editors don't give a damn about what you go through to get the story just so long as you get it.
I'm not complaining about my job, in fact, I love my job. What I don't love is my counterparts and I being put into constant danger and nobody, especially the editors, caring about it. Luckily at this juncture of my career, I have an editor who wouldn't force me into a situation where I didn't feel comfortable. But before I did not have that privilege.
Early in my career, I saw too much stuff that I wish I wouldn't have. I haven't seen anyone be outright murdered, but I have rolled up to a scene where there is a body laying there, I've seen lifeless bodies pulled from wrecked cars and I had to go out in a situation where an entire neighborhood was locked down because a suspected killer was on the loose. So trust me, I've had my share of dangerous situations.
The bottom line is nobody should have to be put in harm's way like this unless they are highly trained and skilled in defending themselves and they armed with some sort of a weapon. My dad and my ex-boyfriend practically begged me to get a gun when I was living in Tennessee, but given this incident, I'm thinking about it really hard now.