Last week I read the most ridiculously sad, confusing, and alarming story I’ve read in years. A young man murdered an older man over a comment he left on a picture of the younger guy’s girlfriend. Twenty-year-old Antwion Courtez Martin went to the apartment of 48-year-old Edmond James Tyree and shot him to death after reading a comment, “Damm” [sic], Tyree left on a picture of Martin’s girlfriend, 21-year-old Sharda Perkins.
Yes, that’s how real the internet has become in 2013.
Although we will never know what Tyree really meant by his comment, or if he had any type of relationship with Perkins, but Martin definitely exhibited the same corny characteristics many men and women are guilty of when it comes to cheating: Focusing their rage on the other person.
One person posts a racier-than-usual photo on Facebook, and their partner gets mad at the people who comment, instead of their significant other who posted it. One person flirts with strangers at the club, and their partner tries to step to the stranger, instead of checking their significant other for acting out -of-pocket. One person cheats with a complete stranger, and their partner decides to attack the stranger while barely addressing their significant other. This behavior is the height of stupidity.
[Photo Credit: Facebook]
If you catch your partner cheating and/or disrespecting you with another person, it’s pointless to get mad at the other person, unless it’s a friend or family member. If that person is a complete stranger, please understand that they owe you nothing.
Their actions may be frowsy as hell, but they never made a pact to honor and uplift you, like when you enter into a monogamous relationship. In fact, if that person wants to take a run at your man/woman, the only thing that should be stopping them is your man/woman.
Why the hell would you flex your muscles to protect someone who actually wants to disrespect you and your union?
It’s your place to step to a stranger when your significant other has made it clear that they aren’t interested, yet the other person persists in bothering them. But if you think accosting the person your partner is cheating with makes you tough or honorable, you are completely wrong.
Lincoln Anthony Blades blogs daily on his site ThisIsYourConscience.com, he’s an author of the book “You’re Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer” and a weekly contributor for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @lincolnablades and on Facebook at This Is Your Conscience.
