Filed under: News
Alesha Abernathy was the woman driving the car, and Boothe was in the passenger seat. Emery chased the women down the highway at speeds as high as 100 miles per hour, ramming the car on multiple occasions. The accident occurred when Abernathy ran a red light to get away from Emery and was hit by a refrigeration truck at an intersection. Boothe was critically injured in the accident.
From the scene that was described in the courtroom, there were quite a few tears being shed, both by the families of the victims and by the alleged perpetrator. No one feels sorry for Emery, since it was her irrational behavior that allegedly caused this entire mess. Also, quite a few of my Facebook friends were turning their heads sideways trying to understand why two women were fighting over a man who is in prison.
One of the most intriguing shows on all of television is a show called "Snapped." The series describes how even the most rational, normal people can do horrible things when they are caught in a fit of jealousy. Obviously, Emery's actions were driven by some type of jealousy or resentment she had toward the woman she felt to be her rival in this love triangle. What's saddest is that sometimes when we love that much, we forget that there are other fish in the sea. As a result of this incident, Emery will have to live with the guilt of her actions for the rest of her life and may never again know her own freedom.
Here is a link that has tips on how to deal with jealousy. While most of us wouldn't try to ram someone off the road, we've all felt the sting of jealousy in our hearts. But jealousy is a short-term psychological disease, and while the effects can be crippling for several weeks or even months, you do eventually overcome and find that there is more to live for than that one person who received far too much of your attention.
Love is a crazy thing: people sing about it, cry about it, talk about it and always remember it. The beauty of love is contrasted by the ugliness of incidents like this one, and some might even compare love to a very scary addiction. At the very least, it says that we should be careful about who we trust our hearts to and make sure that we find our way back to sanity when we feel that we've been betrayed. It's never easy for anyone.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.