Rejection may hurt, but it’s not the end of the world

BY SYDNEE WALCOTT

While some people can handle rejection well and will move on to someone who will reciprocate their feelings, others resort to being disrespectful, because they do not know how to handle rejection well.

Occasionally, there seems to be a news story on someone — usually a girl or woman — getting attacked or killed because they did not reciprocate someone else’s feelings towards them.

The most recent case happened on January 15^th, 2023, when Jamea Jonae Harris, a 23-year-old mother, was shot and killed for rejecting the romantic advances of 21-year-old Darius Miles, a University of Alabama student and basketball player.

Harris, her boyfriend, and a cousin, who is a student at the University of Alabama, stopped to get some food as they were on their way home from a night with friends when another car pulled up beside them, and Miles began to flirt with Harris.

Harris turned down Miles and let him know she had a boyfriend. Miles did not take too kindly to the rejection and handed a gun to his friend Michael Lynn Davis, 20, who walked up and fired shots into the other car killing Harris.

Harris’ boyfriend (the driver), shot back in self-defence. One of the suspects was struck and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Miles and Davis were arrested shortly after the shooting and charged with capital murder.

Upon learning of Miles’ involvement in the shooting, both the school and its athletic department released a statement saying he is no longer a student and athlete with them.

Harris’s story is one we have seen far too often. Some boys and men have issues with taking “no” for an answer, and think their needs and desires are more valuable than those of girls and women due to their patriarchal mindset.

This mindset can make boys and men think they can: insult, assault, or kill a girl or woman for turning down their advances.

In response, some girls and women may lie about their relationship status to avoid

getting victimized for rejecting an advance. It may not be kind to lie to others, but it’s a step many have resorted to for safety reasons.

Boys and men need to understand that no one is obligated to be with them just because they show interest, and if rejected by someone, they need to move on instead of resorting to verbally or physically attacking a girl or woman.

There are a lot of fish in the sea. If one person doesn’t show interest, someone else will.

Everyone deserves love. However, people must accept that rejection can happen as you search for love.