VICTOR SANTOS-OCHOA,45, MEXICAN IMMIGRANT FELON ILLEGALLY ENTERED USA BORDERS 4 TIMES

VICTOR SANTOS-OCHOA,45, MEXICAN IMMIGRANT FELON ILLEGALLY ENTERED USA BORDERS 4 TIMES:

OCHOA HAS BEEN ARRESTED AT LEAST 20 TIMES, INCLUDING SEVERAL SERIOUS DUI OFFENSES.

HE WAS FINALLY SENTENCED TO 8 YRS IN PRISON.

AFTER SERVING HIS SENTENCED, OCHOA WILL BE DEPORTED AGAIN.

FEDERAL JUDGE HAS ORDERED OCHOA NOT TO RETURN.


Post Sources: AP, Richmond Dispatch, Justice.gov, Youtube


****** Mexican Repeat offender who illegally entered U.S. four times sentenced to 8 years


A Mexican citizen who illegally entered the U.S. four times and racked up a long criminal history was sentenced to eight years in prison Thursday, more than twice the term suggested under federal sentencing guidelines.

Victor Santos-Ochoa, 45, convicted of more than 20 other crimes in the U.S. since 1992, pleaded guilty Feb. 14 to illegal re-entry following a conviction of an aggravated felony and was facing a prison term of 37 to 46 months under the sentencing guidelines.

“Quite frankly, you are the type of individual U.S. immigration policy is intended to keep out of the United States,” U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson told Santos-Ochoa shortly before imposing the term.

Earlier, Hudson told Nia Vidal, Santos-Ochoa’s lawyer, that he has handled 200 immigration cases as a federal judge.

“I believe this is the worst,” Hudson said.

S. David Schiller, an assistant U.S. attorney, told Hudson, “I have done in excess of 500 of these ... cases. I haven’t seen many that come close to this.”

According to court records, the U.S. attorney’s office said that between 1992 and 2007, Santos-Ochoa was convicted of 18 misdemeanors in California, Georgia and Virginia and spent eight of those 25 years in state and federal prisons.

He was deported, apparently in 2007, and then re-entered the U.S., showing up in Chesterfield County, where in 2008 he was convicted of malicious wounding. Deported again, he was caught re-entering the U.S. in Arizona in 2010, sentenced to 57 months and deported again.

He returned to Chesterfield, where he was convicted of possession of marijuana in 2016. Deported again, he returned and was most recently arrested in Chesterfield in September for assault and battery of a family member — a 5-year-old child — and another drug charge.

Vidal told Hudson on Thursday that the guideline range of 37 to 46 months already took into account his prior illegal entries and relevant criminal history. She asked the judge to sentence him within the guideline range, which was not binding on Hudson.

But Hudson cited the defendant’s long criminal history and disrespect for the law in going over the guidelines.

Presuming he will be deported again after his eight-year prison term, Hudson told Santos-Ochoa, “Needless to say, do not return to the United States without proper authorization, sir.”

IMMIGRATION REFORM CORNERSTONE OF TRUMP'S SOTU SPEECH (MS-13)

IMMIGRATION REFORM CORNERSTONE OF TRUMP'S SOTU SPEECH (MS-13):

DEALING WITH FAKE SYRIAN REFUGEES AND VICIOUS, COLD-BLOODED MS-13 GANGS EVEN WHEN IT’S NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MUSLIMS OR LATINOS.

IT’S SOLELY ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY.


Sources: Yahoo News, CBC News, Fox News, Youtube


Tuesday night, January 30, 2018 Donald J. Trump our 45th legally elected leader of the Free world (USA), delivered his first State of the Union address before the entire world.

During his speech Trump talked about his administration’s first year achievements as all U.S. Presidents have done when delivering their SOTU speeches.

Trump then proceeded to provide an update on the cornerstone topic of his administration’s agenda and the topic which helped to secure his 2016 election.

That topic is ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION REFORM.

Trump mentioned during his SOTU address that he is halting the FAKE Syrian Refugee program until further notice.

Considering how most of the Men who entered America’s borders under the guise of “Syrian Refugees” were actually from IRAQ and were actually members of ISIL, I can see how choosing to halt this program although not POLITICALLY CORRECT, would be in the best interest of our country as it relates to NATIONAL SECURITY.

Trump then went on to discuss his agenda for dealing with GANG WARFARE as in the notorious, most Cold-Blooded Gang to ever exist.......the MS-13.

MS-13 is an international Gang comprised solely of Young LATINO Men, not BLACK Men.

These Young LATINO Men hail from MEXICO, South America, Central America and Honduras.

MS-13 Gang Members are so cold-blooded and violent, they also target and viciously MURDER LATINO citizens just as easily as they frequently Kill American citizens.

This Gang uses MURDER to Terrorize, Intimidate and Control entire American Communities.

In many instances even the POLICE are afraid of MS-13 Gang Members.

Choosing to prosecute and deport Young LATINO Men who are active members of MS-13 is not a POLITICALLY CORRECT decision for Trump’s administration because for years Politicians and other Elected Officials have feared throwing Latino or Middle Eastern Men into Jail, or Deporting them even for MURDER or TERRORISM because it’s not POLITICALLY CORRECT.

However these Politicians and Elected Officials had absolutely No Fear of throwing Young BLACK Men into Jail in a New York minute, even for minor offenses.

Can you say Double Standard based on RACE??

Yet were it not for BLACK Voters, neither VIRGINIA nor ALABAMA Democrats would have won the 2017 elections.

So I commend Pres Trump for standing up for what is right for the USA even when it’s not Popular or POLITICALLY CORRECT to do so.

To wrap it up........

If you are from MEXICO and have been living in the United States for more than 10 years and enjoying America’s FREEDOM and RESOURCES, yet you have NEVER applied for LEGAL CITIZENSHIP, you should be made to Apply ASAP or be Deported.


****** Trump honors parents of MS-13 gang victims at SOTU


One of the longest standing ovations during President Trump’s first State of the Union address came when he introduced the parents of two teenage victims of gang violence.

Evelyn Rodriguez, Freddy Cuevas, Elizabeth Alvarado and Robert Mickens were invited by the White House to attend Tuesday’s speech. Their daughters — Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens respectively — were killed by members of the MS-13 gang on Long Island in September 2016, on the eve of Nisa’s 16th birthday. Federal authorities later arrested 13 gang members in connection with their deaths. Ten of those arrested had entered the country illegally.

Trump used their killings to highlight what he views as America’s “open borders” that “have allowed drugs and gangs to pour into our most vulnerable communities.”

“These two precious girls were brutally murdered while walking together in their hometown,” Trump said. “Six members of the savage gang MS-13 have been charged with Kayla and Nisa’s murders. Many of these gang members took advantage of glaring loopholes in our laws to enter the country as unaccompanied alien minors — and wound up in Kayla and Nisa’s high school.”

The president turned to their parents, who were seated next to first lady Melania Trump.

“Evelyn, Elizabeth, Freddy, and Robert: Tonight, everyone in this chamber is praying for you,” Trump said. “Everyone in America is grieving for you. And 320 million hearts are breaking for you. We cannot imagine the depth of your sorrow, but we can make sure that other families never have to endure this pain.”

The parents then received a long standing ovation as they wiped away tears.

Trump called on Congress to “finally close the deadly loopholes that have allowed MS-13 and other criminals to break into our country.”

“We have proposed new legislation that will fix our immigration laws and support our ICE and Border Patrol agents, so that this cannot ever happen again,” he continued. “So tonight, I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties — Democrats and Republicans — to protect our citizens of every background, color, religion and creed. My duty, and the sacred duty of every elected official in this chamber, is to defend Americans — to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American Dream. Because Americans are dreamers too.”

WHITE MAN (GLEASON, 23) OPENS FIRE ON BLACK FAMILY IN LOUISANA, KILLS TWO BLACK MEN IN THE NAME OF HITLER

WHITE MAN (GLEASON, 23) OPENS FIRE ON BLACK FAMILY IN LOUISANA, KILLS TWO BLACK MEN IN THE NAME OF HITLER:

POLICE SAID ATTACKS WERE RACIALLY-MOTIVATED.

KENNETH GLEASON COULD FACE DEATH PENALTY SAYS DISTRICT ATTORNEY.

DO YOU HEAR ANY LATINO LEADERS STANDING AGAINST SUCH RACIST VIOLENCE INFLICTED ON BLACK PEOPLE??


Sources: AP, ABC News, The Guardian, Youtube


***** White man accused of killing 2 Blacks had Hitler speech


• Kenneth Gleason, 23, charged with murder after shootings in Baton Rouge
• Gleason could face the death penalty, district attorney says

A 23-year-old white man arrested Tuesday was accused of killing two black men and firing on a black family in a string of attacks that police say may have been racially motivated.

A law enforcement official said they had found a copy of an Adolf Hitler speech at the home of Kenneth James Gleason, and investigators said DNA on shell casings and other evidence link him to the crimes.

Gleason was led away from the police department in handcuffs just before authorities there held a news conference to announce that he would be charged with first-degree murder in the shooting deaths last week of a homeless man and a dishwasher who was walking to work.

"I feel confident that this killer would have killed again," interim Police Chief Jonny Dunnam said.

Gleason's attorney, J. Christopher Alexander, said his client "vehemently denies guilt, and we look forward to complete vindication." Alexander declined to say anything else.

Authorities found a copy of the Hitler speech during a search of Gleason's home over the weekend, according to the law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

Asked whether police suspect race was a motive for the shootings, Sgt. L'Jean McKneely said: "We're not completely closed off to that. We're looking at all possibilities at this time, so we're not going to just pinpoint that."

District Attorney Hillar Moore said his office could seek the death penalty.

"It appears to be cold, calculated, planned (against) people who were unarmed and defenseless," he said. "We don't need to prove motive. There are a lot of things that are unanswered."

No one was injured when Gleason fired multiple times into the home of a black family in his neighborhood on Sept. 11, authorities said. It's not clear if Gleason knew the family.

In the other shootings, Gleason fired from his car then walked up to the victims as they were lying on the ground and fired again multiple times, police said.

Neither victim had any prior relationship with Gleason.

The first fatal shooting occurred Sept. 12 when 59-year-old Bruce Cofield, who was homeless, was shot to death.

The second happened last Thursday night when 49-year-old Donald Smart was gunned down while walking to his job as a dishwasher at a cafe popular with Louisiana State University students.

The attacks came at a time when Louisiana's capital already was in the grips of a surge in violence. The number of homicides in East Baton Rouge Parish has already surpassed last year's total of 62, The Advocate newspaper reported earlier this month.

"Baton Rouge has been through a lot of turmoil in the last year. Has there not been a swift conclusion to this case, I feel confident that this killer probably would have killed again," the police chief said. "He could have potentially created a tear in the fabric that holds this community together."

Racial tensions roiled the city in the summer of 2016 when a black man was shot to death by white police officers outside of a convenience store.

About two weeks later, a black gunman targeted police in an ambush, killing three officers and wounding three others before he was shot to death.

The city of about 229,000 is about 55 percent black and 40 percent white.

Gleason didn't appear to have any active social media profiles. A spokesman at Louisiana State University said a student by that name attended the university from the fall of 2013 to the fall of 2014 before withdrawing.

He had transferred to LSU from Baton Rouge Community College.

During the search of Gleason's home, authorities also found 9 grams of marijuana and vials of human growth hormone, according to a police document.

IPHONE THEFT ON THE RISE NATIONALLY (I AM A VICTIM); TWO BLACK MALE TEENS ROBBED ME ON EAST COAST

IPHONE THEFT ON THE RISE NATIONALLY (I AM A VICTIM):

TWO BLACK MALE TEENS STOLE MY IPHONE ON THE EAST COAST IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.

I IMMEDIATELY CALLED LOCAL POLICE WHO DID AN AMAZING JOB ASSISTING ME.

PLEASE BEWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS WHEN USING YOUR IPHONE IN PUBLIC.

IPHONE THIEVES TARGET IPHONE OWNERS USING GOOGLE MAPS.


Sources: Business Insider, LA Times, Youtube



******* Thieves stole $16,000 worth of iPhones from an Apple Store with one simple tool: a blue shirt


At Apple Stores, the display computers and phones may be locked down to tables, but the extra devices in the back aren't.

And as it turns out, an enterprising thief needs only a blue shirt and a similarly attired partner to walk off with thousands of dollars in Apple products.

That's exactly what happened in Manhattan last week when a thief posing as a one of the familiar-looking Apple Store staffers purloined 19 iPhones — worth $16,130 — from the SoHo Apple Store.


DNAinfo reports:


Police said the thief "dressed similarly" to store employees — who usually wear blue T-shirts imprinted with an Apple logo — and walked right into an electronics repair room at about 5:30 p.m. on June 1.

The man grabbed 19 iPhones from a drawer inside the room, worth a total of $16,130, then handed them over to another thief.

That man hid the phones under his shirt, and the pair walked out of the store.

NORTH KOREA EVADES SANCTIONS WITH HELP FROM AMERICAN CHINESE BUSINESSMAN (SUN SIDONG)

NORTH KOREA EVADES SANCTIONS WITH HELP FROM AMERICAN CHINESE BUSINESSMAN:

SUN SIDONG OF LONG ISLAND NY SUPPORTS NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR MISSILE PROGRAM.

HOW DID SIDONG GO UNDECTED IN HIS EFFORTS TO SUPPORT NORTH KOREA?

ISN'T THIS ACT OF TREASON OR A WAR CRIME??


Sources: MSN News


***** Did Owner of Million-Dollar U.S. Home Help North Korea Evade Sanctions?


The five-bedroom house in New York's Long Island suburbs — listed for nearly $1.3 million — boasts a southern exposure and proximity to a country club.

But here's what's more interesting:

The seller, a Chinese national named Sun Sidong, has been linked by American security experts to a network of Chinese companies under Treasury sanctions for helping companies and individuals who support North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

According to Chinese corporate filings, Sun is the listed owner of Dandong Dongyuan Industrial Co., which has shared an email address with another Chinese company, Dandong Zhicheng Metallic Material Co., a coal exporter suspected of helping North Korea evade sanctions.

The coal company and "four related front companies" were targeted by a federal search warrant allowing prosecutors to secretly monitor their financial transactions at eight U.S. banks, seizing any funds stemming from illegal sanctions-busting, according to a May federal court ruling.

The ruling, by U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell of Washington, D.C., said the eight American financial institutions — Bank of America, Wells Fargo, BNY Mellon, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, and Standard Chartered Bank — had already processed upwards of $700 million in prohibited transactions involving North Korea since 2009. The ruling does not allege any wrongdoing by any of the banks.

On Tuesday, the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Dandong Zhicheng Metallic Material Co. and its primary shareholder in response to "attempted evasion of U.S. sanctions."

That shareholder, a Chinese businessman named Chi Yupeng, was also named in a civil complaint filed Tuesday by the Justice Department seeking a money laundering penalty against the firm, as well as the seizure of $4 million in funds allegedly laundered for North Korea's ruling party. The complaint alleges that front companies controlled by Chi Yupeng comprise one of the largest financial facilitators for North Korea.

Chi Yupeng hung up on NBC News several times when asked for comment.

The Justice Department also moved to seize nearly $7 million from a Singapore firm over similar allegations, and Treasury levied sanctions against a number of other Chinese and Russian entities — 16 in total — it accused of helping North Korea evade sanctions.

The government's investigation was supported by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), a non-profit U.S. think tank, is part of a new get-tough approach to North Korean sanctions that began in the Obama administration and is accelerating under President Trump, current and former U.S. officials say.

While it's widely assumed that North Korea has for years been subjected to punishing international pressure as it defied the world and advanced toward a nuclear missile capability, the sanctions against North Korea have been full of holes, experts say — far less restrictive, for example, than the measures that brought Iran to the nuclear bargaining table.

Sun's Great Neck house is an example of how the alleged sanction-busting networks can stretch around the globe, even to the luxe suburbs of Long Island. "The fact that you have somebody who's engaged in trade that is potentially not just sanctioned, but dangerous, and that individual then invests in real estate in the United States reflects that there are holes in the system," NBC News National Security Analyst Juan Zarate said.

The North Korea sanctions targeted specific military technology, "but what you didn't see until quite recently are these kind of broader sanctions to go after the North Korean economy as a whole," said Peter Harrell, who was the deputy assistant secretary for counter threat finance and sanctions in the State Department from 2012 to 2014.

Nor was there an aggressive enforcement effort against banks and individuals doing business with Pyongyang. As a result, the North Korean economy has grown steadily over the last decade, analysts say. And while the country as a whole remains extremely poor, the elite live relatively well amid a building boom of gleaming skyscrapers in the capital.

"Until February of 2016, U.N. sanctions against North Korea were strong on paper but poorly enforced, and U.S. sanctions against North Korea were comparatively weak — weaker than our sanctions against Belarus and Zimbabwe," said Joshua Stanton, a North Korea expert and former Army officer.

Now, that is changing — though it may be too late. North Korea tested a missile that many experts say could strike the U.S. mainland, and American intelligence officials say the country may be months away from being able to mount a nuclear warhead on such a missile.

Still, aided by new sanctions imposed in the past year, the Trump administration is moving to increase economic pressure on North Korea, by targeting the Chinese companies that have for years helped the North fund its military activities.

"Justice is stepping it up by going after the Chinese banks," said Anthony Ruggiero, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who served as the nonproliferation advisor to the U.S. delegation to the 2005 Six-Party Talks on North Korea.

In June, the U.S. Treasury Department designated China's Bank of Dandong — based in a city on the North Korean border that serves as a center of trade between the two countries — to be a "primary money laundering concern." It said the small bank "acts as a conduit for illicit North Korean financial activity." Two Chinese individuals were also targeted in the government's action.

Last September, the Justice Department charged Dandong-based businesswoman Ma Xiaohong with evading sanctions and laundering millions of dollars for North Korea. Ma has not made a court appearance and her whereabouts are unclear.

Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., recently introduced a bill that would cut off entities that do business in North Korea, including the top ten Chinese importers of North Korean goods, from using the American financial system.

In August, the U.N. Security Council unanimously passed new sanctions meant to pressure Pyongyang's export revenue. They crack down on North Korea's primary exports — including iron, iron ore, coal, lead, lead ore and seafood — and target banks and joint ventures with foreign companies.

C4ADS, which focuses on international security, uses sophisticated software and business records to map links between companies involved with North Korea.

In June, the group published a report — titled "Risky Business" — naming Sun, who owns the Great Neck house, as part of a network that may be exporting technology that could be used in North Korea's missile program.

Chinese business records cited by C4ADS show Sun owns 97 percent of Dandong Dongyuan Industrial Co. Ltd., a general-purpose trading firm whose businesses include the sale of automobiles, machinery, natural resources, and general household products, the report says. NBC News confirmed that the records show Sun as primary shareholder.

Customs records indicate the firm has exported to three countries: North Korea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the United States. From 2013 to 2016, the company sent $28 million worth of material to North Korea, the records show.

For example, Dandong Dongyuan Industrial Co. sent North Korea a shipment of radio navigational aid apparatus valued at nearly $800,000 in June 2016, the C4ADS report said. Experts at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies concluded that "this category might contain guidance devices for ballistic missiles."

NBC News reviewed shipment data from Panjiva, which tracks global trade. It shows more than 60 shipments of items by Sun's company to North Korea that fall into the category of "nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof." This broad category is set by the country of origin, in this case the Chinese government. Experts say dual-use items like these help the Kim regime evade sanctions that are explicitly designed to prevent its nuclear capability.

"The danger with the export of dual-use items is that they appear to be legitimate. These are things that could be used for normal purposes," Zarate said. "You have parties that are willing to export what are really dangerous items to a regime that has been sanctioned, and trying to use the cloak of legitimate commerce in order to do that."

C4ADS also links Sun to a ship carrying arms from North Korea to an unknown destination. In August 2016, a cargo vessel flying a Cambodian flag was intercepted by Egyptian authorities entering the Suez Canal with parts for 30,000 rocket-propelled grenades aboard. The grenade parts were hidden under 2,300 tons of iron ore, which is one of the newly banned mineral exports targeted by the U.N.'s recent sanctions program.

According to shipping records reviewed by NBC News, one of Sun Sidong's companies owned the vessel from April 2012 until August 2014, when ownership was transferred to a company controlled by Sun Sihong, who according to C4ADS is Sun's sister.

In 2015, Sun registered a New York-based company called Dongyuan Enterprise USA. On March 2, it received a shipment of "used furniture" from Dandong Dongyuan Industrial Co., Sun's Chinese company. Originally shipped from Dandong, the cargo traveled to the U.S. from Busan, South Korea, according to its bill of lading.

The real estate agent who brokered the sale of the Great Neck home to Sun recalled that the family was expecting furniture to arrive from China.

Sun, whose U.S. company operates out of a New York City address he does not own, bought the Great Neck property near the country club for $1.1 million in December 2016.

The house is already on the market again. Sun's U.S. real estate broker told NBC News that's because Sun "doesn't want to do business here."

One lesson of Sun's activities is that targeting a small number of key actors could put a severe dent in North Korean's effort to evade sanctions, according to David Johnson, the executive director of C4ADS.

"The networks that perpetrate sanctions evasion for North Korea are limited, centralized, and vulnerable," Johnson said. "That is, we can touch them, there are very few pressure points, and we can make a major impact."

BLACK PEOPLE vs MENTAL ILLNESS (STIGMAS)

MOST BLACK PEOPLE PREFER TO BE CRAZY THEN TO SEEK MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT:

IN 21st CENTURY BLACK AMERICA, TREATING MENTAL ILLNESS REMAINS A STIGMA.

MANY "SECRETS" IN BLACK FAMILIES ARE ACTUALLY CRIMES (INCEST, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CHILD ABUSE).

Sources:  Psychology Today, Atlanta Black Star, Mental Health America.net, YouTube

~ Highlights:

At least one million BLACK people in the United States suffers from some form of treatable Mental Illness.

However instead of seeking professional Mental Health treatment most BLACK people prefer to remain in a state of Psychological Delusion or Psychosis because BLACK people are supposed to be "Strong".

Thus in many BLACK communities crimes against humanity (Incest, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse) continue all in the name of "hiding family secrets".

Although ill-equipped to do so,  BLACK Churches are often Substituted for a Licensed Mental Health Therapist's couch. 

***** Why African Americans Avoid Psychotherapy

~ Black people shy away from psychology's solutions to mental health problems. 

African Americans share the same mental health issues as the rest of the population, with arguably even greater stressors due to racism, prejudice, and economic disparities. 

Meanwhile, many wonder why African Americans shy away from psychotherapyas a potential solution to challenges such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, marriageproblems, and parenting issues.

 As a Black psychologist, it is troublesome that so many African Americans are reluctant to make use of psychology's solutions to emotional hurdles. 

Here are some of the issues I've encountered in my research and clinical practice, with practical ideas for addressing this disparity.

Stigma and judgment

In places like Los Angeles and New York, everyone and their pet has a therapist, yet even among the wealthy and elite, many African Americans continue to hold stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness. 

For example, a qualitative study by Alvidrez et al., (2008) found that among Blacks who were already mental health consumers, over a third felt that mild depression or anxiety would be considered "crazy" in their social circles. 

Talking about problems with an outsider (i.e., therapist) may be viewed as airing one's "dirty laundry," and even more telling is the fact that over a quarter of those consumers felt that discussions about mental illness would not be appropriate even among family.

In a study I recently completed, one African American gentleman noted, "I was just embarrassed. Getting this type of help has, and continues to be, like a sore thumb in the African American community. 

Unfortunately, I don't have insurance, so my fear was that if I sought help, it would not be good because I couldn't afford it."

Likewise, African Americans may be resistant to seek treatment because they fear it may reflect badly on their families–an outward admission of the family's failure to handle problems internally. 

Something I found in my own studies, is that even among African Americans who suffered greatly from mental disorders, many held negative attitudes about people who obtain mental health care. 

No matter how impaired they were, they didn't want to be one of "those people."

Many African Americans with mental disorders are unaware that they have a diagnosable illness at all, and are even less aware that effective psychological treatments exist for their specific problem. 

Because of the taboo surrounding open discussion about mental illness, African Americans often have little knowledge of mental health problems and their treatments.

Concerns about therapist or treatment process

Many African Americans also have concerns about treatment effectiveness, which may be due to both lack of education and cultural misgivings. 

Apprehension about clashing with the values or worldview of the clinician can cause ambivalence about seeking help, and this may be especially true for the many who believe that mental health treatment was designed by White people for White people. 

African Americans view the typical psychologist as an older, White male, who would be insensitive to the social and economic realities of their lives (Thompson et al., 2004). 

In actuality, however, even though African Americans are underrepresented as psychologists, they are well-represented among mental health providers in general, and can be found among the ranks of master's level clinicians, such as professional counselors and clinical social workers. 

These types of therapists can be very useful for many sorts of difficulties, including family problems and many mental health needs.

Anxiety about therapy may also be related to a lack of knowledge about what to expect from the treatment itself. 

Indeed, many African Americans with mental disorders express fears about being involuntarily hospitalized, and are unwilling to share their symptoms for fear of being "locked up" or "put away."

Yet even those who are willing to brave treatment may not place therapy among their priorities. 

Work, family responsibilities, commitments, and transportation issues all can overshadow the need for therapy, which may be viewed as a luxury endeavor when there are kids to drive to little league and dinner to make at home. 

This troublesome reality suggests that despite struggling for years with a mental disorder, many are reluctant to take time for themselves to get better. 

Cost of treatment and lack of insurance coverage

The financial burden of mental health treatment is a barrier that affects everyone, but disproportionally affects African Americans due to lower incomes and reduced employment opportunities. 

In my own research, I found that those most concerned about cost are more likely to be uninsured; their incomes are not low enough to qualify for publicly provided services but not high enough to afford a private insurance plan.

Increasing treatment participation

All of the issues described thus far can create a difficult uphill battle when trying to increase treatment participation within the African American community. 

But there are many practical approaches that can reduce this mental health disparity.

Making treatment more affordable

The cost of treatment may be prohibitive for many, especially among those without insurance coverage. 

Many low-income individuals can find help in the community health system, but such systems may suffer from a lack of clinicians able to treat complex and less common conditions. 

It can be especially difficult to find care for those who lack any sort of insurance, have an unstable living situation, or who must contend with the inability to make appointments due to overcrowding.

Individual practices and treatment centers can help by publicizing effective low cost treatment options (i.e. practicum students, sliding scale slots, etc.) Another cost-effective option is stepped-care. 

For example, one model proposed by Tolin, Diefenback, Maltby, and Hannan, (2005) for the treatment of OCD involves bibliotherapy (self-help books), followed by clinician-guided self-treatment as needed, as well as traditional exposure and ritual prevention for non-responders.

 In this way, the most expensive treatment is provided to those who need it most, while others may benefit from a lesser approach. 

Nonetheless, it is important to be aware that the cost of treatment is a larger problem that involves many aspects of our society, including the politics of health care and social inequalities.

Increasing awareness of mental disorders and treatment options

Education about mental disorders and the treatment process is a critical to reducing barriers to treatment among the African American community. 

Suggestions for overcoming this barrier include public education campaigns (e.g., mass media), educational presentations at community venues (e.g., Black churches), and open information sessions at local mental health clinics. 

In fact, many Black churches are taking the treatment to where the people are, and hiring licensed therapists to work with their flock.

For those who do start conventional treatment, the first clinical encounter presents an important opportunity to address skepticism about the usefulness of treatment. 

It's the clinician's responsibility to demystify the process and explain the benefits of staying the course. 

Without this knowledge the participant may only assume what he or she may encounter and base their decision to follow through on incorrect assumptions.

 If the expected outcomes, number of sessions, and potential goals are clearly outlined in advance, there is little chance of feeling misled or not in control. 

The client-patient bond may be strengthened with this extra attempt at transparency.

Making mental health a priority

Treatment has the potential to conflict with many daily activities or commitments for busy people.

 In the current economy, many take second and third jobs to make ends meet. 

Whether the individual feels treatment is a necessary priority despite prior engagements, transportation, or scheduling issues is an important positive step. 

Moreover, incorporating the family is another crucial measure in overcoming barriers to treatment. 

By gaining familial support the client may gain peace of mind as well as lose the fear of being outcast or stigmatized. In addition, with the family's acceptance, making time for treatment becomes easier and priorities may be put into perspective. 

Utilizing the family to emphasize the importance of good mental health creates more allies to emphasize the relationship between improved functioning and greater success at home and work.

Reducing fears about therapy and stigma

Making psychotherapy less intimidating may be one of the most important ways of improving help-seeking. 

Careful use of language can help to reduce some discomfort surrounding mental health care. 

For example, African Americans are more comfortable with the term "counseling" over "psychotherapy" (Thompson et al., 2004), and this should be considered in advertising and conversational exchanges. 

Another practical way to reduce fears is to offer free assessments and phone consultations, which will help familiarize potential patients with the clinic, clinician, and treatment. 

Clinicians might use initial contacts to address fears of being involuntarily hospitalized by explaining the difference between typical mental health challenges and "being crazy," including the role of insight and self-efficacy.

However, it is important to note that reservations against treatment may be rooted in actual experiences of racism and encounters with medical professionals lacking cultural awareness. 

Treatment is a partnership that can only be successful with mutual respect, and for this to occur it remains the duty of the therapist to become culturally competent and sensitive to disparities, and in turn, communicate support and understanding to the patient. 

African Americans look for subtle cues to determine if a therapist holds racist attitudes, as many are afraid of being mistreated due to their race or ethnicity. 

These concerns are not unfounded, as a lower social status makes African Americans more vulnerable to abuse, particularly in a medical setting, where the clinician is considered the authority figure. 

A recent study by Snowden et al. (2009), found that after controlling for severity of mental illness and other variables, 

African Americans are more than twice as likely to experience a psychiatrichospitalization than Whites, an indication of continued bias among clinicians when faced with Black patients in need of mental health services.

To completely eliminate mental health disparities, clinicians must be willing to undertake an honest self-examination of their own conscious and unconscious attitudes about race, including preconceived notions about who would be a good client. 

By increasing the cultural competence and social awareness of all clinicians, the mental health system can begin to shed its bias against ethnic minorities. 

This would result in greater understanding and empathy for the patient's experience, improved treatment outcomes, and more African Americans willing to take a chance with mental health care.

Alvidrez, J., Snowden, L. R., and Kaiser, D. M. (2008). The Experience of Stigma among Black Mental Health Consumers. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 19, 874-893.

Suite, D.H., La Bril, R., Primm, A., et al. (2007). Beyond misdiagnosis, misunderstanding and mistrust: relevance of the historical perspective in the medical and mental health treatment of people of color. Journal of the National Medical Association, 99(8), 879-8.

Thompson, V.L., Bazile, A., & Akbar, M. (2004). African Americans' perceptions of psychotherapy and psychotherapists. Professional Psychological Research and Practice, 35(1), 19-26.

Tolin, D.F., Diefenbach, G.J., Maltby, N., Hannan, S., (2005). Stepped care for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A pilot study. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 12, 4, 403-414.

BILL COSBY CRIMINALIZED AFTER BASHING BLACK PEOPLE (KARMA)

BILL COSBY CRIMINALIZED AFTER BASHING BLACK PEOPLE (KARMA):

IT'S NO LAUGHING MATTER.

DR HUXTABLE DISGRACED AFTER EMBARRASSING BLACK PEOPLE FOR DECADES.
 
William "Bill" Cosby has been officially charged with Sexual Assault crimes.
His bail is set at $1 Million dollars.
This is a sad day for Bill Cosby and his family.
But what's even more sad is how for years Bill Cosby bashed BLACK Men, calling them IRRESPONSIBLE Losers, as he repeatedly spoke Gloom & Doom over the lives of BLACK Men.
Today Bill Cosby himself faces a future of Gloom & Doom.
Let this be a lesson to all BLACK Celebrities and BLACK Leaders.
When GOD blesses you (BLACK People),
he does not bless you so you can go out on the world stage and Bash your own race.
Instead when GOD blesses you (BLACK People) it is so you can Educate and provide OPPORTUNITIES to help uplift other BLACK People.

~ Bill Cosby charged with 2004 sex assault, free on $1M bail

Here's where the laughter ends.

Bill Cosby — America’s Dad — accused of rape by dozens of women, was finally hit with a criminal charge Wednesday before getting released on $1 million bail.

Just weeks before the statute of limitations was set to expire, prosecutors charged Cosby with sexually assaulting a Temple University employee at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004.

“The evidence is strong,” said Montgomery County Prosecutor Kevin Steele, announcing a single count of aggravated indecent assault against the creepy comedian.

Steele described the defenseless victim, tossing a fresh layer of taint on Cosby’s once-wholesome image.
“Frozen, paralyzed, unable to move,” he said. “A person in that state is unable to consent.”
Prosecutors initially declined in 2005 to file charges in the case, citing a lack of evidence.

Accuser Andrea Constand, who has spoken publicly about the encounter with the perverted funnyman, then filed a civil suit against Cosby and settled out of court the following year.

In a deposition in that case, Cosby said under oath that he gave Constand halved pills that he described as “three friends to make (her) relax,” according to the affidavit.

Among the last words she recalled hearing:
“Down them. Put ’em down. Put them in your mouth.”

He also acknowledged under oath that he obtained seven prescriptions in his own name for Quaaludes for the purpose of having sex with women.

A judge unsealed those depositions filed in Philadelphia federal court earlier this year, prompting Montgomery County prosecutors to reopen their criminal case.

“Reopening this case was not a question. Rather, reopening this was our duty,” Steele said.

The new case marks the first criminal prosecution of the diminishing star and sets the stage for what could be a blockbuster trial involving some of the roughly 60 other accusers who say they were sexually assaulted by Cosby.

The 78-year-old faces up to a decade behind bars if convicted. He went from the courthouse, about 10 miles north of Philadelphia, to a local police station and was freed on bail — all within 30 minutes.

“Make no mistake, we intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge and we expect that Mr. Cosby will be exonerated,” Cosby’s attorneys said in a statement.

An affidavit made public Wednesday detailed the revolting encounter with Constand in January 2004, which echoed other alleged assaults by Cosby dating as far back as 1965.

Cosby made two unwanted sexual advances on Constand in the months leading up to the assault, papers allege.

Constand, now 42, returned to his home around 8:45 p.m. thinking they were going to discuss her career. Instead, Cosby offered her pills and wine, according to the court papers.

“These will make you feel good. The blue things will take the edge off,” Cosby said, according to documents.

About 30 minutes later Constand was helpless as Cosby positioned himself behind her as she faded “in and out” of consciousness on a couch, according to documents.

Constand had blurred vision and difficulty speaking as Cosby fondled her breasts, put his hand down her pants and penetrated her with his fingers, the affidavit states.

Cosby allegedly took Constand’s right hand and placed it on his privates.

Constand passed out and woke up around 4 a.m. the next day with her bra undone and moved above her breasts, according to the affidavit.

Cosby, dressed in a robe, gave her a muffin, walked to the front door, opened it and merely said, “All right,” the paperwork states.
She recalled leaving the residence without saying anything.


After the alleged assault, Constand fled to Canada to be near family and told her mom what happened.

The mom confronted Cosby over the telephone, according to documents.

Cosby admitted the encounter during their conversation, said he gave Constand some type of “prescription” medication and invited the women on an all-expenses-paid trip to Florida, the affidavit states.

Cosby gave an interview to Cheltenham Township police in January 2005 and claimed the sexual encounter was consensual, according to the affidavit.

“When directly asked if he ever had sexual intercourse with the victim, Cosby gave (police) the unusual answer, ‘never asleep or awake,’” the affidavit claims.

Constand will cooperate with prosecutors in the new case, Steele said.

Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents 29 women who say Cosby also doped and groped them, said her clients are thrilled at the latest development in his long downfall.

“Seeing him criminally charged and having to face a trial is the best Christmas present they have ever received,” Allred said.

Sources:  CNN, NY Daily News, YouTube

DANIEL HOTZCLAW'S REIGN OF TERROR ENDS: BLACK WOMEN MATTER IN 2016

#‎danielholtzclaw‬

DANIEL HOTZCLAW'S REIGN OF TERROR ENDS:

BLACK WOMEN MATTER IN 2016.

WHAT TOOK SO LONG??

~ Victims describe assaults by convicted ex-Oklahoma City cop Daniel Holtzclaw

One of the women assaulted by former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw said she feared for her life when he pulled her over last year and forced her to perform a sex act on him.

"In my mind, all I could think of was he was going to shoot me, he was going to kill me," Jannie Ligons told reporters at a news conference Friday. "I kept begging, 'Sir, don't make me do this, don't make me do this, sir. Please. You're going to shoot me.'

"All I could see was my life flashing before my eyes and the holster on his right side," said Ligons, a grandmother whose daughters stood beside her.

Holtzclaw told her he wasn't going to shoot her, but he made her perform oral sodomy in June 2014, Ligons said.

"All I can say is I was a victim, I was traumatized, I went to therapy, I had a stroke behind this," she said.
"I was innocent, and he just picked the wrong lady to stop that night," she added.

Ligons later went to police and media outlets with the first complaint against Holtzclaw, she said. Investigators later found a total of 13 alleged victims, all African-American.

She was also one of two victims who addressed the media a day after a jury found Holtzclaw guilty of 18 of the 36 charges he faced, including four counts of rape in the first degree and four counts of forced oral sodomy.

Ligons has a pending federal civil lawsuit against Holtzclaw and the city of Oklahoma City, filed on behalf of several victims.

She accused Holtzclaw of sexual assault and violating her state constitutional rights, and accused the city of negligence.

Raped while handcuffed to bed

Shandegreon "Sade" Hill told reporters that Holtzclaw pulled her over in December 2013, and she was later taken to a hospital on the other side of town. Once there, Holtzclaw raped her while she was handcuffed to a hospital bed.

"No nurses, nobody came to check on me," Hill said. "Me being in the room with the police, not expecting to get violated the way I did, the way I was done, I just couldn't even believe it. I was speechless. I was scared.

"I felt like I was in survivor mode, so I had to do what he was making me do," Hill added, with her parents beside her.

Hill has filed a state civil lawsuit against Holtzclaw and Oklahoma City. She came forward as a victim after reading a news item about Holtzclaw on Facebook last year, she said.

'Where is the national outcry for their justice?'

The jury deliberated for more than 40 hours before reaching its verdict late Thursday.

For about six months, Holtzclaw preyed on women -- all African-American -- in one of Oklahoma's poorest neighborhoods, exploiting his police badge to intimidate them into keeping quiet.

Prosecutors say the Oklahoma City officer selected his victims based on their criminal histories, figuring their drug or prostitution records would undermine any claims they might make against him.

Then, he would subject them to assaults that escalated from groping to oral sodomy and rape.

On Thursday, his 29th birthday, Holtzclaw rocked back and forth in his chair, sobbing, as the judge read the verdict.

On Friday, Holtzclaw was under suicide watch in the Oklahoma County jail, and a sheriff's deputy or detention officer was sitting outside his cell to monitor him, Sheriff John Whetsel told CNN affiliate KFOR.

Attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing some of the victims in civil litigation against the city, criticized the national media for not covering the trial in which the victims were "poor, black women."

"Where is the national outcry for their justice?" asked Crump, who has also represented the families of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. Martin, a black teenager, was fatally shot by George Zimmerman in Florida. Zimmerman was acquitted of murder charges in 2013.

Brown was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014.

Crump said other women had earlier called police about Holtzclaw, so "we need to find out how aggressive they (police) were" in their investigation.

Oklahoma City NAACP President Garland Pruitt said is waiting until Holtzclaw's sentencing in January to see if justice will be served. He said "the system has a reputation of not being fair."

"Don't let this be the only time that you come forward when people of color confront you with a situation that is not always favorable to your so-called dialect," Pruitt told the media.

More than 250 years of prison recommended

The jurors recommended a total of 263 years of prison time for Holtzclaw's crimes. Formal sentencing is set for next month.

"We're going to ask the judge to make sure that this defendant never sees the light of day," District Attorney David Prater said. "And we're going to ask him to run consecutive, every count."

Holtzclaw was a former star linebacker on the Eastern Michigan University football team with a degree in criminal justice.

His ruthless scheme started to unravel after one woman told authorities he had assaulted her during a traffic stop in June 2014.

In the months that followed, investigators pieced together the horrifying scale of his pattern of abuse.

He was fired from the force in January after an internal investigation.

"Your offenses committed against women in our community constitute the greatest abuse of police authority I have witnessed in my 37 years as a member of this agency," Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty wrote in the termination letter, according to CNN affiliate KFOR.

Holtzclaw's trial began in early November and was criticized by activists after an all-white jury was chosen to decide on crimes committed against black women. Protesters repeatedly gathered outside.

Holtzclaw, whose father is white and mother is Japanese, is identified as "Asian or Pacific Islander" by court records.

17-year-old raped on mother's porch

Thirteen women accusing him of sexual assault testified in the trial.

"I didn't think anyone would believe me. I'm a black female," one accuser said in court, according to The Oklahoman newspaper. Another said Holtzclaw told her would get rid of a drug charge against her if she cooperated with him.

The assaults took place in range of places, including in his police car. One young woman, only 17 at the time, was raped on her mother's front porch.

"He didn't choose CEOs or soccer moms; he chose women he could count on not telling what he was doing," the prosecution said in its closing statement this week.

The defense questioned the credibility of Holtzclaw's accusers, arguing some of them were high when the purported assaults took place. It also challenged the validity of DNA evidence.

Prater, the district attorney, said that the jurors' decision not to convict the former police officer on half of the counts against him didn't necessarily mean they didn't believe some of the women.

"It may mean that we didn't meet our burden (of proof) in those counts," he said.

Police department: 'Justice was served'

Holtzclaw, whose father is a police lieutenant on another force, waived his right to testify.

The Oklahoma City Police Department welcomed the verdict against its former employee.

"We are satisfied with the jury's decision and firmly believe justice was served," it said.

Some women gathered outside the Oklahoma County Courthouse celebrated Holtzclaw's conviction by mockingly singing "Happy Birthday," KFOR reported.

But others, including one of the victims' mothers, said they were waiting for the formal sentencing before deciding whether justice had been done.

Post Sources: CNN, LA Times, YouTube

Joe Scarborough vs Baltimore's Police Brutality: "Beyond A Reasonable Doubt" (WHITE vs BLACK Justice)