Pre-Arrest Diversion Program funded in Atlanta

Last week the Atlanta City Council approved a $661.4 million budget for the 2019 fiscal year with $400,000 in general fund dollars earmarked for pre-arrest diversion-- a 60% increase in city funding from last year. The City's increased support will help PAD increase its capacity to field diversions by: Adding a second Care Navigation team, Expanding diversion hours, and Training more law enforcement officials in the PAD protocol. The City is not alone in its growing support for pre-arrest diversion. The Fulton County Board of Commissionershas approved the Justice Coordinating Committee's recommendation to allocate $100,000 to PAD this year through its Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI). Check out this video to learn more about JRI (PAD shout-out at 4:59!). As an Impact and Innovation grantee of the Open Society Foundations, program will receive technical support from Pathways to Housing D.C. to develop new partnerships that support a Housing First approach and identify public resources for housing and supportive services.

Press conference reveals policeman charged with attack on white female at his home; Chief Register says community should not be afraid of police

According to an ongoing police investigation, an off duty white officer,  Robert Lanier New, 46, slapped and strangled a 44-year old white woman, Tracie Marie Young, during sexual intercourse. In the criminal warrant filed in Cobb County Magistrate Court yesterday, the incident took place at New's home. The victim is described as being mentally delayed, having the mental capacity of a 10-14 year old as disclosed in a forensic interview. 

The warrant was made by Officer B. E. Moore for an incident which took place in March 2018.  New is charged with simple battery harm, aggravated assault, and strangulation and called the victim "bitch, cunt, and whore" in text messages. The accused made other statements through text messages, saying, "I am in charge, I am in control," the warrant alleges. New is being held in jail without bond.

Officer S. A. O'Hara, Public Information Officer (PIO), said the police released the information yesterday after a preliminary investigation, and the investigation is ongoing. O'Hara says the Cobb County Police Department has a myriad of social media platforms to communicate with the community as part of an effort to be transparent, but the community also learns about police misconduct when the media pulls warrants. 

"This is a proactive, primary briefing first, then we will follow-up after the investigation is completed," O'Hara informed me. This means that details on officer misconduct may not be known for months unless the media gets wind of it, therefore, the media must be working in concert with the police to keep the community safe. It also means that news is turning into entertainment fueled by police and the court system.

To view the full press conference of Chief Michael Register in this matter, subscribe to our news channel: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Wingcom+Watchdog.

Church leaders blame violent culture, video games, bullying, victimization for shooting in Santa Fe

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA

Contact: PRESS OFFICEStavros Papagermanos
pressoffice@goarch.org
Date: May 21, 2018

  

ARCHDIOCESE STATEMENT ON SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING

NEW YORK – The mass school shooting at Santa Fe High School, in the small town of Santa Fe, Texas, last Friday May 18, 2018, has once again brought shock, sorrow and anger to the whole country and the world.

We, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, mourn the tragic loss of life of the 10 victims of this abominable murderous act, eight high-school students and two teachers and we share the deep pain and grief of their families and friends. Our fervent prayers and thoughts are with all of them, the victims, their families and their friends.

This time, the burden is heavier and the pain is sharper because the alleged seventeen-year old perpetrator of this crime has been identified as a Greek-Orthodox, and his family as members of one of our parishes. We pray for him and his family as well.

This unacceptable and totally unthinkable school massacre is yet another one in a series, it is an epidemic of violent crimes that has overtaken our society and country. It is the result of an explosive mix of the proliferation of the culture of violence, violent video games, bullying and victimization of our youth, desensitization to crime, devaluing of human life and easy access to readily available guns. The question arises and we have posed it last time and we now have to ask again, whether we have done all we can to stop this epidemic disease.

How many more victims, how many more school children, how many more teenagers and teachers should die before we act?

We turn to prayer of course, for Almighty God to intervene and avert any repetition of such heinous acts and events, but as we find ourselves, once again, in need of offering words of comfort and solace, words of solidarity and hope to those who were directly affected by the events in Santa Fe, Texas, we wholeheartedly plead with our elected officials for immediate and effective action.

May we all heal with the assistance of the God of mercy and wisdom and may we work to achieve positive results to restore hope to our society and the world.

Royal bride exudes success; was not sidetracked by past

Meghan Markle kept her eyes on the prize and now is an African American/British princess.

If there's a takeaway I've gleaned from Saturday's royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, it's the notion that you should not get hampered by the past, but keep pushing forward with a smile. Her ancestors were slaves, but now she's Her Royal Highness.

At 36, Markle has become the bride of Prince Harry and gained respect, notoriety, and fortune. She was walked down the aisle by a prince, too. With her presentation, all things are deemed possible in the Universe, depending on fate and determination.

And even though I didn't get a chance to go to the wedding, I experienced it on television and via messages from my friend in England who also sent me a picture of the dessert she enjoyed to celebrate the royal nuptials while visiting her mum in London.

Lemon drizzle cake, blueberries, and homemade apricot and strawberry compote were enjoyed by regular citizens at home during the wedding ceremony.

I also received a copy of the wedding program of The Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales and Ms. Markle which I'm going through presently. 

Will update later.

MLK is a servant of God who made a bold statement

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta sponsored an Ecumenical Prayer Service in Commemoration of the 50^thAnniversary of the Assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., April 23 at the Cathedral of Christ the King, 2699 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, Ga.

The presiding minister was The Most Reverend Dr. Wilton D. Gregory, Archbishop of Atlanta.  Guest speakers also included Bishop H. Julian Gordy, D.D.; Fr. Panayiotis Papageorgiou, Ph.D; The Right Rev. Don A. Wimberly, D.D.; and The Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a native son of Atlanta. The speeches made by the clergy for the special occasion were informative and persuasive. All in all, the event was very inspiring except for some references to “dark” being synonymous with "bad" and "dreary" which some consider a negative connotation when referring to people of color.

Each speech was prefaced by musical selections from the AMA Choir, Our Lady of Mercy High School; Choir of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, and the Cathedral Choir of Christ the King. A reception followed in Kenny Hall.

Something to consider: We are looking for new leaders to carry out King's message and God's promise who are protected and not used as targets. We need to change the old Negro spiritual to, "We shall overcome TODAY."

Some key points from event:

MLK's dream is God’s dream. Step out boldly to make it so.

Deeper issues of race plague our country, but King had the gift of forgiveness and a realistic hope. Keep hope alive.

MLK was a servant leader who shattered the southern system of segregation and provided a new dimension of dignity for Black Americans. Gwendolyn Brooks said he was a "prose poem." 
 

"Martin Luther King Jr."
By Gwendolyn Brooks

A man went forth with gifts.
He was a prose poem.

He was a tragic grace.
He was a warm music.

He tried to heal the vivid volcanoes.
His ashes are
reading the world.
His Dream still wishes to anoint
the barricades of faith and or control.

His word still burns the center of the sun,
above the thousands and the
hundred thousands.
The word was Justice. It was spoken.
So it shall be spoken.

So it shall be done.

We must follow Nonviolent Commandments:

Meditate.

Seek justice.

Walk in God's love.

Pray daily to free all men.

Sacrifice personal wishes.

Be courteous.

Serve others.

Refrain from violence.

Be in good health.

Follow the Captain.

The ultimate measure of man is how he stands in challenge and controversy. Remain steadfast. We must have a role larger than ourselves.

When faced with racism, make a bold statement that you're not part of it.

 

God will fulfill His promise.

Fr. Panayiotis (c) poses with family and international guests at reception following event.

Many have heard MLK's 1964 Nobel Peace Prize Speech, but not his lecture. Listen at: https://www.nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=2586

For a full view of the service, go to: https://vimeo.com/266522788

Suicide prevention org. plans fundraiser in Metro Atlanta

"Suicide is the tenth 

leading cause of death

in the United States."---AFSP

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is sponsoring a "Party for Prevention," Saturday, May 19th from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. at Eventide Brewery, 1015 Grant St SE, Atlanta, Ga.

The event will feature live music by Josh Schicker, a brewery tour, drink tickets, food from Verde Taqueria, and silent auction. A drawing will take place to win an escape to Lake Burton for eight, a weekend get away in a 3 bedroom, 3 bath home where you can explore the 3,000 acre lake by boat, bike, or on foot. 

For more information and tickets, go to: https://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.event&eventID=5101

Child dragged off bus; child who shot video expelled off bus

Screen shot from video shot by Jamari Pointer

This has been a rough week in race relations in the U.S. 

First, Starbucks.

Then Theta Tau.

Next: child dragged off school bus, and child who shot video was punished by school officials.

So glad the man who dragged child didn’t have a gun!

Thank God for cellphone cameras and for kid videographers like 10-year old Jamari Pointer who was courageous enough to record history during a very traumatic experience! He deserves an award, and all the children on that bus should be given psychological evaluations and trauma treatment.

School bus full of children, traumatized by incident and in need of counseling

While a teacher, I followed our local school district's policy to collect student's cellphones if they were using them in class, but now I think all students should have cellphones or some means of recording bad behavior by school officials. Parents now need to educate children of their rights and teach them how to protect themselves from adults at school.

Police start audio and dash cam recorders at beginning of traffic stops. Citizens should be recording, too.

No respect for ladies, even at the car wash

This business offers Ladies Day discounts on Wednesday, and since I am a lady, I went to get my car washed. Josue Briones, the owner/manager at The Soft Touch Car Wash on Sandy Plains Road in Marietta, Ga, told me not to come back to any Soft Touch locations because I complained about the price I was charged. 

I went today, Ladies Day, when I was supposed to receive a discount. A full wash, inside and out, is $15, and I told him I only wanted the outside done. When he charged my credit card $15, he said the discount was not for a Number 1 wash. There is no signage saying that is the case. I told him since I wasn't getting a discount, I wanted him to do the inside, too. I have a small two-seater. He said it was too late. I told him I could wait. 

He threw $5 at me and told me never to come back. This is an example of how LADIES are treated in Cobb County. Just wanted you to know...

Dr. Cunningham's death still a mystery in Atlanta...his research said "weathering" in blacks produces premature death

Still wondering what happened to Harvard and Morehouse-trained Dr. Timonthy Cunningham, a CDC scientist and researcher in Atlanta. Dr. Cunningham had been doing research on "Vital Signs: Racial Disparities in Age-Specific Mortality Among Blacks or African Americans — United States, 1999–2015."  (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6617e1.htm)

According to the report's conclusion, "...blacks had significantly lower educational attainment and home ownership and almost twice the proportion of households living below the poverty level and unemployed than whites in all age groups. Such social factors are posited as 'fundamental causes' because they influence chronic conditions, related behaviors, health-related quality of life, and health care utilization by constraining persons’ abilities to engage in prevention or treatment (7,8). These differences in 'fundamental causes,' health behaviors, and access to health care contribute to the excess deaths and chronic conditions among younger black adults that are most common among persons aged ≥65 years. For example, blacks in age groups 18–34 and 35–49 were nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease, stroke, and diabetes as whites. These findings are generally consistent with previous reports that use the term 'weathering' to suggest that blacks experience premature aging and earlier health decline than whites, and that this decline in health accumulates across the entire life span and potentially across generations, as a consequence of psychosocial, economic, and environmental stressors."

Some say Dr. Cunningham, 35, may have been distraught over not getting a promotion. Others say there was some "whistleblowing" rumors surrounding the flu shot and the NRA's fight against gun control.

Learn more at: http://time.com/5177454/timothy-cunningham-cdc-missing-found/
AND
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/03/13/cdc-doctors-disappearance-agency-update-on-timothy-cunningham/23384403/ 
AND
https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/dekalb-county/body-found-near-chattahoochee-river-idd-as-missing-cdc-worker/727583952
 

NAN focuses on gun control at upcoming meeting

The National Action Network (NAN) will hold its annual convention April 18-21 in New York City. 

In a press release, the organization says it is "facing a hostile presidential administration and an urgent need to mobilize voters for the 2018 midterm elections...under President Trump is anti-civil rights and many of the achievements of the civil rights community are being undermined."

The NAN convention will bring together influential national leaders from the civil rights movement, government, labor, religion, business, media, the Black church and the activist community.  

Some speakers will include: House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA), Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), Senator Cory Booker (NJ), Senator Kamala Harris (CA), Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA), Congressman Al Green (TX), DNC Chair Tom Perez, former United States Attorney General Eric Holder, and Governor Phil Murphy (NJ); founder of the #MeToo Movement, Tarana Burke; Common, the first rapper to win an Emmy, Grammy and Oscar Award; Joy-Ann Reid (MSNBC), Angela Rye (CNN), Symone Sanders (CNN) and Charles Blow (New York Times).

Among the plenary sessions and other nationally focused discussion panels at this year’s convention, NAN will host the “Keepers of the Dream Awards” on April 18.

On the closing day of NAN’s annual national convention, there will be a special televised forum entitled, “Measuring the Movement,” hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton and featuring leaders from civil rights organizations, activists and national elected officials who will assess the movement’s strengths and weaknesses as NAN recognizes the 50^th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. The final day will also feature various discussions for young people and a closing fashion show.