Rising Death Toll During Economic Crisis Signals Need for Mental Health Care

Las Vegas Police recently announced that murder-suicides are on the rise because of "a bad economy."

Last month, a 29-year-old unemployed South Carolina mother, sent shockwaves across the nation when she confessed to committing filicide when she killed her two sons because she had no means of taking care of them.

And the mayor of an affluent Dallas suburb reportedly killed her 19-year-old daughter before turning the gun on herself in the face of financial distress, including almost losing her home to foreclosure.

Indeed, these are tough economic times. And mental health professionals report that people are growing increasingly desperate and calling hotlines for help.

Terrie M. Williams, author of 'Black Pain: Real Talk For When There's Nowhere to Go But Up' and a licensed clinical social worker, told Black Voices that today's economic environment is when people vulnerable to depression or those who are depressed need to take the extra steps to seek mental health treatment.
Equally as important, Williams said, is for family and friends to reach out to those who are depressed to ensure they are okay. Looking for signs of trouble and knowing the right questions to ask may help, she said.

"Ask a probing question,'' Williams said. "'I heard you say such and such. I was really wondering what you were thinking or feeling.' Sometimes that just gives a person a license to initiate a conversation that that they wouldn't have because they have always been thought of as the strong one. I've seen it so many times.''

Sometimes all a person needs is an opening.

"Sometimes we think it's none of our business," she said. "If you see something, call it. You could really be a lifeline for that person.''

Some signs of depression include: insomnia; weight loss or gain; forgetfulness; lack of concentration and never wanting to go anywhere or do anything. If a person is experiencing economic problems, her or she should seek help from reputable credit counselors and lawyers.

Carl Bell, Ph.D., a renowned Chicago-based psychiatrist, suggests that the economy is not responsible for the death toll. He says people who commit these crimes are already suffering from a major psychiatric illnesses.

"If you have a major psychiatric illness, it causes people to catastrophize,'' he said. "You tend to think, 'Oh, my God, this will never end.' That is not helpful. You feel hopeless and nobody needs that.''

Dr. Bell suggests seven things that people need:

Create a village of friends and family for moral and emotional support.

Eat a proper diet that includes Omega III fish oil and read spiritual texts, which help people keep hope.

Connect to something good and of value, such as yoga, exercise, book and movie groups.

Develop a strong sense of self-esteem, which is defined as a sense of power. It leads to positive ways of thinking, such as "I may not be able to pay my bills, but I'm with my family."

Nurture good social and emotional skills. If people know how to regulate their tempers that is an emotional skill. If a person knows how to talk to a bill collector without upsetting them and getting themselves into deeper trouble, that is a social skill.

Develop a strong safety net. Have people check in on you to help keep track of your bills, clothes and phone calls.

Minimize trauma. So, a person is broke, but started a garden at the beginning of the summer. They can sell or eat those fruit and vegetables. It's called mastering your destiny.

In other words, don't allow friends and relatives to give up. Help them to "stay strong," as Williams often says.

Robbing God: Should Harlem Churches Have Side Hustles Selling 'Church Tourism'?

While the rest of the world is focused on a small dust up at a certain megachurch in Atlanta, Slate, the journal of record for white people fascinated with black culture, just published a new expose on black church tourism in Harlem. Apparently 60 of the 338 black churches in Harlem are offering tours of their churches to foreign tourists with the help of the Harlem Chamber of Commerce. Slate reports: "As the summer tourist season draws to a close in New York, so too winds down the high period for one of the more peculiar attractions the city has to offer: Sunday church services in Harlem, which bring in thousands of foreign travelers each week." And it's not just nice tours of the buildings. Church tourism includes observing the service itself, receiving a "blessing" and a very special welcome from the pastor.

When I first read about Harlem church tourism, I was outraged -- outraged for all the wrong reasons. I grew up in a church where selling things in church was a sacrilege. I remember the response to other churches selling catfish and chicken dinners. It. Just. Wasn't. Done. Whenever this subject would come up, blatant selling of wares in the church house, there would be some vague reference to money changers in the temple. We know how that worked out! (P.S. I also went to a church were women couldn't stand in the pulpit, enter the pastor's study or walk inside the sanctuary wearing pants -- but let's stick to the money-changing in the temple stuff today.)

I was taught that the church should be able to survive on the tithes and offerings of its members and that God would provide. And just in case the congregation forgot their biblical obligation, every Sunday right before offering we were treated to a recitation of Malachi 3:7-10:

7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

I didn't know what all that meant as a child and fixated on "cursed with a curse!" The message was clear: Give God his 10 percent or an extra head would grow out of the side of your neck! The God of my childhood was a lot scarier. Everything is scarier in the King James Version.

But in the middle of my internal dialogue about how unseemly it was for people to offer tours of black churches in Harlem, I had a vision of all of the photos I have from my church tours of Europe. Me standing in the front of Notre-Dame, me sticking my head out side of one of the spires from the Sagrada Familia, and how could we forget the churches of all churches, the basilicas of Vatican City. Now I know how the folks in Europe must feel about us traipsing through their churches.

However, it's one thing to show off the historical significance of your edifice and an entirely different thing to turn praise and worship into entertainment. After all, the building isn't "church," it's the people in the church. Is that what these churches are selling in the form of Harlem church tourism? The people?

Shreveport Republican Mayoral Candidate Offers Chicken and Limo Rides for Votes!

Shreveport, Louisiana elected its first African-American mayor, Democrat Cedric Glover in 2006. After that historic election, one may have thought that the Southern city had put its legacy of racial division behind them.

Not so much.

Republican candidate Bryan Wooley, who is running for mayor of Shreveport, has sparked anger among African-Americans in the Louisiana town.

It began with a "Freedom Rally" event reportedly sponsored by the mayoral candidate.

The event, which was planned for this past Wednesday and Thursday, advertised free chicken and limo rides to voting polls. Now, it IS the South and chicken wings and limo rides are beloved by most citizens, regardless of color.

However, these fliers were reportedly only placed in Shreveport's Cooper Road area. Cooper Road is a predominantly black neighborhood also known as the Martin Luther King neighborhood.

Needless to say, the flyers were seen offensive and racist to many of Shreveport's black residents. Fellow mayoral candidate Parker Ward told the Shreveport Times, "Words can't express my anger over this racist move. I am calling on Bryan Wooley to send a public apology to the African- American community."

According to the Times, calls to Wooley's campaign spokesperson to verify the authenticity of the flyer and event were not immediately returned this morning.

Someone call Bryan Wooley, and tell him he needs more people.

Why Bishop Long's Wife Shouldn't 'Stand By Her Man'

From The Grio: There she stood right beside her man: an attractive, God-fearing and loyal middle-age woman holding the hand of her fallen pastor husband. He walked her out ever so gently, held her close and kissed her lips for all to see as he ushered her back to her seat on stage, before he took to the lectern to speak to his flock.
Bishop Eddie Long, a self-proclaimed prophet of God has been accused of coercing four male parishioners into sex. This Sunday, in his first public comments on the scandal, Long never once said, "I am innocent of what I

have been accused of doing with these young men in my care." Instead he vowed to fight the charges and in doing so he did what all guilty defendants do (in my experience as an attorney): He used careful language, such as "I am not a perfect man," parsed his words and hid behind his lawyers admonitions, something that a man of God likely would not do if he was in fact innocent.

As I watched the Bishop Sunday morning, images of other pastors (Ted Haggard) and politicians before him (Bill Clinton's emphatic: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky") came to mind. But the person I was most intrigued by was Vanessa Long and the hell she must be living through right now.

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church: Bishop Eddie Long Addresses His Congregation

I woke up early to go to the website for the New Birth Missionary Baptist church. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew that Bishop Eddie Long would be convincing. Every bit of his charisma and experience would be needed to manage the complex set of allegations against him for sexually abusing some of his members.

I'll lay out some notable quotes by Bishop Eddie Long this morning and let you judge much of it for yourself. What I can say, though, is that Bishop Long seemed to say a great deal without saying much:

"I'll be here next week."



Perhaps that means that he's not going to resign. I look forward to seeing if he is going to be preaching next Sunday.

"[This is] probably the most difficult time in my entire life. I want to talk to you for a moment about how to handle painful and difficult situations."

He seemed to want to make this into a teachable moment for his congregation, but he didn't spend a great deal of time teaching, since his address was only about 15 to 20 minutes long.

"We will not allow the present pain to cause us to abandon our righteous commitment and stand."

This sounded like he was going to lay down some bad news for the congregation. Perhaps he's asking the church to stand with him during this difficult time, which they seemed ready and willing to do.

"There have been allegations and attacks made on me. I have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man. But I am NOT the man that's being portrayed on the television. That's not me."

This statement was incredibly vague, implying that he may or may not be guilty of the allegations against him. To say that you are not the man being portrayed in the media doesn't mean you're innocent. It simply means that you may be slightly different from the way the accusers are describing you. Nearly any guilty or innocent person can make this statement.

"By the counsel of my lawyers, they have advised me not to try this case in the media. I will not try this case in the media. It will be tried in the court of justice."

This statement was expected. Again, it says nothing about guilt or innocence.

"I've been accused, I'm under attack....but this thing, I'm gonna fight."

This statement means that the situation is far from over. I expect an interesting battle behind the scenes as attorneys squabble over the amount of the settlement. I would be surprised to see this get as far as a jury trial, especially if other accusers continue to step forward. This may open up a Tiger Woods -like can of worms for Bishop Eddie Long in the event that he actually has engaged in wrong-doing.

"I feel like David against Goliath. But I'll tell you what, I've got five rocks and I haven't thrown one yet."

As you can see, Bishop Eddie Long has made it clear that he's going to fight the charges. He does not, however, go in to any detail about his guilt or innocence. So while he must be given credit for addressing his congregation, he cannot be given credit for being innocent of the charges against him. Perhaps the court of law can help us to sort these things out.

Instead of Jobs, Dept. of Labor Gives Unemployed Another Jobs Website

The Department of Labor recently launched a website aimed at helping unemployed Americans find work. The website, entitled My Skills My Future, allows job-seekers to enter areas in which they have work experience to find listings for those types of jobs.

Before I even clicked on the link for the website, my first thought was that there must be something unique about this site that separates it from all the other job boards and employment Web sites out there. Otherwise, this would really be a waste of money and a smack in the face to those people who have been out of work for extended amounts of time. Instead of jobs, we'll give you... another employment Web site, to find jobs that either don't exist, or that you've already applied for. Thanks Department of Labor!

And basically, that's what this site is. Other than a video from the Secretary of Labor, there's not much new here. It's basically the Department of Labor's version of Monster, or CareerBuilder, just not as good.

After his weak "Summer of Recovery," I can't believe President Obama signed off on something like this. Keeping in mind that much of the inability to pass legislation to create jobs has been due to Republican obstructionism, President Obama should have done a lot more than create this Web site to create jobs while he still has the votes in Congress. Now, given the upcoming elections in November, it is highly unlikely that he'll be able to do anything much more significant. And if November goes as badly as some anticipate for Democrats, the rest of his first term as President could be in serious trouble if he has to fight Republicans even harder to enact jobs programs. This likely means even more trouble for those out of work.

Catching Up With .. Michael Jai White

It's been a few weeks since Tyler Perry's 'Why Did I Get Married Too?' was released on DVD and while the reviews were mixed when the film was released in theaters, one of the bright spots of this sequel to 'Why Did I Get Married?' was the constant laughs audience got from seeing Michael Jai White and Tasha Smith as the bickering couple Marcus and Angela.

While White has been seen in numerous films, including the hilarious 'Black Dynamite,' Smith's recognition stems from her work with Tyler Perry in 'Daddy's Little Girls' and both 'Married?' films.

As the couple that are always arguing and breaking up to make up, Angela and Marcus were never lost for words in communicating with each other.

In promoting the DVD release of the film, White spoke to BlackVoices.com about doing the sequel and his chemistry with Smith.

You have a lot of funny moments. Did you see yourself as a comedian?

Michael Jai White: Well, my friends that know me, they always say that. I actually have a lot of friends who do stand-up who have really been trying to get me to do stand-up for like the last ten years. In fact, sometimes I write jokes for my friends. When I come up with things I just send it to them. Tyler is a friend of mine. So Tyler knows how I am normally with the whole comedic type of thing. So that's why he cast me in this even thought the public mostly identify me as the guy who beats up people.

Tasha is mostly associated with Tyler's films and is downright hilarious. Had you known her before this movie and how was the chemistry?

MJW: Tasha and I used to date. We were an item before the movie, like ten years ago. So it's funny because in all the years that we've known each other, we've never had as much as an argument. We get along really well. She's one of my favorite people on the planet. So it was kind of funny because Tyler knew us separately and then put us together as a couple without having any idea that we used to date. We were going to keep it secret until I think Tasha let the cat out of the bag one day. I think that it was interesting because we so much kind of historical things to talk about. We clearly got along really well, and so I think people were probably scratching their heads a bit.

If there was any moment in making this film that you were the most proud of, what would it be?

MJW: I mean, I get so proud of just when it's completed and I see the work of my friends. I was really proud. In the first one of course Tasha did her thing. She's amazing. I thought it was just outstanding and in this one everyone is outstanding. I was so proud of what Malik (played by Yoba) did; in particular, the depth that he went with his character. Then Janet [Jackson], with Malik and Janet in those scenes, I thought, "Wow." I was really proud to be a part of this whole thing and it was great to see them do this kind of work and bring that to the screen.

Is there enough material for the project to come back with a third film?

MJW: I believe so. You know how talented Tyler is. Personally, I'm one that would love to explore the Marcus and Angela thing beyond the bickering. I think if you see the times where that couple might be watching a football game together, you may see the things that are special about them, in addition to the other craziness. I think that would be something that Tyler could bring to another movie only because it's giving this other side that's not seen.

What have you been up to lately? Is there going to be a sequel to 'Black Dynamite' or are you working on other projects?

MJW: Currently, I'm in my office right now and I'm directing a movie for Sony Pictures. It's an action film. We're going to be doing another 'Black Dynamite' and we have the 'Black Dynamite' cartoon coming out and I've been doing voice work for that. I did a movie recently with Mario Van Peebles that he directed that's really pointed at the youth. It's a movie with some really strong moral values. It's called 'Where The Party At' and I was very, very proud to be a part of that. I'm keeping busy and I've got this movie and a few others afterwards. It feels good to be in a director's chair. I think there are a lot of tremendous stories out there and there's only a handful of people who know how to tell them and I think I'd be remiss if I didn't do what I can to be one of those people.

With God I AM Victorius

On the journey of life I may have pain, sickness, sorrow or other negative experiences. I take sacred comfort in knowing that all such conditions are temporary. They only come to pass. However, God, as Spirit, is forever. Today, turning to the eternal Spirit of God within me, I overcome all adversity. With God, I Am victorious. How blessed and grateful, I Am!
Wishing you victory over any and all challenging circumstances today,
 
Asa Pritchard
 
 

Wright Criticizes Those Who Think Obama is Muslim

President Barack Obama's former pastor is coming to his defense and attacking those who falsely call the president a Muslim.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright delivered a fiery sermon Sunday at New Millennium Church in Little Rock, Ark., defending Millennium's pastor who has also come under criticism for questioning the Iraq war. Wright said:

"Go after the military mind-set ... and the enemy will come after you with everything," Wright told the packed church. "He will surround you with sycophants who will criticize you and ostracize you and put you beyond the pale of hope and say 'you ain't really a Baptist' and say 'the president ain't really a Christian, he's a Muslim. There ain't no American Christian with a name like Barack Hussein,'" he added.

Obama and Wright have not had a relationship since the 2008 election, when Wright's controversial comments on some topics became public.

"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye... and now we are indignant, because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought back in to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost," Wright said in a clip from one sermon.

Obama did not abandon Wright but made a well-received speech about race. Afterward, Wright came out and made more controversial comments, and the Obamas withdrew their membership from the church of the man who married them, baptized their children and was very influential in Obama's development.

Maybe this is a sign that Wright realizes he should have left well enough alone after Obama's race speech.



Amazingly, a decent percentage of Americans believe that Obama is Muslim. Eighteen percent of those in a recent Newsweek poll thought Obama was Muslim, an increase from 11 percent during a poll last year.

That is frightening given that Obama is a Christian. Another 43 percent of Americans did not know Obama's religion.

But why is being a Muslim such a slur?

There are radical practitioners of Islam who commit evil acts just like there radical practitioners of Christianity who commit evil acts.

There is no legitimate reason to think Obama is a Muslim other than the crazy rantings of people like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. But these crazy rumors are hard to dispel. Obama's birth certificate has been made available to the public, but there are still a considerable number of people who follow the Birther Movement and question Obama's place of birth.

"The facts are the facts," Obama said in an interview.

"I'm not gonna be worrying too much about whatever rumors are floating on out there," Obama said Sunday. "If I spend all my time chasing after that, then I wouldn't get much done."

Obama contributed the rumors to "a network of misinformation that in a new media era can get churned out there constantly."

Rumors asserting that Obama is an illegitimate president or lying about his religion are incredibly dangerous, because they may spur mentally unstable people into action.

Despite what you may think of Wright, he's correct that those who call Obama Muslim are using it as a slur.

Gun-Toting Granny Shoots Intruder During Robbery

It was 3 a.m. on Monday morning when Ethel Jones, a 69-year-old grandmother, heard some noises outside her Decatur, Ga., home.

"I heard somebody at the back door and then around at the front door," Jones told the Decatur Daily. "I said to myself, 'Somebody's fixin' to break in.'"

Jones, a mother of four, sleeps with a .38 pistol under a pillow that is next to her when she is alone in her home.
Since the sexagenarian does not own a car, Jones thinks that the intruder probably thought no one was home.

The robber proceeded to remove an air-conditioning unit from a window in a back room before entering the home. When Jones walked out of her bathroom, she saw the suspect, who was holding a pen light near her bedroom. "I shot three times," Jones said, "and he ran away hollering."
Jones, who used to go target practice with her former husband, immediately dialed 911, and even though the dispatcher kept coaxing her to put the gun down, Jones was so shaken by the incident that she simply could not release her grip on the weapon. She was terrified that the robber was still lurking outside of her residence.

Police investigators cracked the case quickly and determined that a nearby neighbor, 18-year-old Michael O'Neal Bynum, had been the perpetrator. He was reportedly in stable condition after going to a nearby hospital for a gunshot wound to his abdomen.

Bynum, who was on probation for a prior burglary conviction, will go to a county jail upon his release from the hospital. He will be charged with second-degree burglary and held without bail.