Seattle Officer Punches Girl in Face During Jaywalking Stop: I Would Have Punched Her, Too

The South Seattle Police Department is investigating what they're calling "an assault of an officer" today, and the video of the incident is fast becoming an object of controversy.

KOMO News of Seattle reports that the incident took place on Monday, when the officer witnessed four teenage girls jaywalking across Martin Luther King, Jr. Way (gotta love it). According to police officials, the young women became "verbally antagonistic" when the officer asked them to step over to his patrol car.

Apparently, the officer approached one woman who started to walk away. He then attempted to physically escort her to the vehicle. The woman resisted and an altercation ensued. Shortly thereafter, a second young lady intervened to try to help her friend. According to Seattle police, the officer believed "she was attempting to physically affect the first subject's escape."

As seen in the video, the second young lady shoved the officer, who then punched the girl in the face (very awesome). Police backup soon arrived, and the women were taken in to custody.

Sgt. Sean Whitcomb allegedly told reporters that punching is a trained tactic and the department defends the officer's actions.

Okay, I know I'm supposed to be all outraged and whatever because I'm black and stuff like that, HOWEVER, I don't know whether it's because I'm a jaded '80s baby tired of young people's lack of respect for authority or I'm just an insensitive b*tch, but I think the girls in this video absolutely deserve what they got.

Therefore, I'm not upset, nor appalled, nor preparing my picket sign for the sure-to-come NAACP rally.

 

Of course, jaywalking is a bogus offense that most cops don't acknowledge, let alone enforce, but when will this generation realize that they need to show respect for adults? Maybe your mom wants to be your best friend, and your teacher is just waiting on her retirement date and your dad (if he's around) just wants you to not be mad at him, but it's time young people grasped the concept of authority.

Maybe it was a ridiculous waste of time for an officer to cite this young woman for jaywalking, but what happened to the day and time when we respected the authority of policeman? I am older than the girl and probably the policeman, but I will tell you that if an officer told me I was being arrested for having nappy hair and to put my hands behind my back, my hands are going behind my back and I am going to STFU.

Why did this woman continue to resist this officer once given an official command? Life is not a game.

Is there any doubt that if they had just done what they were told in the first place this would not have happened? I don't know about you, but I was told that when it came to interacting with the police all I should be saying is "yes sir" and "no sir." If these women had responded in an appropriate manner when they were approached would we be watching any of this?

And don't get me started on her idiot friend. I'm very sorry she got punched in the face (not really), but you have a lone cop faced with a growing mob, and then her friend, a citizen interfering with an arrest, actually puts her hands on him? I would have popped the sh*t out of her, too.

You see she fell back once he got her in the mouf one good time. And she will likely think twice before putting her hands on a police officer again.

Frankly, I think this video says more about these young ladies and their view of authority than it does about a policeman acting inappropriately. We are so used to cops behaving badly and kicking ass and killing black people for no reason that we sit back and all but encourage young people to challenge them. You can see the anxious bystanders just hoping to get a shot of the latest YouTube sensation, salivating for a juicy clip of police brutality.

I will never support police brutality, and there have been actions of police against the citizens that are inexcusable, but this ain't one of them.

This video falls in the "you-get-what-you-asked-for" category for me. Perhaps next time an officer approaches these ladies, they will respect his authority and do what the hell he tells them to do instead of cursing him out.

Somewhere along the way, someone sent the message that young people can treat adults any way they want to (including police). And it's high time someone had a counter point.

Too bad it had to be a counterpunch. I'll save my tears for real victims.

Look at it this way: Just think of all those times when you encountered a group of rowdy young people on a bus or subway or walking down the street and thought to yourself, "Someone needs to whip their *sses." Consider it done. Courtesy of the Seattle Police.

Shooting victim Billy Moore described as hard-working teen trying to support family; suspect in custody

View full sizeMaxine Bernstein/The OregonianA photograph of Billy Moore, 17, is posted on his home this morning.
Portland homicide detectives have arrested a 17-year-old male in connection with Monday’s night's fatal shooting of Billy Moore.
Moore was 17.
The suspect, who was not identified by police, is accused of murder and is being held at the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center.
Moore died in gunfire near the Boys & Girls Club's New Columbia location in North Portland, the Portland Police Bureau reported.
Moore had been with relatives at his mother's bedside at OHSU Hospital earlier Monday night.
He was saying his final goodbye to his mom, Valerie Martinez, 44, who had leukemia and was on life support after suffering complications from a bone marrow transplant.
"We had just come to terms with the fact there was no chance she was going to improve," said Martinez's sister, Raquel Martinez.
Moore and Martinez' two teenage sons had left the hospital sometime after 6 p.m. and rode the bus back to Moore's house on North Woolsey Avenue.
They had gotten off the bus at North Trenton Street, and exchanged words with other young men.
"Some boys said something to Billy, and, in the state of mind he was in, said something back," Martinez said. Soon, as Moore and his cousins started walking back to his house, gunfire rang out.
Moore was able to run about a block and a half to his home. He ran through his house to the back yard and parking lot but he'd been struck. Blood gurgled from his mouth.
Neighbor Gabriel Hardy, who was in his backyard, held out his arms to Moore.
"He was just shaking his head," Hardy said. "He couldn't talk. I was like 'Be strong, Bill. Be strong.' I was holding his hand and praying."
His relatives keeping vigil by his mom's side at OHSU started getting calls in the ICU waiting room about 7:30 p.m.
"My nephew called and said, 'Did you hear about Bill?' He said, 'Bill got shot.' I said outloud, 'Bill got shot?' And all my family heard me," recalled Trina Simmons, Martinez's first cousin.
They all rushed to Legacy Emanuel Hospital, thinking Moore was taken there. When they realized he wasn't, they headed to the shooting scene.

"He was in the ambulance and he was already gone,'' Simmons said.
Moore's family returned to OHSU later Monday night, where they took Billy's mom off life support, and she died just after midnight.
She never learned of her son's shooting death. "She knows now because she's up there with him now," Simmons said.
"It just feels like unbelievable right now," Martinez said.
View full sizeMotoya Nakamura/The OregonianBilly Moore was Rosemary Anderson High School's prom king at the school's first prom.

At Rosemary Anderson High School, an alternative school in North Portland, Moore was remembered this morning as a hard-working teen who was trying to support his family. He graduated June 10 and planned to attend Portland Community College in the fall.
Bob Brandts, the school’s activities coordinator, said Moore had “zero gang affiliation.”
“He stayed away” from gangs, Brandts said. “He knew it wasn’t for him.”
“Billy Moore was just a great kid,” he said. “He was a kid who was trying to do his life right. He graduated from high school, got a job and was trying to help support his family.
“This just doesn’t make sense at all,” Brandts said.

Brandts said he saw Moore last Friday and gave the teen his senior photograph.
“He was so tickled about it because they came out so well,” he said.
Moore’s mother’s terminal illness took a toll on the teen.
“He was a kid who had to become a man pretty quick,” Brandts said. “He shouldered it all. He was always optimistic but you could tell it was wearing on him.”
Moore enrolled at Rosemary Anderson as a sophomore in 2008. His older sister, Renee, also attends the school’s general education program.
Moore was well known at the school and just last month was named prom king at the school’s first prom. He worked at The Salvation Army.
Police Chief Mike Reese, who responded to the scene, said he was worried that this and two other recent shootings in North Portland might represent a disturbing trend.
"I'm very concerned about our second shooting in New Columbia in a week and our second homicide in a week," Reese said.

Later today, the police chief and mayor planned to hold a news conference to announce enhanced patrols in the area following Moore's shooting and other recent violence in and around New Columbia.
View full sizeMaxine Bernstein/The OregonianWorkers fix a bullet hole that pierced a window of the Regence Boys & Girls Club off North Woolsey Avenue.
Police found 40-year-old Decoal Crawford lying dead on the sidewalk at North Albina Avenue and Jessup Street late Friday. Last Wednesday, Reese said officers responded to the shooting of a 16-year-old boy near the area of tonight's shooting.

"Something's going on, so we've got to find out what," Reese said.

I Will Miss You Billy! I Love You Boy!
Asa Pritchard

Second Suspect in Mass. Church Burning Expected to Change Plea to Guilty

Thomas Gleason, Jr., one of three men who allegedly burned down a black church a day after receiving news that Barack Obama was elected president of the Unites States, is expected to change his not guilty plea to guilty.
The 22-year-old, along with accused co-conspirators Michael F. Jacques, 25, and Benjamin Haskell, 23, allegedly doused the African American Macedonia Church of God in Christ in Springfield, Mass., with gasoline and set it ablaze, burning it to the ground on election night. The fire also caused serious injuries to firemen who responded to the scene.
The three men were charged with conspiracy and damaging religious property because of race, color or ethnic characteristics.

requested a change-of-plea hearing that is scheduled for June 29 at the U.S. District Court in Springfield. The accused was scheduled to go on trial later this week to face charges.
Haskell, who pleaded guilty last week, accepted a deal that calls for him to go to prison for nine years.

Ten Dead Among 54 Shot Across City Over Weekend: Chicago Mayor Vows to Keep Handgun Ban

After the weekend Chicago had, Mayor Richard M. Daley shouldn't have to defend the city's ban on handguns.
The figures coming out of Chicago sound like a report of casualties for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Over a 48-hour span, 54 people were shot and 10 of those died. That's an average of more than a shooting an hour. Someone was murdered every 4.8 hours on average on the city's streets. On Saturday, alone, 22 people were shot.
The last two victims were two young men between the ages of 16 and 20, who were found lying naked and face down near some railroad tracks.
The shootings touched every age demographic, from a 1-year-old girl grazed in the neck by a bullet to a 16-year-old girl who was critically injured when shots were fired on the street. A 19-year-old man was shot, after being approached by a gunman on the streets, and a 45-year-old was killed in what police believe was a gang-related killing.
"Look at all the guns that shot people this weekend. Where did they come from? That is the issue," Daley said at a South Side high school Tuesday.


Chicago - Ten people were killed and at least 44 others were shot across the city Friday night into early Monday, including a baby girl who suffered a graze wound to the neck when gunfire erupted at a Near West Side barbecue.
Those killed included a 28-year-old man foTen people were killed and at least 44 others were shot across the city Friday night into early Monday, including a baby girl who suffered a graze wound to the neck when gunfire erupted at a Near West Side barbecue.
The latest victims were found naked, shot to death and lying face down on railroad property near West 91st Street and South Holland Road on the South Side about 8:50 a.m Monday, according to a Calumet Area sergeant. Both were shot at some point Sunday night.
The victims, black males believed to be between 16 and 20, remained unidentified as of late Monday afternoon.
On Monday, a 28-year-old man was found shot in the chest about 3 a.m. in the 7500 block of South Halsted Street near a South Side church, according to Gresham District police. A passing motorist found the man, identified as Credale Woulard of 7711 S. Ada St., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. He was dressed in women's clothing and was found lying dead on the sidewalk.
In the South Side Englewood neighborhood, 44-year-old Darryl Dunn was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in the 7200 block of South Marshfield Avenue at 2:02 a.m. Monday, authorities said.
About 1:52 a.m. Monday, 25-year-old Larry Johnson of 14003 Park Ave. in Lansing was shot in the 6400 block of South Ingleside Avenue in the South Side Woodlawn neighborhood. He died nearly two hours later at a hospital, police said.
Durwin Hackman, 20, of 3117 W. 172nd St. in Hazel Crest, was killed in a shooting that also injured two others about 11:10 p.m. in the 700 block of West 111th Street in the Far South Side Roseland neighborhood. The three victims were involved in a verbal altercation over a female when other males began to shoot before fleeing the scene.
Three men, two related, were found fatally shot in the West Side Lawndale neighborhood early Saturday in what police consider gang-related slayings. The victims were 25-year-old Waseem Smith, 45-year-old Barry Smith and 28-year-old Leon Smith, according to the medical examiner's office. They were shot just after 3 a.m. in the 2300 block of South Springfield, police said. Police found two of the men in separate cars and the third lying on the street outside one of the cars.
A 19-year-old man died Sunday night after being shot in the head Friday night in the 1800 block of West 87th Street, police said. Pierre York of 8647 S. Wood St. was walking down the street with a friend when they were confronted by a gunman, who fled after shooting York, police said.
In addition to the homicides:
-- At least 10 people were shot early Monday, including four men and a baby girl who were injured when gunfire erupted during an outside barbecue on the Near West Side early Monday.
The shooting happened at 12:11 a.m. at 1334 W. Hastings St, according to a Monroe District police lieutenant. Several people attending the barbecue heard shots fired and "everybody started running," the lieutenant said.
One shot struck a 1-year-old girl, who suffered a graze wound to the neck. Four men were also shot, police said. One of the victims, a 34-year-old man, was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The other three men suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
-- On Sunday, at least 11 people were injured in shootings, including a 16-year-old girl who was critically wounded when shots rang out during a fight on a South Side street.
The girl was standing outside at 1251 E. 78th St. at 8:15 p.m. when several fights broke out and one person pulled out a handgun, according to a South Chicago District police captain. The girl was struck in the back and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition.
-- On an especially violent Saturday, at least 22 people were injured. That included five people hurt in four shootings in the West Side Humboldt Park neighborhood, just blocks from the annual Puerto Rican festival.
-- And following Friday's violent storms, at least one person was injured in a shooting on the South Side.
und shot in the chest about 3 a.m. Monday in the 7500 block of South Halsted Street near a South Side church, according to Gresham District police. A passing motorist found the man, identified as Credale Woulard, of 7711 S. Ada St., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. He was dressed in women's clothing and was found lying dead on the sidewalk.
In the South Side Englewood neighborhood, 44-year-old Darryl Dunn was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in the 7200 block of South Marshfield Avenue at 2:02 a.m. Monday, authorities said.

About 1:52 a.m. Monday, 25-year-old Larry Johnson of 14003 Park Ave. in Lansing
was shot in the 6400 block of South Ingleside Avenue in the South Side Woodlawn neighborhood. He died nearly two hours later at a hospital, police said.
Durwin Hackman, 20, of 3117 W. 172nd St. in Hazel Crest, was killed in a shooting that also injured two others about 11:10 p.m. in the 700 block of West 111th Street in the Far South Side Roseland neighborhood. The three victims were involved in a verbal altercation over a female when other males began to shoot before fleeing the scene.
A 19-year-old man was also taken to Christ Hospital with a gunshot wound to his abdomen and he was listed in critical condition, police said. The third victim, a 21-year-old man, was in "stable" condition at Christ Hospital with a gunshot wound to his left arm.
Three men, two of whom were related, were found fatally shot in the West Side Lawndale neighborhood early Saturday in what police consider gang-related slayings.
The victims were 25-year-old Waseem Smith, 45-year-old Barry Smith and 28-year-old Leon Smith, according to the medical examiner's office. They were shot just after 3 a.m. in the 2300 block of South Springfield Avenue, police said. Police found two of the men in separate cars and the third lying on the street outside one of the cars.
A 19-year-old man died Sunday night after being shot in the head Friday night in the 1800 block of West 87th Street, police said. Pierre York of 8647 S. Wood St. was walking down the street with a friend when they were confronted by a gunman, who fled after shooting York, police said.
In addition to the homicides, at least nine people were shot early Monday, including four men and a baby girl who were injured when gunfire erupted during an outside barbecue on the Near West Side early Monday.
The shooting happened at 12:11 a.m. at 1334 W. Hastings St, according to a Monroe District police lieutenant. Several people attending the barbecue heard shots fired and "everybody started running," the lieutenant said.
One shot struck a 1-year-old girl, who suffered a graze wound to the neck. Four men were also shot, police said. One of the victims, a 34-year-old man, was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The other three men suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
On Sunday, at least 10 people were shot, including a 16-year-old girl who was critically wounded when shots rang out during a fight on a South Side street.
The girl was standing outside at 1251 E. 78th St. at 8:15 p.m. when several fights broke out and one person pulled out a handgun, according to a South Chicago District police captain. The girl was struck in the back and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition.
On an especially violent Saturday, at least 21 people were shot. That included five people injured in four shootings in the West Side Humboldt Park neighborhood, just blocks from the annual Puerto Rican festival.
Following Friday's violent storms, at least one person was injured in a shooting on the South Side.

Food Network Star Paula Deen Robbed!

Southern belle foodie Paula Deen was robbed of nearly $100,000 worth of jewelry and other items from her Savannah, Ga., home.
Reportedly, Deen's husband, Michael Groover, pointed the finger at his housekeeper, Mary Alice White. Police were called to investigate the matter, and, allegedly, the thefts occurred over a 10-month period.
According to some national media outlet reports, the estimated value of the items that were taken from Deen's home were more in the neighborhood of $10,000. The Savannah-Chatam police department, however, recently confirmed that the estimates of the items taken from the "Queen of Southern Cooking" amounted to about $100,000.
Fans are shocked that anyone would even think of robbing Deen, who is known for having a huge heart and being generous to a fault. Deen is also one of Michelle Obama's favorite celebrity cooks. The First Lady even appeared on Deen's Food Network Show, 'Paula's Party,' to girl-talk about the first meal she ever made for her husband, Barack, during the early stages of their courtship.
As for the robberies, Deen and her husband fired the housekeeper when they discovered the missing items. White was arrested last month and arraigned on charges of felony theft.

DA: No DNA Evidence Found on 7-Year-Old Who Was Gang Raped

New Jersey prosecutors stated in court documents Tuesday that there was no DNA evidence of semen found on the 7-year-old girl who was gang raped this past April.

The little girl reportedly told police that she had been at a party in a high-rise apartment in Trenton, N.J., with her older teen step-sister, who had initially been identified as the child's 15-year-old blood sister. Police investigations revealed that after the sister sold the child for sex, three to four men held her down and assaulted her.

Although these preliminary forensic tests show that there was no semen detected, the lack of this type of evidence will not stop state prosecutors from building their case against the three teenaged boys and two men who have been charged with raping the child.

The stepsister has been charged as a juvenile for promoting prostitution, aggravated sexual assault and a battery of other charges.
Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Downing told the Associated Press:

"The majority of the state's sexual assault cases are prosecuted without the benefit of (DNA) evidence." Since the child received various bodily injuries that can be associated with sexual assault, and the assailants gave statements to police implicating each other, the case against the defendants is building.

The three male teens who are accused will not be tried as adults. Bail has been reduced to $75,000 for the two male assailants, 19-year-old Timear Lewis (pictured above) and 20-year-old Gregory Joseph Leary (pictured below) are still being held at their original bail amounts, $300,000 and $500,000, respectively.

Leary's lawyer, Robin Lord, is pushing for a dismissal of the case on the grounds that no DNA evidence was found on the child. The attorney told the AP:

"The case is hardly as solid as the police originally leaked," Lord said. Without the DNA evidence, "you have an ethical obligation as a prosecuting authority to seek justice, not just a conviction."
Leary's sister, Shemika, believes that with the recent turn of events, regarding the lack of DNA, the state should drop the charges against her brother. The young woman told the AP that her family will undoubtedly sue the state if her brother is acquitted of all charges.

Ironically, the child's unnamed stepfather defended three of the accused teens. He claimed that Leary, Lewis and another 17-year-old, in fact, tried to get the child out of the apartment. The man also told authorities, that the three boys were unsuccessful in helping the child flee, because they were held at gunpoint.
Plea deals were offered to the younger teens in exchange for information that could convict the adults who were named in the rape. Downing told the AP that before she offers any deals to the adults, she must first deal with the case against the juveniles who have been charged.

Please Pray for our youth they need the help.

Asa - CEO of PO Soul Ent.

22-Year Old Pretending to be HS Student Faces 6 Felonies

Have you ever fantasized about going back to high school and doing all the things you wish you'd done the first time around? Maybe ask out that girl across the room in Biology class, or joined the Math team to get that scholarship? Well, I don't recommend trying this at home, since such a feat might land you in prison.
A 22-year old man is accused of posing as a high school basketball star in West Texas and has been indicted on six felonies, ranging from sexual assault to tampering with government records. In other words, he's in trouble.
Bobby Bland, the District Attorney for Ector County stated that the indictment alleges that Guerdwich Montimer changed his name to Jerry Joseph and committed identity theft in the process. He played basketball at Odessa Permian High School, the same school whose football team was featured in the movie, "Friday Night Lights."
During his return to the glory days, Montimer led his team to the first round of the playoffs and was named the District 2-5A Newcomer of the Year. The award was taken away, and the team has to forfeit its 16 wins.
The two counts of sexual assault were related to alleged attacks on a 15-year old girl in August. Jabari A. Caldwell, who enrolled Montime at a Junior High School two years ago using a fake birth certificate from Haiti is also facing four felonies. Both men face three counts of tampering with government records and one count of fraudulent use of identifying information. Each faces up to 20 years in prison for the tampering charge, two years for the identity theft charge, and another 20 years on the sexual assault conviction. They will be arraigned on June 16.
I admit that I was shocked that the actions of Montimer (other than the sexual assault, of course) could lead to such severe penalties. Obviously, the sexual assault should be taken very seriously, but I would argue that a total of 20 - 40 years in prison for both men on the other charges might be too much. At the very least, we are all now abundantly aware that seemingly harmless changes of identity can lead to very stiff consequences, especially when minors are involved.

Black Girl Lost: Why Many Young Girls Become Prostitutes

When ex-NFL great Lawrence Taylor was arrested for allegedly raping a minor, youth sex trafficking hit the national spotlight. In a trend that spans across America, young women, most of whom seem to be lured in to the sex trade with promises of money, shelter and sometimes love, are finding themselves as prostitutes in a ring organized by their "protectors."

Haley Volpintesta, a Chicago-based human rights advocate with 10 years of experience working with youth impacted by the sex trade, nationally and internationally, and the juvenile and criminal justice systems says that while many young women are coerced into prostitution, many others engage in survival sex, trading sex for basic needs like food and shelter, even in the Unites States of America. "They may see their involvement in the sex trade as temporary, until they can figure out how to get their needs met in other ways," she says.
So basic tools of survival lead some girls to trade sex for money?
Some young people find themselves in situations where they are relying on very limited choices because their very basic needs aren't met. Coming from an abusive home, not having a safe place to live, not having food or even feeling pressured to meet a certain standard with clothes may lead them to the sex trade. This industry is motivated by poverty and capitalism. Around the country and internationally, not having what one needs to live often make this, for some people, a realistic thing to do.
How are girls recruited into the sex trade?
One girl I worked with had been dating a man for more than a year. When he asked her to move to New York it was on the premise that he would help her go to college and they would build a life together. She was completely unaware that he was a pimp. In situations where young people are runaways, pimps often act as a caring adult who can rescue them from the unsafe streets, only to find out that they are expected to pay for that 'care' and 'protection' through sex work. Through building rapport with the young person and convincing her that the sex trade is a "good choice" or necessary to uphold their relationship, girls are lured into the life. Some have reported drugs being used to keep them compliant.

Who are the girls? Are they runaways, juvenile delinquents, or promiscuous teens?
Many of the women were involved with an intimate partner who was involved in sex work. We think about pimps in a very particular way but in many instances these pimps are their boyfriends. This prostitution is another manifestation of domestic violence.
Who is more at risk for being a child prostitute?
Missing or runaway youth are definitely at a greater risk for recruitment and entry. Exploitation of young women through sex affects populations that are disproportionately targeted by oppression. In certain ways these populations become vulnerable to institutions like the sex trade.
Who are the pimps? Some of the pimps are peers of these young women. Has the identity of who a pimp is changed?
We get so caught up in this imaginary of who a pimp is and what a pimp does and what he looks like and we forget that sometimes we are talking about a young man who has experienced some of the same things that make girls vulnerable to trade sex for money. They are coming from violent homes. They are coming from homes where they have seen this before; where they have seen women degraded before. They have experienced violence and have limited resources and they figure out how to hustle. Selling women for a while came with far less consequences than selling drugs did. And now that law enforcement is taking a different position on this issue and who is to blame, you are seeing the issue of pimping under a different kind of lens.
Is race relevant in the discussion of the youth sex trade?
Young women involved in the sex trade cross race and class barriers. No one is out of the running. It is just as much an option for a white girl in a small rural town as it is for a wealthy girl living in the big city. We can't ignore race, class or nationality when talking about the sex trade, but it is a real possibility for all girls.
Are these young women looking for a way out?
For young people whose entry and participation is pimp controlled, which was the case for most of the young women and girls I met and worked with, their sexual exploitation by someone with whom they may identify as a boyfriend or caretaker complicates their ability to stop or leave. The exploitation within their relationships was another manifestation of violence, and their exit needed to be strategized like any situation of domestic violence. Pimps may react with violence or threats of violence based on their expectation that something is owed to them. Additionally, some young people feel connected to their exploiter in different ways, and they may need to leave a number of times while processing their experiences in the sex trade and building new relationships and a support system before they are really ready and feel confident in their plan. Sometimes the embarrassment and humiliation that can accompany their recruitment into the sex trade forecloses the possibility of reaching out to family or other people with whom they previously trusted. One young woman who I worked with after an arrest received an alternative to incarceration and came to GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services) for services and support. During that time, she was able to talk about what was happening and think through her options. After reaching out to an aunt, she was able to come up with a plan to leave. Her aunt helped her tell her mother and she was able to move forward with her family's support.
How do you help a loved one leave the sex trade?
Listening without judging is absolutely necessary. Refrain from calling someone a prostitute or whore. Do not violate the person's confidence and trust by sharing what they tell you. Talk through other options if they are interested. Look into social service providers who may be able to offer support. If you are an authority figure to the young person, do not respond with a consequence, this will violate trust and push the young person away. It is ultimately better to know the truth and offer assistance when requested than making the person feel bad for what is not their fault. It is very possible that the young person imagines a different life for herself. Being supportive, understanding, and nonjudgmental as possible will make you a trusted resource.
For a judgment-free space for teens to dialogue about the sex trade check out:
www.youarepriceless.org

Allan Houston Teams with The Ambassador

Former NBA star Allan Houston has launched a partnership with hip-hop websites DaSouth.com and HolyCulture.net to present Grace and Truth with The Ambassador. The weekly series marks the return of Cross Movement alumnus and founder The Ambassador and will feature topical Bible study with the hip-hop veteran. The series kicked off May 18, 2010 and will air live every Tuesday evening at 9p ET at AllanHouston.com.

A Prayer For Those Who Serve

Today I pray the Prayer of Protection for all who serve with courage and integrity to depend and accelerate life and freedom in this country and throughout the world. May the Omnipresent Spirit of God guide, enlighten, protect and prosper you men and women who serve, providing you with ample portions of patience, courage, endurance, compassion and all else that you need be fulfilled as you move us closer to a unified, harmonized and peaceful world that works for all mankind. And so it. Amen.


May you be blessed in your service to God and Country,

Asa - CEO of PO Soul Entertainment
http://www.posoulentertainment.com/