Coming to Crestview, Florida in the near future is a support group for sexual assault victims.

Our mission is, “A Christian-based network support group for sexually abused women and men. Our goal is to provide a holistic approach in allowing individuals to live a life of freedom through the word of God.”

Crestview does not currently have any of these resources in our local area. Scars of the Past has a safe meeting place where individuals can meet and become healed from the many internal and external scars from his or her assailant.

The support group is a place where you can share your story confidentially with others who have been through or [are] going through the same thing. You will also have access to a prayer partner who wants the best for you and is willing to intercede on your behalf.

We are a group of people dedicated to your physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well-being.

Here are some of the things you can look forward to when attending a Scars of the Past meeting:

• You will have support dealing with the effects of sexual abuse

• Support connecting you to a local health facility for medical or forensic examinations

• People who can listen and assist you as you walk through the events of what happened

• Local resources for healing and recovery

• Referrals to mental health professionals who will assist you with coping mechanisms and PTSD

• Information regarding victims' rights and compensation

• An advocate or guardian ad litem who will assist you with court proceedings

God has moved in a powerful way and I am excited about the next chapter.

For more information or to obtain the meeting place, time and location, please send your email to: scarsofthepast@scarsofthepast.net or call 850-612-9847.

Many thanks to my board of directors and a host of other anonymous community leaders who have helped with the start-up of this non-profit organization.

Patti Adams founded Scars of the Past, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Donations can be made through GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/scars-of-the-past.

“We are a group of people dedicated to your physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well-being.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: New Crestview support group helps sexual assault victims

As most assumed, lobbyist and fired Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was indicted by Mueller’s Special Counsel investigation.

This indictment had nothing to do with Trump's campaign. The investigation into Russian collusion by Trump has been an expensive, media-encouraged attempt to find some major smoking gun. So far, this “scandal” hasn’t lived up to its hype; it’s the Apple Watch of investigations. 

They were able to get Manafort for whatever they wanted to with all the convoluted laws we have regarding taxes and foreign lobbying. As a famous New York judge once said of grand juries, “Prosecutors could get them to indict a ham sandwich.” If you are a ham sandwich, or a U.S. citizen, that should bother you. 

Manafort’s biggest crime in the partisan swamp of D.C. was being Trump’s campaign manager. 

According to an analysis by The Hill, of the 14 major federal agencies whose employees personally donated to presidential politics, “By the end of September 2016, about $1.9 million, or 95 percent, went to the Democratic nominee’s campaign.” Ninety-four percent of Department of Justice employee donations were to Hillary. If you don’t think legal outcomes are based on biases or payback, ask the O.J. jury. 

The Mueller team is full of Democrat donors. Even according to the hyper-left Washington Post, of the top investigators who donated heavily to Democrats, “James Quarles gave the most political donations out of the four — nearly $33,000 to various Democrats since 1999, Federal Election Commission records show. Recipients included Obama for America, Hillary for America and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.” 

Like everything in Washington, the Justice Department is political. Its stock answer is, “We will go where the evidence leads us.” But, in a town that voted 90 percent for Hillary, that means, "We will go where we want the evidence to lead us, and leak it if it doesn’t." Not surprisingly, the judge in the Manafort case is an Obama appointee. 

The way the deep state "swamp dwellers" in Washington are now, Democrats really want this investigation to impeach Trump, and Republicans are secretly hoping it will. It’s not a fair fight. We all know Trump often exchanges bravado for facts. He is probably also under investigation for something. I say this because he has tweeted that he is “NOT under investigation.” 

The reality is that, if you give the ex-FBI chief $10 million, a big Democrat donor staff, and all our laws-layered-upon-laws in America, they will get 90 percent of us if they want to. It is like a policeman tailing your car for 1,000 miles: He will eventually find a reason to arrest you. But what should worry us all, Democrats included, is the question: Is this the legal system we want, one that indicts out of political vengeance?  

I think Manafort probably did some slippery things; in that business, most do, including Hillary’s besties, the Brothers Podesta. You start lobbying for foreign governments, wiring money, etc., and you can be indicted on a whole long list of U.S. laws. I predict this episode unveils further the seedy role lobbyists play in running D.C. and will strengthen Trump.

Swamp dwellers in D.C. like Manafort and Podesta didn’t invent crime; they just improved on it. 

But if the crimes Manafort has been indicted for date back to 2006, why did DOJ not get him then? That is the real question. And an armed, pre-dawn raid of his home for a non-violent investigation should make us all scared of government.  

With all the problems in America, we continue to prosecute and incarcerate more citizens than the rest of the world. We are 4.4 percent of the world's population and we have 22 percent of the world’s prisoners. If you give government this many agencies, money, and vast and unaccountable powers, more of us will be arrested. Neither Hillary nor any political enemy needs to be harassed as a blood sport by this government morass. 

By weaponizing criminal law for political gain, this “special counsel” is about to spend $20 million to indict some guys who really harmed no one. It is no surprise we have a huge budget deficit with all this waste and just had to do a budget deal to avoid another “fiscal cliff.” When lawmakers go over the next fiscal cliff, I hope the tide is out. 

Even liberal lawyer Alan Dershowitz says, “Criminalizing political differences hurts democracy.” And GOP congressmen are mute as this governmental blunt object is swung. We must stand up to politically motivated prosecutions. Should America die next week, the police investigation would say there were no signs of struggle. 

Ron Hart is a libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author. Contact him at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Like everything in Washington, the Justice Department is political

In an age when so many people spend so much time sitting or who are doing nothing, let's celebrate the people who are doing something. Celebrate their living.

I've always been blessed with energy. Energy is a good asset. As a young adult growing up I wanted to be in the middle of whatever was going on. I always enjoyed playing sports, swimming in the lake or creek, riding a bicycle for miles or being in the middle of the dance floor. I've always enjoyed movement. [Conversely], I can sit for three hours and read, meditate and write and actually tremendously enjoy it. There is something beautiful about life between two and five o'clock in the morning when you can be more creative than you've ever imagined. Try it sometime. It's quiet and you can hear God a little better.

I grew up in an era when old-time ministers preached against going to movies, rock and roll, dancing and of course smoking and drinking and gambling. I never wanted to smoke, drink or gamble but I loved movies, music and dancing. I was sad this when I learned Fats Domino had died at the age of 89. My brother brought one of his albums home from college when I was a kid. We had an old stereo and I would dance through that album, all twelve songs, at least three times in a row.

Would we not all wish for people to be out dancing and doing something physically active?  This would be better than sitting in the house staring at cell phones, computers and televisions or sitting around gossiping about others.

There is a point to this column and the point is do not let other people stop you from activity. Be active in life. Be out and about. Be doing something.

Applaud yourself and others if you have the emotional and physical wherewithal to jump up from your chair and go to work, sing, dance, mow the yard, chop down a tree, jog down the road, preach a 30-minute sermon, golf or fish all day, write a book, paint a picture, wash down the house, start a new venture — but rejoice for activity and feeling like you want to live.

It's a sign that you are really alive! Enjoy and live it!

Glenn Mollette is an American syndicated columnist and author.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: How to know if you are alive

Our hearts go out to the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The First Baptist Church of this town and the entire community was ambushed in what resulted as the worst mass shooting in Texas history.

Twenty-six people are dead and many others are currently fighting for their lives in intensive care. This is heart crushing for this Texas community, and all of America, as we must conclude no place is safe in America anymore.

My hometown church in Inez, Kentucky kept the backdoor of the church unlocked during most of my high school years. The church was a place where anyone could enter and pray, and seek refuge from the problems of the world.

A little Catholic church around the corner from where I once lived in Louisa, Kentucky kept the front door unlocked the entire time I lived there. My sons and I went in there a couple of times to just be quiet, think and pray.

While growing up as a kid, my family attended different churches and there was never a thought of anything being unsafe about our worship.

Times have changed.

Sutherland Springs, Texas again reminds us that evil is everywhere and no place is perfectly safe.  Worshippers in this quiet Texas town gathered to sing, pray and hear a good sermon Sunday. They never dreamed their lives would end in church at the hands of sick and evil gunman. We don't know his motive for sure but it seems to me based on various reports that Devin Patrick Kelley was there to kill his in-laws.

Kelley's past was filled with troubles that included domestic abuse and a dishonorable discharge from the military. Unfortunately, Kelley needed mental help that might have saved 26 lives and carnage that this Texas community will never overcome.

Too bad a good deacon in the foyer or vestibule area of the church did not shoot Patrick Kelley dead. I know my good moderate Christian friends frown on me for this line of thinking. However, maybe several lives could have been saved if the church had a game plan for reacting to terrorism.

This has been a hard concept for my religious friends to embrace. Many have ignored the times of this world and simply sloughed it off. Some have said, "God will take care of us." Others want to brush off today's crisis with, "Something like that would never happen here."

Wake up, reader. Bad stuff happens everywhere. This is our world. Walkers on a bike path in New York City are not safe. Concertgoers in Las Vegas are not safe. People shopping in Colorado are not safe. Moviegoers and schoolchildren are not safe. Quaint café wine drinkers on sidewalks in peaceful neighborhoods in Paris, France are not safe. Busy people trying to earn a living in prestigious skyscrapers are not safe.

We are all vulnerable. If we do not take a position of defense, we are more vulnerable. People sitting in churches, concerts, movies and many other places are in danger of being attacked by surprise. It's very difficult to survive an ambush. This is why there must be a defense plan in place for all churches, civic groups, businesses, factory work places, offices and families.

When I was child, I remember when my mother started locking the front door. We had not always locked the front door but my mother had heard about people walking our road late at night and decided it was time to do so. We also had shotguns.

Today, of course, people with common sense lock their doors.   

America has changed. We still have a great country. I love America. America mostly has good and decent people.  Sadly, there are Devin Patrick Kelleys scattered throughout our country. There may be one in your state or even your community. You have to be ready to confront him or them.

By the way, Kelley was denied a gun permit. He still managed to obtain guns. Evil people will find ways to rent trucks, obtain guns, knives or make bombs. Please think about this and live — and, sadly now, worship — defensively. Even church is not safe anymore.

Glenn Mollette is an American syndicated columnist and author.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor.

"Too bad a good deacon in the foyer or vestibule area of the church did not shoot [Devin] Patrick Kelley dead. I know my good moderate Christian friends frown on me for this line of thinking. However, maybe several lives could have been saved if the church had a game plan for reacting to terrorism."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Church is not safe anymore

This is an open apology to the Crestview News Bulletin, the [Northwest Florida] Daily News, and to all businesses and citizens in Okaloosa County and in surrounding areas.

As you know, over a year ago I made a big mistake trying to help someone whom I thought was a friend that turned out to be a snake in the grass. Because of that, my organization [the Brotherhood of Love] suffered a lot of hurt and pain. A lot of people that trusted and believed in me suffered too.

At that time, I said to myself that I wasn't going to care for anyone else or to help anyone else. But in the last year and a couple months, I have received a lot of phone calls and a lot of people knocking on my door asking for help.

That let me know that a lot of people still believe in what I was doing: to help people with food, clothes and anything to assist them in their day-to-day needs so that they can move forward and progress in life.

Now that I know what I did was wrong, I've asked God to forgive me and to give me another chance to prove myself. So, I'm asking the news media and all businesses and citizens to forgive me for the mistake I made. But remember, we are all human. Don't let one mistake cause others to hurt and suffer.

I am very sorry for my mistake. I've made an error and see my mistake and I will try not to let something like this happen ever again. I've seen and realized a new way of doing things. It's a new time, a new day, and a new way.

You will not hear the name of The Brotherhood of Love again. It's gone in the past. Let the past be buried and move forward to a new future. The name of the new organization is The New Way of Life Outreach Ministry, always giving a helping hand, and to God be the glory.

We are now preparing for our Thanksgiving events and our Christmas donations. We are in a new location at 398 N. Spring St., in Crestview.

We are now accepting donations of food, toys, clothes, furniture, appliances, monetary donations, and anything that God puts in your heart to give. We are going to try to do what we can to make a change come about.

There are so many kids and teenagers that we are losing to the streets, drugs, the gang-related shootings; young girls in prostitution, fathers against sons, and mothers against daughters. When will this stop or how long will we let this go on?

This is not just for the citizens and businesses in Okaloosa County. It's for anyone that wants to take part and help a worthy cause.

Call me, Gary Johnson, or my wife, Doris, at 229-379-1741 or 850-398-0431, for more information.

Thank you very much in advance and may God bless you during the holidays.

Sincerely,

Gary Johnson

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: An apology — and an invitation to give