Released from Cuba, Alan Gross says freedom is not free

Wednesday, December 17, 2014 | 3:16 PM    

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alan Gross emerged Wednesday from five years of captivity in Cuba praising the Cuban people and offering a lesson he said he learned: Freedom is not free.

In his first public remarks after arriving in the US, Gross also spoke supportively of President Barack Obama’s move to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba after more than a half-century of discord. Calling the shift “game-changing,” Gross said that more than five decades of history had shown that the previous US approach to its old foe wasn’t effective.

“Two wrongs never make a right,” Gross said. “I truly hope that we can now get beyond these mutually belligerent policies.”

Appearing in decent health and walking without support, Gross spoke to reporters at a Washington law office shortly after a US plane flew him from Cuba back to the U.S. He flashed a broad grin with missing teeth — lost during his imprisonment — after taking an admiring glance at the American flags posted behind him and taking note that his release came on the first day of Hanukkah.

Despite his harrowing experience, Gross said he had the utmost respect for the Cuban people and said he was pained “to see them treated so unjustly.”

“In no way are they responsible for the ordeal to which my family and I have been subjected,” Gross said, describing the vast majority of Cubans as “incredibly kind, generous and talented.”

Gross, 65, was freed from prison Wednesday as part of an agreement that included the release of three Cubans jailed in the United States, officials said. Upon arriving at Andrews Air Force Base, Gross was welcomed by US lawmakers and met with Secretary of State John Kerry, who had just returned from Europe.

Gross described sitting next to Kerry as the two watched President Barack Obama on television talk about the work that Kerry will undertake as the US restores relations — such as the establishment of a US Embassy in Havana and a reconsideration of Cuba’s inclusion on a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Speaking alongside his wife, Gross also appealed for “complete and total privacy” as he recovers from his time imprisoned.

Before his release, Gross’ family members said that he never grew angry at the Cuban people during his five years in prison. He watched Cuban baseball and even jammed with his jailors on a stringed instrument they gave him. He kept in touch with family through weekly phone calls and passed the time reading books and magazines sent by his wife. The Economist, The Atlantic and Washingtonian magazine were favourites.

On Friday nights, Gross, who is Jewish, would take out a picture of a group of friends celebrating the Jewish Sabbath, and he would say the prayers they used to say together.

While in Cuban custody, Gross lost more than 100 pounds, developed problems with his hips and lost most of the vision in his right eye. In April 2014, after an AP story revealed that USAID secretly created a “Cuban Twitter” communications network to stir unrest on the island shortly after Gross was arrested, he went on a hunger strike for more than a week.

His mother, who was in her 90s, persuaded him to start eating again. But she died in June 2014. Despite pleas from his family, Gross was not allowed to return to the United States for her funeral. After her death, he became withdrawn.

His wife and youngest of two daughters visited him in prison earlier in the year and he said goodbye.

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Released from Cuba, Alan Gross says freedom is not free

#MARINEHELDINMEXICO: Mom pleads with lawmakers for "despondent" Marine"s freedom - Full Coverage: Marine jailed in Mexico

The mother of the U.S. Marine imprisoned in Mexico after mistakenly crossing the border with three legally-registered guns told lawmakers Wednesday her son is rapidly deteriorating and pleaded with them to press for his return.

Jill Tahmooressi, whose 26-year-old son, Andrew, served two tours in Afghanistan, appeared before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee to push her case for the U.S. to pressure Mexico to release him. The condition of Tahmooressi, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from his service, has deteriorated since he was locked up March 31 on gun charges.

“My son is despondent, without treatment, and he needs to be home,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

The longtime nurse, who lives in Weston, Fla., recounted several emotional calls from her son, including one from Afghanistan, where he told her about blacking out after an IED exploded near him. Upon returning home, Andrew Tahmooressi abandoned his dream of becoming a commercial pilot because, he told his mother, “I can’t concentrate on the academic work.”

Then, on March 31, he called her from a Mexican border checkpoint to say he was in trouble.

“Mom, I got lost; I made a wrong turn,” Jill Tahmooressi recounted her son saying. “I’m at the Mexican border. You need to know this because I’m surrounded by Mexican military.”

Hours later, in another call, he told her, “Mom, I’ve been arrested, please secure me an attorney.”

Appearing with the distraught mother before the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee were television personality and former Navy Lt. Commander Montel Williams, who is also a former Marine, and Pete Hegseth, the CEO of Concerned Veterans for America and a Fox News contributor.

“We know for a fact that A’s time in this prison has been worse than his time in both tours of combat,” Williams said. “How dare we, how dare we as a nation, hesitate to get that young man back?”

The hearing took place just hours after Tahmooressi’s attorney, Fernando Benitez, told Fox News he plans to rest his case today, possibly opening the door for Tahmooressi’s release within a matter of weeks.

“We have more than enough for an acquittal,” Benitez said. He said a crucial development in the case came within recent days, when the prosecution acknowledged that Tahmooressi’s PTSD may have played a role in the immediate aftermath of his detention. That stipulation could pave the way to Tahmooressi’s release on humanitarian grounds, he said.

Lawmakers said it is outrageous for a U.S. ally to hold an ailing American on gun charges that clearly stem from an honest mistake. Tahmooressi was in the San Diego area to get PTSD treatment, and living out of his pickup truck when he mistakenly crossed the border at a poorly marked checkpoint. He immediately declared that the guns were among all of his possessions in the truck, according to Benitez.

“As a direct result of his honorable service in Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi now suffers from combat-related PTSD,” said Rep. Matt Salmon, R- Ariz. “Tragically, instead of receiving the treatment he needs, he is being held in a Mexican prison.

“Our war hero needs to come home,” he added.

Hegseth, a former infantry officer in the Army National Guard who served tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay, said the administration needs to do more to bring Tahmooressi home.

“Shame on anyone, at home or abroad, who does not move heaven and Earth to ensure that those who given so much, receive the care they deserve,” Hegseth said.

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., noted that the Obama administration traded five Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo Bay for the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, accused of desertion by several men who served with him.

“Sgt. Tahmooressi is an American hero, whose wrong turn at the Mexican border has had the devastating effect of delaying his much-needed PTSD treatment for too long,” Royce said.

Royce said he and Salmon have been in contact with Mexico’s attorney general, who has the power to release Tahmooressi on humanitarian grounds. They said they impressed upon Jesus Karam that Tahmooressi had been diagnosed with PTSD by the VA San Diego Healthcare System just five days before his arrest.

“I am confident the humanitarian release of Andrew Tahmooressi will occur very soon,” Royce said.

More than 100,000 people have signed a petition asking the Obama administration to demand Tahmooressi’s release, prompting White House officials earlier this summer to ask Mexican authorities to quickly process the Marine’s case.

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#MARINEHELDINMEXICO: Mom pleads with lawmakers for "despondent" Marine"s freedom - Full Coverage: Marine jailed in Mexico

#MARINEHELDINMEXICO: Mom pleads with lawmakers for "despondent" Marine"s freedom - VIDEO: Montel: Marine case "ridiculously politicized" - Full Coverage: Marine jailed in Mexico

The mother of the U.S. Marine imprisoned in Mexico after mistakenly crossing the border with three legally-registered guns told lawmakers Wednesday her son is rapidly deteriorating and pleaded with them to press for his return.

Jill Tahmooressi, whose 26-year-old son, Andrew, served two tours in Afghanistan, appeared before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee to push her case for the U.S. to pressure Mexico to release him. The condition of Tahmooressi, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from his service, has deteriorated since he was locked up March 31 on gun charges.

“My son is despondent, without treatment, and he needs to be home,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

The longtime nurse, who lives in Weston, Fla., recounted several emotional calls from her son, including one from Afghanistan, where he told her about blacking out after an IED exploded near him. Upon returning home, Andrew Tahmooressi abandoned his dream of becoming a commercial pilot because, he told his mother, “I can’t concentrate on the academic work.”

Then, on March 31, he called her from a Mexican border checkpoint to say he was in trouble.

“Mom, I got lost; I made a wrong turn,” Jill Tahmooressi recounted her son saying. “I’m at the Mexican border. You need to know this because I’m surrounded by Mexican military.”

Hours later, in another call, he told her, “Mom, I’ve been arrested, please secure me an attorney.”

Appearing with the distraught mother before the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee were television personality and former Navy Lt. Commander Montel Williams, who is also a former Marine, and Pete Hegseth, the CEO of Concerned Veterans for America and a Fox News contributor.

“We know for a fact that A’s time in this prison has been worse than his time in both tours of combat,” Williams said. “How dare we, how dare we as a nation, hesitate to get that young man back?”

The hearing took place just hours after Tahmooressi’s attorney, Fernando Benitez, told Fox News he plans to rest his case today, possibly opening the door for Tahmooressi’s release within a matter of weeks.

“We have more than enough for an acquittal,” Benitez said. He said a crucial development in the case came within recent days, when the prosecution acknowledged that Tahmooressi’s PTSD may have played a role in the immediate aftermath of his detention. That stipulation could pave the way to Tahmooressi’s release on humanitarian grounds, he said.

Lawmakers said it is outrageous for a U.S. ally to hold an ailing American on gun charges that clearly stem from an honest mistake. Tahmooressi was in the San Diego area to get PTSD treatment, and living out of his pickup truck when he mistakenly crossed the border at a poorly marked checkpoint. He immediately declared that the guns were among all of his possessions in the truck, according to Benitez.

“As a direct result of his honorable service in Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi now suffers from combat-related PTSD,” said Rep. Matt Salmon, R- Ariz. “Tragically, instead of receiving the treatment he needs, he is being held in a Mexican prison.

“Our war hero needs to come home,” he added.

Hegseth, a former infantry officer in the Army National Guard who served tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay, said the administration needs to do more to bring Tahmooressi home.

“Shame on anyone, at home or abroad, who does not move heaven and Earth to ensure that those who given so much, receive the care they deserve,” Hegseth said.

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., noted that the Obama administration traded five Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo Bay for the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, accused of desertion by several men who served with him.

“Sgt. Tahmooressi is an American hero, whose wrong turn at the Mexican border has had the devastating effect of delaying his much-needed PTSD treatment for too long,” Royce said.

Royce said he and Salmon have been in contact with Mexico’s attorney general, who has the power to release Tahmooressi on humanitarian grounds. They said they impressed upon Jesus Karam that Tahmooressi had been diagnosed with PTSD by the VA San Diego Healthcare System just five days before his arrest.

“I am confident the humanitarian release of Andrew Tahmooressi will occur very soon,” Royce said.

More than 100,000 people have signed a petition asking the Obama administration to demand Tahmooressi’s release, prompting White House officials earlier this summer to ask Mexican authorities to quickly process the Marine’s case.

View the original article here

#MARINEHELDINMEXICO: Mom pleads with lawmakers for "despondent" Marine"s freedom - VIDEO: Montel: Marine case "ridiculously politicized" - Full Coverage: Marine jailed in Mexico

Financial Freedom

With Cherryl Hanson-Simpson

Thursday, October 02, 2014    

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” and the desire for freedom is entrenched in the hearts of people worldwide. While we may enjoy personal liberties here in Jamaica, how many of us can say that we are financially free?

Freedom is usually defined as being devoid of restraints on thought, speech or actions. To be free, you must be able to make choices for your life without any restrictions, apart from legal considerations. When it comes to money, do you believe that you have the ability to determine your financial destiny?

If asked “What does financial freedom mean to you?” different people will provide diverse definitions. One basic concept of money freedom is the ability to finance your preferred lifestyle without stress or debt. To be financially free, you should have autonomy in your income and time to live as you desire.

Assess your financial gaps

If you wish to be free from financial fears, frustrations and failures, then you need to figure out all the reasons why you may be in bondage in the first place. Take an honest look at your spending patterns, debt position, savings routine and work ethic; do you always practise smart money habits?

Every thought you hold and action you take regarding your money will ultimately determine your financial status. So if you believe that you need to be dressed in the latest fashion and you use your credit card to buy outfits you can’t afford, accept that there will be negative consequences.

If you always give excuses why you don’t have the time or energy to try to earn extra income, understand that your frame of mind is helping to keep you broke. The only way to achieve your freedom is to chip away at all the unhealthy money practices that are preventing you from succeeding.

Determine a new direction

There is a popular saying, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” While it’s important to be persistent when working on your goals, if you’re heading in the wrong direction, or if you’re not even on the right road, then you will never reach your destination.

If you’re struggling to break free of financial woes, chances are the choices you made in the past were not aligned with your desired objectives. So, if you want to be independently wealthy but you spend all your time working in someone else’s business, then you will never have freedom of income.

After assessing all the missing links between where you are and where you want to be, decide on the required steps that will put you on the road to freedom. Perhaps you need to go back to school, start a part-time business or learn how to invest; consider all the actions that will support your goals.

Commit to your action plan

As the old English proverb states, “there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip.” With your freedom aspirations, there is often a wide gap between knowing what you need to do and actually carrying out your plans. The expired dreams of unsuccessful freedom seekers could fill a virtual graveyard.

To attain financial freedom you must be prepared to endure the uncertainty that comes from leaving your comfort zone, changing your routines, learning new skills, making mistakes and experiencing rejection. There’s a price to pay for freedom and you can’t escape the sacrifices that are required.

In order to stay on course to your dreams, you must have a strong enough reason for setting out on the journey in the first place. Whether you want to give your children a better life, make your parents proud or achieve a high level of self-actualisation, you must be zealous in your search for freedom.

Get guidance from mentors

A mentor is someone who is willing to assist you to accomplish something that he or she has already achieved. Having this level of guidance from a person who has attained the prize of financial freedom will be essential as there are so many pitfalls and challenges that might hinder you along your journey.

While you may not know a wealthy person who is accessible to give you advice, you can still receive mentorship lessons by reading books and surfing online. Identify someone who has succeeded in creating the lifestyle you desire, and research details on the steps they took to attain their objectives.

In the business and financial world, there are many icons who have weathered the storms and share their stories of trials and triumphs. Some of the money mentors who have inspired me over the years include Suze Orman, Dave Ramsey, Robert Kiyosaki and Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank fame.

Mentors can help to motivate you to persevere along your journey; but in the long run, it will be the strength of your own desire to attain financial freedom and your willingness to overcome all obstacles in your way that will allow you to be successful in your quest.

Cherryl is a money coach, business mentor and founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. Her upcoming book, “The 3 Ms of Money” will reveal all the secrets she learned about financial success. Read more on money and business matters at financiallysmartadvice.com and entrepreneursinjamaica.com. Email comments to cherryl@financiallysmartonline.com.

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Financial Freedom

Financial Freedom at Last!

Today, our nation commemorates another Emancipation Day; a time when Jamaicans can reflect on the challenging periods in our country’s history and give thanks that the practice of human slavery was abolished. Personal freedom is a right that we should never take for granted.

According to Dictionary.com, ‘emancipate’ means to free from bondage, restraint or influence. A person who has been held back by a restrictive system, physical impediment or an inhibiting force will be emancipated when the thing that prevents him from moving freely is eliminated.While we can celebrate the fact that our citizens are no longer bound by the organised structure of slavery, the reality is that many persons are still shackled by the chains of financial bondage. Their money problems hinder them from living their desired lifestyles and accomplishing their goals.Falling into a money trapLike the African natives who were lured into traps set by slave traders centuries ago, some people get dragged into financial bondage because they are unaware of the dangerous consequences of some of the uninformed decisions they make about money.If you fail to keep track of your monthly spending, make impulsive purchases on non-essential items, or ignore the fact that your income is insufficient for your needs, eventually you will find that you are unable to pay for important expenses that will crop up throughout the year.When you’re short of cash for your bills, you might be tempted to use credit cards or borrow from friends and financial institutions. Very soon, you will become mired in a quicksand of debt, as you have to borrow continually to cover your budget shortfall and repay multiple loans.The misery of financial bondageSlavery is a dreadful affront to the human spirit; we all have an inherent desire to be free to control our destinies. In the past, slaves toiled against their will to build their masters’ fortunes, and today many persons are forced to work to enrich other persons’ coffers instead of their own.If every dollar of your pay cheque goes towards your expenses, you cannot save to create assets for yourself. If you constantly borrow to acquire the things you want, your loan interest payments represent your potential wealth that you have handed over to financial institutions.When you work long hours in a job that cannot provide you with an income commensurate with your true value, or if you use your spare time unproductively, you are also in bondage. You have been stripped of your most precious asset — time — which should be utilised to build your financial future.Fighting for your financial freedomSome of our forefathers paid the ultimate price to obtain their freedom from slavery, as they preferred to die rather than remain in chains forever. Breaking free of any form of bondage requires extreme sacrifice and the willingness to do whatever is necessary to succeed.You may have to endure money bondage for the rest of your life if you believe that there really is nothing you can do to change your situation. To be released from the crippling effects of financial enslavement, you have to be prepared to fight fiercely until you gain your full freedom.You first need to be honest about your money problems; don’t let pride get in the way of your search for solutions to your woes. You also have to lose your dependency on the instruments of your financial oppression, such as excessive debt and your acceptance of inadequate earnings.The route to financial libertyAnother way in which slaves tried to break out of bondage was to run away from the plantations and seek refuge in Jamaica’s hilly interior. Financial freedom fighters also have to devise a practical plan of action that will permanently remove them from the source of their problems.To design your escape route, you need to identify the root cause of your financial bondage. It could be due to insufficient income, careless consumption, or imprudent investments. Then, you must implement recovery strategies that will eliminate these issues and replace them with smarter money habits.You will definitely need to prepare a realistic budget and stick to it, use cash to make purchases instead of utilising credit, and make better choices with your disposable income. Also, make it your goal to learn how to earn additional income and invest wisely to improve your standard of living.It may be difficult to accomplish your freedom mission on your own, as you will need expert guidance to plan the right getaway route. You can receive advice from money books and CDs, researching financial resource websites, or by seeking professional help from an advisor.Cherryl is a money coach, business mentor, and founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. Her upcoming book, “The 3 Ms of Money” will reveal all the secrets she learned about financial success. Get more advice on money and business matters at www.financiallysmartadvice.com and www.entrepreneursinjamaica.com. E-mail comments to cherryl@financiallysmartonline.com.

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Financial Freedom at Last!

Gonsalves bats for press freedom despite police policy

News

Friday, June 28, 2013

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) — Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has sought to distance his administration from a policy adopted by the police as it relates to the accreditation of media workers in St Vincent and the Grenadines.“I don’t know if the press thinks that we should have some agency to do some accreditation but the truth of the matter is this, you have freedom of the press, freedom of expression in this country and freedom of expression includes freedom of the press,” Prime Minister Gonsalves said.Earlier this year, Assistant Superintendent of Police Jonathan Nicholls, who is also head of the Public Relations and Complaint Department of the constabulary, said that freelance journalist Kenton Chance, who is also the founder of the local website, I-Witness News, would not be placed on a mailing list to receive public information notices from the police.“Well, I am the minister of national security and I answer your questions all that time,” the prime minister said Wednesday, adding seemingly light-heartedly that he has not visited I-Witness News since Chance took a brief hiatus in May.The senior police officer suggested that Chance write to the Commissioner of Police Keith Miller, requesting that he be allowed to receive the police notices.

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Gonsalves bats for press freedom despite police policy