by Pamela Metz

The CCB Domestic Violence and Hate Crimes Committee is alive and well! Its mission is to advocate for creating accessible shelters, and to educate the blind community regarding domestic violence and hate crimes against it.

Please see the definitions of Domestic Violence and Hate Crimes at the end of this article. If you find yourself in any of these situations, please don't hesitate to contact your local police, your church, a family member, or a friend. Do not allow this to happen to you, and do not live in fear or silence any more. Come up with some plans and strategies to break the cycle. There are resources in your area that can quickly begin the process of eliminating all of these violent situations, but the final action is for you not to hesitate in contacting someone to help you. And the Domestic Violence and Hate Crimes Committee can also help. As the chair of the DVHCC, and a person who has experienced these violent actions herself, please understand that physical, emotional, and mental violence can and does occur to many of us in our own community. My phone number is; 818-882-3610. Please contact me if you have questions.

Definitions: From the Department of Justice Oct. 31, 2016:

Domestic Violence: "Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain, or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological."

Hate Crimes:

According to the FBI: "A hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias. It is a criminal offense against a person or property, motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity."