Statewide social justice campaign #SchoolsNotPrisons held its first event in Merced, Calif. on July 8, bringing nearly 300 people out in support of dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline.
If you have never experienced addiction, it can be hard to understand what people really go through. It is easy to blame addicts, but no one wakes up one day wanting to be addicted. They face battles everyday. And so to those around them.
A study from 2010 shows that over 23.5 million Americans are addicted to drugs and alcohol. But only 1 in 10 Americans receives the treatment they need. And as of 2014, there were only around 14,000 treatment centers nationwide, not enough compared to the size of the problem.
I remember standing in front of half the entire school and saying, “my name is Nathan Lopez and I am gay and I’m against bullying.” The guest speaker stopped me midway and said I was very brave for sharing this and after she said that I remember everyone started applauding and cheering.
That day I wanted to make a change, so I stood up for myself. Unfortunately, I’m now 22 and I still deal with bullying. I still see bullying.
By We’Ced Youth Media
Image via Claudia Gonzalez
Editor’s Note: Last week, video surfaced of an altercation between an off-duty police officer and a 13-year -old boy in Anaheim. Read More
I was never fond of politics or the government, because I was under the impression that my vote didn’t matter. My grandfather used to tell me conspiracy theories about how every election was rigged. I refused to be part of a corrupt system.
As leaders of Merced, I held these men to higher standards and expected them to be more respectful towards the community they represent, especially because I am a future voter.
Some of the issues we advocated for included health access for undocumented people, immigration reform and youth investment. That last one is critical in Merced, where city leaders seem to have forgotten the youth and have completely underfunded opportunities and resources for them to prosper.
Last week, I testified at the MCSD Community Forum because I felt I needed to speak up. I wanted to tell the people in charge what their changes are doing to my friends, all the kids at school, and me.
The forum, held last Saturday, focused on two key pieces of legislation. The first, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), allows certain undocumented immigrants who entered the country before their 16th birthday and before June 2007 to receive a renewable two-year work permit and temporary relief from deportation. The second, Prop. 47, reclassifies certain low level, non-violent felony convictions to misdemeanors.
Translate
