California is also where many of the most pressing issues raised by the pontiff – from climate change to LGBTQ rights and immigration – remain at the fore of political debate. YouthWire asked its youth reporters to weigh in on some of the Pope’s positions on climate change, gay rights and immigration, and what his message might mean for their communities.
Even after the smoke is seemingly gone from the air, I am still not breathing well. My head still throbs and my inhaler does little for the pain. For the past few days it’s been like there’s not enough oxygen in the air. I feel like I'm walking around with a heavy cloth over my face preventing me from breathing.
One day in my government class, as we were discussing various laws in the process of being passed in California, a classmate brought up AB60. This classmate questioned why undocumented immigrants should receive benefits that, according to him, they don’t deserve.
The Ashby Flea Market had been a prime target for graffiti, often to the expense of the property owners. In an effort to curb the vandalism and property damage, Pastelles and organizers from the Meadowbrook Water Company decided the area would be a suitable location for a mural project. This serves the dual purpose of bringing art into the community while creating an atmosphere that would discourage additional unsanctioned graffiti.
Why do I game? Growing up in a city where it feels like violence could be around every corner makes me hesitant about going outside, or even talking to neighbors. It also gets boring at home, and there aren’t many things to do around the neighborhood.
I know I don't write very often, sometimes it's hard for me to come up with the words to say. I don't like asking how you've been or what you've been doing because those questions run up against the harsh reality that you've been in and out of prison most of our lives. I hope you know with certainty that I miss you all the time and you are so loved by our family.
About 15 or 20 years ago, I participated in a Affordable Housing Task Force with the city of Merced. There were people there with real estate interests, with construction interests, and a couple of us were from the perspective of community involvement. It was sad that it was dissolved.
Now that I’m back in Merced, I have been challenging myself to leave my comfort zone and I feel that I have matured a lot over these past couple of years. Being at home with the moral support of family and friends has made this easier for me.
“The Trafficked Life,” set in Bakersfield, shares the stories of survivors like Diana Cisneros, who was sex trafficked by her father beginning at the age of seven. The film gives viewers a glimpse of Bakersfield’s trafficking underworld and also highlights efforts by advocates who are combating the issue and offering services to victims.
We’Ced youth journalists recently spent time discussing the massacre at the Emanuel African African Methodist Episcopalian Church in downtown Charleston, which had a white shooter killing nine African-Americans. Many We’Ced members expressed outrage at the actions of the shooter, but the conversation soon began to circle around another issue: gun control. The tragic violence of this incident rekindled questions about how we regulate guns and guns access in our country.
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