Latest Posts

Expert: Stun-Guns Far From ā€˜Nonlethal’ Alternative to Bullets

December 14, 2015 /

So my question is, if law enforcement knows ECWs are too risky to use even in very controlled training circumstance, why the heck would they want to use it on unarmed citizens in uncontrolled street situations? The question I would put to [Police Chief ] Greg Suhr is, are you willing to use these on your own officers in controlled settings to show that they’re safe? If he’s telling the truth, he’s going to say, ā€œNo, we’re not going to do that.ā€ Bottom line: They’re not safe to use on unarmed people and they’re not safe for police to use against armed suspects.

ā€˜They Call Us Terrorists’ – Muslim Students Bullied in California Schools

December 7, 2015 /

ā€œA repetitive narrative that we found from these students is that they felt like this is what it’s like to be an American Muslim in school. They almost feel defeated. They just feel that there is no way around this, like, having a discussion or bring it up with the teacher is not going to be very effective and that’s what most unfortunate about it, is that they’ve come to just accept it as being normal.ā€

Latino Artists Motivating Communities to Vote

November 26, 2015 /

Back in June, while announcing his presidential candidacy, Donald Trump made divisive comments regarding Mexican immigrants. He voiced his concerns that the United States had become a ā€œdumping ground for everyone else’s problemsā€ and that Mexico was ā€œbringing drugs, and bringing crime, and their rapists.ā€

Growing Up in a Health Desert

November 26, 2015 /

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act and laws like SB4, which gives undocumented youth in California access to health care through Medical, more Latinos and residents of the Eastern Coachella Valley have gotten insured. But it’s not just about access. Yes, residents here need more and better quality care, but they also need it from doctors who are bilingual and can easily communicate with families so they don’t have to fear their doctor’s visits.

From Tamales to Turkey: Thanksgiving in Two Cultures

November 26, 2015 /

This Thanksgiving, as I eat a plate of turkey and not of tamales, I will bask in the delight of knowing that I’m lucky to have these two special dishes (and cultures) in my life.

We’Ced Weighs In: The Aftermath of The Paris Attacks

November 19, 2015 /

We'Ced reporters dialogued about the Paris attacks and their aftermath. Below, they consider the consequences of a knee-jerk anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim reaction and wonder if, in the wake of the attacks, America should continue it's plan to provide refuge for 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year.

From Oakland and LA: Finally, Good News on the School to Prison Pipeline

November 17, 2015 /

But while we acknowledge the progress that has been made, we must recognize how much further we have to go. There remains just over two million youth arrested each year in America. This would include the South Carolina girl and many like her where no video was taken. On any given day, there are nearly 70,000 youth incarcerated in the United States – six times the rate of England.

Mexican-American Family Continues Legacy of Military Service

November 11, 2015 /

The Ortiz family migrated from Mexico to the Coachella Valley in 1915, where the family patriarch, Esabel Parga Ortiz and his wife Maria Montoya Ortiz, first worked as fieldworkers. Esabel Parga’s sons, Pete and Joseph were the first family members to join the armed forces, and since World War II, members of every generation in the Ortiz family have served in the United States military. Now, five generations later, the Ortiz family has built a lasting legacy in the Coachella Valley, boasting more than 50 service members in four different branches of the military.

Merced Youth Drum Corps Brings Music Back to South Merced

November 10, 2015 /

Both Trammel and Flores insist that one of the most important things about developing the Drum Corps was to ensure it came to fruition in South Merced, therefore giving youth a safe place away from all the violence plaguing the area. ā€œOf course teaching kids indigenous and contemporary technologies is a major component of our program,ā€ stated Trammell. ā€œBut another component was to create a harm free zone.ā€ ā€œMusic can be the difference between getting in trouble or not,ā€ added Flores.

President of Gay-Straight Alliance Speaks Out on Mental Illness

November 9, 2015 /

In Brenner’s experience, there are a lot of people who see depression as simply being in a bad mood. They don’t realize that depression is a diagnosable and treatable condition. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, mood disorders like depression are the third most common reason for hospitalization among youth and adults between the ages of 18 and 44.