I have to say there is alot of gang violence in my neighborhood so you see the Sheriff’s Department coming down asking kids what they’re doing or asking them if they’re on probation and things like that. I think when youth see police officers arresting their friends, that hurts their trust with police. I think law enforcement needs to get involved more in the community, go out there more and see what it’s like.
Knowing that there is a stigma of certain communities in Merced and knowing that there are pockets in the community that are poor or have a strained relationship to police, that says to me that the city doesn’t care as much about these parts of the community because they’re not putting resources into these parts of the community.
Discussions of police misconduct in mainstream and social media outlets have reduced it to a black and white, and decidedly urban issue – African Americans on one side, white officers on the other. New America Media asked youth reporters in rural, and predominantly Latino, areas of California to survey people in their community about how they perceive local law enforcement.
Changing the single-member district system would mean that Merced would be split into six districts and each district would elect one representative to sit on the city council. Each district would have about an equal proportion of voters and candidates would only have to campaign in their district, which could mean candidates would pursue a pool of 13,500 residents instead of 81,000, according to proponents.
The long-term goal of the organizing, added Abril, is less about getting people to perform a one-time act of voting than it is about igniting a lifelong commitment to civic engagement. Gallardo agreed: “Beyond just getting folks to go out and vote on November 4th we want to really make it part of our culture here in Merced.”
Joining groups like We’Ced has really helped me bring my attention to all the things that do happen in Merced. In the long run, I want to inform more friends and peers about local events so more and more people can begin to grasp the idea that there are so many things that do go on in Merced.
photo courtesy of Natalie Salasby Natalie SalasEd Note: In the 2010 Census, over 4,000 residents of the City of Merced self-reported as being of more than one race.Read More
Even though initially I was disappointed by the council’s decision on the city budget, now I’m actually excited for what is to come. There are more youth than ever paying attention to how our city is run and the momentum will only continue to build. The Invest In Our Youth campaign is far from over. The more youth are kept down, the harder we will fight for what we deserve.
To me, El Nido is a pretty cool place to live, even though it is super small and unknown by many people. It continues to be funny to me that people don’t know El Nido exists, because our school actually gets involved with the more known schools in Merced, though sporting and other events. Hopefully people will become more aware that this place they’re always driving by, with a few houses and a lot of farmland, is actually El Nido!
Nearly 100 people gathered at Tenaya Middle School on the evening of October 22nd for a city council candidate forum. The youth-led forum, which was hosted by local organizations We’Ced Youth Media and Building Healthy Communities (BHC) Merced, was the first of its kind in this city.
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