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ENTRE TIROS Y  ESPERANZA (Parte 1 de 2)

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ENTRE TIROS Y ESPERANZA (Parte 1 de 2) Las balas me han cambiado la vida, solo tenia 17, y empezaba ya la universidad. Ese dia tenia mi primer examen final cuando senti una sensacion de angustia en mi corazon, y no era por el examen. Estaba preparada y entendia la materia. Lamentablemente mi angustia era un pre aviso de la tragedia que me cambiaria la vida. LA BALA: DE ADOLESCENTE A MUJER — Los acontecimientos de las balaceras en todos los lugares del pais, me trasladan a diario a la sala de urgencias de Nueva York: Lincoln Hospital donde mi papa era intervenido de urgencias por un asalto a mano armada por unos adolescentes quienes entraron a robar en su tiendecita. Mi papa sobrevivio un ataque brutal de varios tiros! Uno de estos impacto su mandibula y la fracturo. La vida nos cambio a todos esa noche. Esa noche pase de 17 a edad media: 40! Me volvi una adulta, cabeza de familia y proveedora para mis padres y mis hermanos, las balas nos impactaron a todos no solo a Papi. Pase de nena a mujer en un abrir y cerrar de ojos! Ya nada fue igual. A pesar del impacto adverso de ese acto de violencia, nunca he perdido la Esperanza. NECESITAMOS REFORMA CONCRETA Y REAL — Como sociedad necesitamos reforrmas para el control de armas. Necesitamos invertir mas en la educacion, la salud mental y viviendas para todos. La salud mental pre pandemia era fragil, post pandemia esta rota y necesita ayuda inmediata. La violencia no es normal y no podemos aceptarla como la normalidad. Como sociedad es necesario enfrentar la raiz del problema: la necesidad de balancear el derecho constitucional protegido por la segunda enmienda y la crisis de violencia que nos afecta a todos en particular a la juventud. Hago un llamado a la comunidad educacional y legislative para que trabajemos en conjunto y enlistemos ayuda viable y concreta de todos los sectores: medico, legal, artistico y comunal. A todos nos concierne, y nos afecta. Necesitamos combatir juntos la pandemia de violencia que nos azota. No es un problema aislado. Es un problema colectivo, un desafio intergeracional y global. Este es el momento de actuar firmemente.  A los legisladores necesitamos el apoyo legislativo y fiscal en las escuelas, en los deportes y el arte. Beneficio colectivo, avance colectivo y global. A los manufacturadores necesitamos sentarnos y trabajar colectivamente: el derecho a ganarse la vida  es parte al derecho a vivir! Sin vida no hay nada. EL ARTE: ES VIDA.  UN LLAMADO DE AYUDA! — Este es un llamado a la comunidad artistica, a todos quienes con su arte hablan, cantan y representan la vida: no importa el genero! Ustedes tienen el alcance que todos necesitamos. Su arte corre por las venas de todos. Sus palabras nos indican la realidad que vivimos. Ustedes junto a nosotros somos la esperanza. Este espacio esta disponible para que encontremos una solucion entre todos. Escribeme y dejame saber como podemos construer  juntos el camino! El momento es ahora! Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books Business Culture Education Entertainment Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Medical Military & Veterans Our Community Peace People Sports Uncategorized Who We Are ENTRE TIROS Y  ESPERANZA (Parte 1 de 2) July 23, 2022/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More AHORA — ES EL MOMENTO June 23, 2022/No Comments AHORA — ES EL MOMENTO La masacre en la ciudad de los vecinos, Buffalo es un llamado a la accion Read More YOUR VOTE — YOUR VOICE May 23, 2022/No Comments YOUR VOTE — YOUR VOICE Your vote is being courted and sought by politicians and aspiring public servants of all Read More Load More End of Content.

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LET’S MAKE BUFFALO THE CITY OF THE NATION

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It happened again! Innocent lives are forced to start their next journey prematurely, leaving behind their loved ones in disbelief.  It is not the way to go, but in this land of opportunities, in a land that gave power to a man named Donald Trump in 2016, bad things began to happen — the deep, rooted racism of America found its leader, their anti-Christ.  A mass shooting of families and children intensified like no other period in our history; nothing was off-limits: Churches, schools, community centers, nightclubs. Emotions aside, we should’ve seen it coming. Mass shootings are becoming an American pastime – something we do not want to see or accept. Shootings have taken place in many parts of the country; we are not alone.  The sad part is that people don’t care until it hits home-based. If I asked you if you still remembered any of the places attacked, you probably wouldn’t be able to remember. Call it what it is: White terrorism, White supremacy, or individuals with a mental history, all have been targeting and marginalizing communities of color since the founding of this country. And that is the problem with America, a problem perpetuated by our local, state, and national elected officials with their inaction and etheric.  They take the time to demonstrate their emotion, interest, and condolences, and some visit families of the victims. Still, in the final analysis, they do NOTHING but only make love to the camera manifesting their concern, embrace the emotion for a few seconds or minutes and then move on to the next issue on their agenda for the day. THIS SITUATION DEMANDS FULL ATTENTION! The problem is severe. WE HAVE TO GET GUNS OFF THE STREETS!  Let’s strive to make the city of good neighbors into the city of the nation.  Let’s stay together, elected officials and community leaders, including community agencies and organizations. let’s put together a citywide petition and demand that our federal officials introduce it in Washington, dc. Let’s duplicate the petition and get it in the hands of every American to sign it, state-by-state. The NRA, the Gun lobbyists, and the Republicans need to hear America’s cry: STOP THE KILLING! THE BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDS!  The blood of the victims is on the hands of Republicans, and on the hands of voters who continue to elect them to office year after year. We feel for the families of the young kids cut down, and for the families shopping at Tops Supermarket. America and Democracy need drastic change – good people better get ready because a storm is coming, and we are not talking about the weather.  Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books Business Community Education Entertainment Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics LATINO COLLEGE STUDENTS FACE INEQUALITY AND CULTURAL ISOLATION AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK at BUFFALO March 25, 2023/No Comments LACK OF COLLEGE SERVICES FOR LATINO STUDENTS: This is in response to a story by UB Spectrum reporter, Kayla Estrada, Read More “GETTING VERY LITTLE FOR THE WHOLE,  BUT GETTING A LOT FOR THE FEW” WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2023 January 25, 2023/No Comments While I might appear to be biased and selective, I strongly feel the four people in the photo are the Read More The Isaías González-Soto Branch Library (formerly Niagara Branch) is a member of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System December 25, 2022/No Comments When the Hispanic Heritage Council (HHC) moved to rename the Niagara Branch Library several years ago, with the support of Read More Load More End of Content.

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TWO PUNKS WITH GUNS

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TWO PUNKS WITH GUNS Just as I was gearing up to write this month’s column that was to be dedicated to the horrific mass shooting that happened at Tops on Jefferson, news of another horrific mass shooting broke, this time in Uvalde Texas, involving elementary school children. Both affected me for two different reasons. The Buffalo shooting shook me due to my familiarity with my hometown and because of where it happened; Tops Friendly Markets. I can’t say I ever visited the Tops on Jefferson. As a true west sider, the only two Tops Markets I visited consistently were Tops on Niagara Street,  and occasionally, Tops on Grant/Amherst. However, my lack of familiarity with the store still made the terrible news feel close. As a kid in High School, I spent my years working at the (old) Tops storinon Niagara & Maryland as a cartboy, stock boy stocking shelves, and finally got into working in the dairy/frozen department. When the news broke of the racist rampage at Tops on Jefferson, I pictured myself as a kid, working at Tops, being in the situation those poor souls found themselves on that fateful afternoon when their lives were senselessly taken. These folks were milling about doing normal Saturday afternoon tasks and just like that, their sparks were all extinguished, all because a racist punk with a gun just could not accept the fact that Black people exist. Seeing friends back home “Mark themselves as safe” on social media was a little distressing, especially knowing that 10 people would never have the chance to do so. When the news of a shooting in an elementary school in Uvalde Texas broke, my heart grew angry and scared. As a father of three young children, two in elementary school, I just could not help but put myself in those parents’ shoes, the parents whose children were murdered for no other reason than being in the classroom on the last week of school. My immediate reaction was to take my children out of school. When I dropped them off at school the next morning, I just couldn’t help but think of the parents who dropped off their children the day before, just as I had, who didn’t have a clue that this would be the last time they would see their children alive.  Again, because of another punk with a gun. We cannot become numb to these massacres. People in both mass shootings want to look at the mental well-being of both shooters and point to mental illness as the reason almost 30 people died in the 10 days from the Buffalo shooting to Uvalde. Mental illness is not an American-exclusive condition. Mental health is something all countries worldwide deal with, however, the US is the only country in the world where mass shootings have become a common occurrence. The common denominator? The guns are easily accessible to people who may be deemed mentally ill or not. Read More From This Writer All Post Business Culture Entertainment Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Medical Our Community Peace People Sports TWO PUNKS WITH GUNS June 18, 2022/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More FROM A FILMMAKER’S  POINT OF VIEW May 18, 2022/No Comments FROM A FILMMAKER’S  POINT OF VIEW On Saturday, April 9th, I had the honor and privilege of screening my film, Read More THAT’S A WRAP! April 18, 2022/No Comments THAT’S A WRAP! I’ve spent the bulk of the last year and a half putting together a documentary film that Read More Load More End of Content.

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