Merle Rutledge

My name is Merle Travis Rutledge Jr. I graduated from Dan River High School. I also volunteered for the Children of the Sun, Urban League, and multiple projects for wellness with Sentara Hospital. All during this time I learned and developed into a leader in the community. My fraternity was the first to host the Youth Leadership Conference in Hampton Roads that is facilitated by Children of the Sun, Urban League, and local police departments to develop youths into programs and outlets that set a positive role into the community. Currently I speak on issues that affect low income communities. The issues that deal with Gangs intervention as a way to curve a alarming trend in incarceration as juveniles being tried as Adults. I hope by pushing new ideas that we can help to cut this cycle from the start by addressing the need for education at the elementary level all the way up to the high schools and not waiting for the problem to continue to fester. Also I would like to point out. I do not have a problem with good police officers. Their are a lot of good officers with a outstanding reputation and leadership abilities in all communities. But most would say unless we know their is a problem than how can it be fixed. We'll now they know if I have a problem and I hope others recognize their value that the fight must go on to root out the cancer that eats away in any government entity. Thank you Chatham Tribune for your time and I hope this helps.