Beyond Bullets

On November 15, 2010, a program called Beyond Bullets came to our school to speak to us about gun violence in the New York City communities. They had this guy named Ronald Merritt. But before I talk about this young man and his experience, I will talk about the organization.

         What is Beyond Bullets and what do they do? Beyond Bullets is a media campaign by Downtown Community Television’s) to increase awareness about our nation’s gun violence epidemic, and to draw attention to the people who are working on preventing violence across the country against great odds.

        According to the Beyond Bullets website, the organization started in 2005, with two teenage filmmakers named Terrence Fisher and Daniel Howard made "Bullets in the Hood", produced through DCTV's PRO-TV program. DCTV decided that, after decades of war reporting overseas, it was time to report on this war at home. In 2009 they began planning a national media campaign with support from the Ford Foundation. Beyond Bullets is focusing on New York City’s gun violence issues in 2010. They worked with six incredible journalists to make a series of short videos about gun violence throughout the city. They shot so many videos of different people talking about their experiences of gun violence within their neighborhood or outside their neighborhood and how has this experience changed their lives. One of those people that they filmed was Ronald Merritt. 

            Ronald Merritt is a 23-year old African American male who lives in Queens, NY.  He has lost 50 friends and relatives due to gun violence. He was one of those people that was involved and was part of the gun violence.  His father was in and out of jail and he never knew about playing basketball or anything, all he knew was holding a gun and getting involved in shootouts. He once saw himself being the biggest drug dealer. Then one day he decided that the life he was living was not for him and it is a dangerous one too. So one day he put down his gun and picked up a camera. Now the only gun that he holds and has with him is a camera to shoot videos of people talking about their experience of gun violence. He now works with LIFE Camp. If you really want to get to know more about Ronald Merritt, you can go to beyondbullets.org and watch his film on their as he talk more about his experience in gun violence and how it has changed his life.  Merritt told our class to find an interest that really interest you and work on that interest to keep you productive and off the streets.