[LSNN] One-On-One with Malikah Saleh—Future + Society Issues

[North]

 

 

 

One-On-One with Malikah Saleh—Future + Society Issues

Brodie Linhares

 

 

Malikah Saleh

 

On November 2nd, 2020. A one-on-one interview took place inside Malikah Saleh's office located in Los Santos. The following represents the questions and answers that were discussed during the chat. The interview mainly speaks about Malikah, her own future plans in terms of contributing to Los Santos and some society issues here in the communities that we as citizens live in.

 

Society Issues:

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Question: Could you tell me some society issues you see exist here in Los Santos?

 

Well, each area of Los Santos has different communities and there are some big shared ones. One of the big ones is housing. Folks right now in one of the wealthiest cities in one of the wealthiest countries on Earth are sleeping on the streets... Out of cars, out of motel rooms... This goes from Paleto Bay where people who work there are often forced to stay out of hotels or campers because there are properties that have gone vacant of an inordinate amount of time down to the city itself which sports homeless encampments under bridges. Enough is enough. The City Government needs to release a monthly report on the city budget so citizens know if the money can be diverted to taking care of this issue.

 

Beyond that, we've got young people being jumped into a life of crime at incredibly young ages. We have fifteen, sixteen-year-old boys and girls catching their first misdemeanors and those snowball fast into felonies. I think the crime issue is less of a one-bill-fits-all solution and needs to be addressed with a combination of economic incentive and ensuring that things such as marijuana possession are decriminalized in a smart and responsible way. These are the big two I often see, but there are so much more down to the specifics of each community.

 

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Question: What are the biggest challenges you faced on the campaign trail?

 

The biggest challenge I'd say beyond having started the campaign so late in the game would be the sheer level of racism and xenophobia at me and my campaign online. I had the usual fare of online harassments from calling me the regular battery of racial slurs and demonstrably creating fan fiction on my background. But perhaps the most disconcerting but enlightening element was the fact that even individuals who I knew and volunteered with found themselves repeating xenophobic rhetoric, implying that because I'm an immigrant woman, that I'm somehow naturally unfit for the position. It's disappointing but unsurprising. Likely the comment section of this article might even show you some of the hopefully final glimpses of the vestiges of this type of organized hate. It's something I believe we as Los Santos always tend to rise above at the end of the day though.

 

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Future Plans:

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Question: Even though you didn't get selected as mayor, do you plan on contributing to the city in any other ways?

 

Absolutely, so I wouldn't argue that Oswald was an unfortunate choice. I think he's going to do his very best to take on some of the issues facing our people and do it aggressively. The way that I've been contributing is that I've been drafting the legislation spoke about on the campaign trail and sent it off to various District Reps. While I don't hold office, I do have good relationships without elected officials and intend to use my position and contact to advocate for change in a real tangible way. Beyond that, I'm contributing in a small way by volunteering at the Soup Kitchen (Hope Community Center) and continuing my contract work with the Public Defender's office to ensure their workload isn't overwhelming. 

 

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Question: Would you mind expanding a little on your volunteering experiences at the Soup Kitchen? Also perhaps your future plans with the center.

 

Well. Honestly, before I ran for office when I was feeling a little blue that I was essentially relegated to helping people from a desk in Pillbox Hill. At the time I was drafting legislative ideas and some early bills... But then one night I realized that Dr. Shalimar Joy was running a top-notch soup kitchen and community center just a few blocks away. Sometimes putting your actions where your words are is the most empowering experience you can give yourself and others. So I went, signed myself up, set to work in the kitchens and... Let me tell you, giving people hope one bowl of soup or warm bed at a time is an incredibly validating moment. It reminds us that we cannot only advocate for change, but we can actually be the change we wish to see.

 

My plans are to keep volunteering every chance I get! Perhaps I could even host some public information chats there in case folks are curious about their civil rights. The doors are wide open on the opportunities there. That said, I did get a promotion at ULSA so my hands are going to be a little bit full, but I'll always make time for Hope.

 

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Question: Can you tell me just a little more about the ULSA program you mentioned earlier?

 

Oh, I mentioned my promotion. I am now the Dean of the ULSA Law School. My aim is going to be to set up a lecture series that trains students who are interested to be effective, sharp, and legally well-rounded lawyers by the time they graduate. Then, working without Public Defender and District Attorney's office, send them to quality internships where they can learn the ropes and hopefully join those offices someday. decreasing the burden on our city and giving the students the education they deserve.

 

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Question: Last but not least, would you mind sharing some volunteering organizations for people to put the effort in? Or perhaps some charities that you're aware of.

 

Hope is the top-notch place to volunteer these days. Frankly, what I'd ask folks to do is to analyze what issues you care most about, pick the top two, and find out which politician represents your area. If you can volunteer for your local District Representative's office, you can take an active hand in building up the city for the better and to address the issues you want to see. If you don't have time for that level of a commitment, you can always start the next initiative and recognize that you have every right to apply to our city government for a grant for any legitimate charitable endeavors or pursuit private funding through investors. In fact, I'd even offer folks interested in starting their own charitable endeavors or volunteer organizations to reach out directly to me on Facebrowser. I'm incredibly responsive since the campaign, my interns really hammered home the importance of a digital presence.

 

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Edited November 3, 2020 by North

[North]

Comments are enabled:

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Username:  

Comment:  

[liq]

Username: Real10-8

Comment: Didn't ask, this dogface is now irrelevant, and where the fuck is the NSA and ICE when you need them. Roses are red, violets are blue, back to Yemen now you go.

[Al-Malikah]

Username:  legalbeagle992

Comment:  

8 hours ago, North said:

Likely the comment section of this article might even show you some of the hopefully final glimpses of the vestiges of this type of organized hate.

 

1 hour ago, liq said:

Username: Real10-8

Comment: Didn't ask, this dogface is now irrelevant, and where the fuck is the NSA and ICE when you need them. Roses are red, violets are blue, back to Yemen now you go.

Case in point. Someone's got a big brain for hiding behind a non-VPN protected post.

[Greyfeather]

Thanks for being the one Mayoral candidate courageous enough to undertake an interview (well, one that wasn't PR™ managed at least) before the election.

 

Good luck.

 

Nayeli 🙂

 

 

[Mecovy]

Username:  Los Santos Democratic News

Comment:  

ladies and gentlemen, presenting.... "Totally not biased news company continuing to show why the city needs media diversity". Maybe Halford wouldn't need a PR company if y'all did your jobs and remained politically neutral. smh lookin ass.

Edited November 4, 2020 by Mecovy

[Greyfeather]

Username: Greyfeather

Comment:

7 hours ago, Mecovy said:

Username:  Los Santos Democratic News

Comment:  

ladies and gentlemen, presenting.... "Totally not biased news company continuing to show why the city needs media diversity". Maybe Halford wouldn't need a PR company if y'all did your jobs and remained politically neutral. smh lookin ass.

I'm not a big fan of the democrats, but isn't it remarkable that some supporters of the other Party that consistently call their opponents "snowflakes" are, in fact, the biggest snowflakes of them all.

 

Learned victimhood can be unlearned. I have faith in you.

 

Nayeli 🙂

Edited November 4, 2020 by Greyfeather
Spelling

[Mecovy]

8 minutes ago, Greyfeather said:

Username: Greyfeather

Comment:

I'm not a big fan of the democrats, but isn't it remarkable that some supporters of the other Party that consistently call their opponents "snowflakes" are, in fact, the biggest snowflakes of them all.

 

Learned victimhood can be unlearned. I have faith in you.

 

Nayeli 🙂

Username:  LSDN

Comment:  hol up, i aint see me say those words? aint no one calling lsnn snowflakes, im saying there's some obvious ass one sided coverage and it still failed, kinda like your journalism career ngl.

[Greyfeather]

Username: Greyfeather

Comment:

 

1 minute ago, Mecovy said:

Username:  LSDN

Comment:  hol up, i aint see me say those words? aint no one calling lsnn snowflakes, im saying there's some obvious ass one sided coverage and it still failed, kinda like your journalism career ngl.

Negative stories - Democrats 3, Republicans 1.

 

You were saying?

 

Seriously, there really is therapy for the sense of helplessness you feel.

 

Nayeli 🙂

[Mecovy]

7 hours ago, Greyfeather said:

Username: Greyfeather

Comment:

 

Negative stories - Democrats 3, Republicans 1.

 

You were saying?

 

Seriously, there really is therapy for the sense of helplessness you feel.

 

Nayeli 🙂

Username:  LSDN

Comment:  some1 doesnt know math do they? might need to cry to professor saleh to teach you basic mathematics' :^           )