The unnecessary violence that has taken place in Sumter, SC may not be at the level of Chicago or other major cities; however, the similarity is the detrimental and unfounded nicknames that perpetuate the violence.  Sumter has been called Merk (Murc, Murk, Merc) City on the radio and hip hop outlets.  This label identifies Sumter as the murder capital and labels the city as an unsafe place to live with a false sense of pride.  Please stand with me to ask media outlets to stop using the term Merk City.