activism
Grassroots campaigns have proven instrumental in bringing about political, social or environmental change; you've got to start somewhere-might as well start here.
On Punching Nazis
Do you know when there's a fashionable idea going around, but there's something that feels a bit “off” with it? I spend a lot of time in skeptical and atheist circles, and there is always some real-world issue reduced to a vague abstraction, to be resolved with “logic.” Inevitably, the removal of any human element leads to a completely abhorrent solution, and yet the “rationalists” stand by it even when the consequences of their thought experiment are revealed in horrifying technicolor. This never-ending quest for simple, neat solutions completely ignores the fact that life is messy and does not lend itself to unambiguous certainties.
By Katy Preen8 years ago in The Swamp
People are Struggling to See the Danger of the Right
Worryingly, I have seen more and more people aligning themselves, knowingly or not, with views of the alt-right movement, often indirectly supporting the views of Trump. There’s a lot of reason to want to be part of a seemingly anti-establishment movement and it’s important to understand the reasons for the rise of populism, but people seem too often to just be misdirecting their confusion to support public figures like Milo Yiannopoulos, because people like this appear to have a strong message and confidence, which is understandably attractive at a time of political and social turmoil.
By Katie Kenyon8 years ago in The Swamp
Stand Up for Your Rights
What can one say about life? How do we measure our lives? Is it by our bank accounts? Is it by the amount of friends we have and our overall sense of popularity? Is it by the type of car we drive or the size of the house we live in? Truth is that it varies from person to person.
By Prince of Peace8 years ago in The Swamp
Hug a Nazi
I’m almost finished with the first draft of a book titled How to Stop Feeling Afraid, in which I use all my experience as a high and middle school disciplinarian to show how nearly all aberrant behavior has its roots in fear. Why did that guy call you names? He’s afraid. Why did your girlfriend snub you in public? She’s afraid. Why were you robbed, threatened, hurt, dissed, cut off in traffic? All, all (except for the sociopath) because that person’s fear was powerful enough to overcome their natural human tendency to get along with others.
By David Bulley8 years ago in The Swamp
The Alt-Right and the Right to Be Wrong
Albert Camus said, “There is only one really serious philosophical question, and that is suicide,” and Albert was not entirely alone in his quest. Sartre, Schopenhauer, and the existentialists as a whole accept as a premise that right and wrong are relative—that there can be no absolute in a world defined by absurdity and entropy.
By Triple Decker Sandwich8 years ago in The Swamp
I Was at the #PhoenixProtests.. Top Story - August 2017.
We wore anti-Nazi "45" shirts. We were turned away from the doors of the convention center for our shirts. The guy said, "we have the right to refuse anybody from entering the rally," but we also heard him say, "yeah, not with those shirts."
By Luis Ramos8 years ago in The Swamp
Why This Weekend Is a Cry for Help
This past weekend has really pushed folks' limits on racial identity and racial hate. With the death of Heather Heyer and others being literally targeted by the white supremacist and neo-Nazis, you'd think those saying racism came about when Mr. Obama was president would wake the f**** up. (Get better soon, Deandre Harris). This problem has been going on for far too long.
By Jocelin Leige8 years ago in The Swamp
Attitudes Over Statues
The headlines across the nation have been absurdly screaming and I can’t help but wonder, “What is going on in my U.S.A.?” Apparently, protesters have been holding rallies at many sculptures all across the country that have long stood as symbols of our nation’s heritage. A heritage that is not pretty and is still controversial yet it has made our country what it is today. Through tribulations, we have triumphed. The truth of tragedy, the humility of loss and the progress derived from victory are important aspects of our history that we should respect and take pride in.
By Amanda Spradlin8 years ago in The Swamp
Why Being in the Middle Is WRONG
Picture this. You’re on the playground, and there’s a smaller kid from your class trying to play on the swings. He was always timid, shy, and just wanted to keep to himself. Well, you’re next to him on the swing set, but you’re much bigger. The kids in class would never do anything to bully you. They come over and they push the kid next to you off his swing, and start calling him names like weakling and scrawny and these kids really start laying into him.
By Nicole King8 years ago in The Swamp
The #SupportSystem for #Racism
As many of us are watching the USA's response to Charlottesville, VA, the media has begun to pick and choose what information becomes forgotten by the public. While we all get over saturated with White House quotes and contradictions, I have begun to enter into conversations that (up until recently) I have worked to avoid.
By Regina Stone-Grover8 years ago in The Swamp
