controversies
It seems every time one racially-charged incident ends, a gender or religious controversy takes its place; Ruminate on the issues dividing our nation and world.
Illegal Immigration: Unpopular Opinion
Every article that I researched to use as a reference for this piece was highly partisan. The notion that a consistent centrist source exists about illegal immigration is false. In modern society, the news determines not only what is important, but what perception is held about certain policies. The left and right have been in contention about the correct course of action in regards to immigration for years. This will not be an article arguing the figures of illegal immigration, but rather the philosophical pitfall of viewing immigration through a partisan lens.
By Dillon Staples8 years ago in The Swamp
Antifa and Increasing Political Violence
While people believe that anti-fascism is a reflection of fascism, the beginnings of fascism are surprisingly simple. The problem of fascism is that authoritarian nationalism is difficult to fight. People believe they are parts of nations and kill others to make those nations realities—this is evident in authoritarian states that use nationalism to keep power. Germany attempted to annihilate the Jewish, Israel is attempting to exterminate Palestinians, and Hungary, Poland, and Italy are currently proposing social cleansing on the scale of the Holocaust. We are on the knife-edge, and the world is about to plunge off the cliff towards fascism, totalitarianism, and authoritarianism. The problem of national security is now mentioned every day on the television. While this is concerning, those who we are securing ourselves from are fleeing violence. Those seeking asylum, those entering through refugee programs, are human beings fleeing situations which seem impossible to escape. They are fleeing atrocities committed by countries we have interfered with. For instance, people fleeing Central America and South America are fleeing governments whose affairs we constantly interfere with, rigging elections, embargoing countries, etc. Our tampering opens the way for fascism.
By Thomas Sebacher8 years ago in The Swamp
Immigration Exposed
Trump may have bitten off a little more than he could possibly chew with his idiotic blunder into the illegal immigration minefield. Even though he’s doing nothing more than enforcing laws that are already on the books, which have been upheld by Democrat and Republican presidents, the media’s vitriol for Trump has finally brought attention to these terrible circumstances. Disingenuously, however, this is all being blamed on him.
By Chris Michaels8 years ago in The Swamp
2018 Volcanos
- Hawaii, Kilauea Volcano - It was on the 3rd of may when the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued an evacuation order for hundreds of people. A fissure had opened up near the indigenous volcanic structure Kilauea, causing alarm for scientist at the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The half a mile long crack in the earth would be the first of 24 to open in an eruption event that would go on to last to this day. Pelehonuamea or Pele for short, the Hawaiian goddess believed to reside in Kilauea's crater, had unleashed her wrath on her native people. Credited to the swift response time at the observatory, the eruption has yet to take any lives and there has only been one serious injury. Although i wish the same could be said for the actual island itself. 500 homes have been destroyed already leaving an immense amount of people homeless. Thankfully the president has directed that financial assistance be provided to the people who did lose their homes. Pele also claimed a legendary victim when lava flow completely evaporated Green Lake, the biggest lake in the entire state. Legend has it that the goddess would come down to bathe in the lake herself. If the loss of their lake wasn't shocking enough for residents, the collapse of Kilauea's crater would be. Geologist do not exactly know what consequences that will have on the eruption as it continues.
By Carlos Guerra8 years ago in The Swamp
Torah for These Times
In this essay, I am going to discuss the relevance of the Torah in the times in which we find ourselves. I want to be abundantly clear, that I am not going to speak at the pulpit, nor do I have any interest in converting people to Judaism. Rather, my approach will be largely based in philosophy.
By Graham Ohayon8 years ago in The Swamp
Why Do Some People Want the Apocalypse?
Some people seem to have empty lives other than their brand of religion, which fills the void. In order to keep the world working, we all have to do our part by getting out of bed just to go to work. Those who join cults do not have enough love in their lives from somebody, are lonely, and temperamental. They feel that they need structure in their lives, so the cult provides a means to fill that particular void as well. The apocalypse cannot happen even if you watch way too much of The Walking Dead.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in The Swamp
The Outside Looking In
Politics are not usually an area I talk about unless it's with my closest relatives. However, seeing all the recent news coming from America makes me realize how little people know about immigration to the country. I feel like some background is needed to understand my view point. A little over two years ago I moved from the USA to Sweden. It was one of the toughest choices in my 20+ years. The choice also didn't happen overnight. My husband and I weighed our options between him moving to the states and me moving to Sweden.
By Cecelia Sorqvist8 years ago in The Swamp
The American Dream
When America came to be the biggest success of its century, everyone flocked to it. There were immigrants coming from all over the place. There was no hesitation, if someone wanted to be free of something or oppression or whatever it was they needed to escape, they escaped to America. The Irish, the Dutch, the German, the Japanese, and everyone else. America was a safe haven for everyone. Then the people got here and found decrepit, disgusting men that did the same decrepit and disgusting things that they did in every country that they had tried to escape. Somehow, that didn’t stop people from coming though and here’s why.
By Respectfully Sandra8 years ago in The Swamp
Never Again?
I have spent most of my life trying to understand what makes a Nazi. Ever since I read Elie Wiesel's Night, I was haunted by the horror of what happened to the Jews in Germany under the Nazi regime. Mostly, I tried to understand what makes good people do nothing—and what turns an ordinary human being into a killing monster. I have read many books about the era and even made a film about a Holocaust survivor. I never found any answers. But now I finally get it. The Trump administration's abominable actions of separating mothers from their children, siblings from each other, and of picking good people off the street has finally allowed me to see how it happens. A monster gets elected with an extreme following—or of ordinary people who think his extremist policies will "help them." There are rationalizations. In this case, people talk about "border security" and about making "America Great Again." Try and hold back the vomit as we look at the unsavory characters trying to sell these policies to the American public. And it's working. Unbelievably, Trump's numbers are up.
By Karen Goldfarb8 years ago in The Swamp
