James Howell

Stories (39)

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  Parenting at One

  So I wrote one of these at eight months old. A few things have changed since then. Little man is now semi mobile, he is crawling and cruising. He has interests in PBS shows such as Curious George, Super Why, and sometimes Sesame Street. He wants to be with me, and doing what I’m doing at all times. I really don’t mind it as long as he is safe and I’m not doing anything that could potentially harm him. He has also decided he no longer has a bedtime, or a set amount of sleep he needs.

  

  James Howell

  Published 3 years ago3 years ago in Families
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  Why Don't Women Just Come Forward?

  In recent years, there have been many allegations of sexual abuse that allegedly happened in the past, the most recent being Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. This particular incident happened over 30 years ago in which he supposedly groped, grinded on, and held his hand over her mouth. People are wondering why she didn’t come forward sooner. I can only speak from a male perspective of my own.

  

  James Howell

  Published 3 years ago3 years ago in Viva
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  White Pride and Nationalism

  I’m not exactly sure where these ideas come from. Essentially being born white or in a certain country is nothing more than a genetic lottery. Your parents created you wherever they were at the time. While there is nothing wrong with being proud of who you are and where you are from, many people take it to the extreme. I will examine these people in this article.

  

  James Howell

  Published 3 years ago3 years ago in The Swamp
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  When Will Hate Speech No Longer be Considered Part of Free Speech?

  So we think about the first amendment, the right to free speech. This gives us the power to say that we don’t like a politician, or a certain policy. It gives us the right to disagree with each other on certain things. It enables us to be part of the religion we choose, it gives us the right to assemble to protest things we don’t think are right in our government, and allows us to petition said government. It also allows free press. But how far does this actually go?

  

  James Howell

  Published 3 years ago3 years ago in The Swamp
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  My First Father's Day and Depression

  My first father’s day as a father was somewhat bittersweet. I have struggled over how to approach this subject, and the best way I could find is straight forward. As I write this at work, I hope not to break down. Please understand first and foremost that this is no fault of my wife and/or child. Anyone who has dealt with depression can tell you what a motherfucker depression is.

  

  James Howell

  Published 4 years ago4 years ago in Psyche
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  Just Cheer Up

  Often, people with depression and anxiety are told to just smile or cheer up. They are told to think about how good they have it. Unfortunately, if you have never experienced a mental illness firsthand, it is difficult to see what is actually happening and what’s behind it. There are many reasons for mental illness to occur, and it can occur in a variety of people from many different backgrounds. It can be a chemical imbalance in the brain; it can be caused by environmental factors, and many other reasons, some that may not have been discovered yet. There is still a lot about mental illness we haven’t discovered or don’t understand yet.

  

  James Howell

  Published 4 years ago4 years ago in Psyche
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  Morality Vs. Legality

  In America, our laws are often based off of Christianity. Thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, and the like. While we know these are wrong to do because they affect a person or property that is not ours, some of these laws fall into a gray area of doing what is right vs. what is legal.

  

  James Howell

  Published 4 years ago4 years ago in The Swamp
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  Symbols and Cracking the Code of Hate in America

  There are many “secret” codes of hate along with symbols in America. These are used to show other members they are a part of certain hate groups, without alerting the public. You can find these easy enough on the internet, as well as social media sites. 88, 1488, and HH are just some of these codes, but what do they mean? I will be discussing these and giving the meanings behind them as well as discussing symbols of hate in this essay.

  

  James Howell

  Published 4 years ago4 years ago in The Swamp
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  What Would Captain America Do?

  Each of you, for himself or herself, by himself or herself, and on his or her own responsibility, must speak. It is a solemn and weighty responsibility, and not lightly to be flung aside at the bullying of pulpit, press, government, or politician. Each must decide for himself or herself alone what is right and what is wrong, which course is patriotic, and which isn’t. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide it against your convictions is to be an unqualified and inexcusable traitor. It is traitorous both against yourself and your country. Let men label you as they may, if you alone of all the nation decide one way, and that way be the right way by your convictions of the right, you have done your duty by yourself and by your country, hold up your head for you have nothing to be ashamed of. It doesn’t matter what the press says. It doesn’t matter what the politicians or the mobs say. It doesn’t matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. Republics are founded on one principle above all else: The requirement that we stand up for what we believe in. no matter the odds or consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move. Your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth and tell the whole world: “No, you move."

  

  James Howell

  Published 4 years ago4 years ago in The Swamp
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  Things I Have Learned in My Eight Months as a Father

  Being a father has been one of the most wonderful and educational experiences of my life. I have learned so much in eight months and am continuing to learn. I thought that I would share some of my insights and observations with the world.

  

  James Howell

  Published 4 years ago4 years ago in Families
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  Should Boys Be Allowed to Play With Dolls?

  This has been an ongoing topic for some time now. Some people believe that it is not OokayK, others have no qualms with it. Me personally, I don’t see what the big deal is. I believe there are great benefits to it, psychologically and developmentally.

  

  James Howell

  Published 4 years ago4 years ago in Families
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  The Double Standard in America

  Yes, believe it or not, there are double standards in America. We live with it everyday, yet we do nothing about it. We have cops killing unarmed African Americans, which we turn a blind eye to. We then have children murdering other children in school hallways. We get in an uproar then, but when it comes time to do something, we cling to our firearms for fear that some government official is going to walk in our house and take them out of our hands. When a person of Middle Eastern descent does something wrong, we automatically claim terrorism. When a white male does it, it's the cry of a troubled young man. Where do we find the happy medium?

  

  James Howell

  Published 4 years ago4 years ago in The Swamp