Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in The Swamp.
The Rise of Tyranny
Today, there is a sense of urgency that prevails in the consciousness of many. The world is moving much faster now. The tempo of life is racing so fast there is no time for rational thinking only reacting spontaneously to the many crises we face. Years ago, in a time of style and grace, life moved much slower where the tempo of life responded with a more rational and collective effort to solve whatever crisis there was.
Dr. WilliamsPublished 5 years ago in The SwampStomach Stones
"Ay! You got time for human rights?!" "Want to help save the world?!" "Hey you got a second to give a shit about anyone other than yourself?!" pause.. "Ah shit, did I say that out loud?"
Danielle DraganiPublished 5 years ago in The SwampAll Hail Queen Clapback
"I'll dog walk you," Cardi B warned Tomi Lahren on Twitter after the Fox News (no) personality attempted to drag her. It was a good way to get the talentless female to back off of her, but if Cardi B wants to be considered a political force of nature, she needs to consider watching Nancy Pelosi. As she reclaimed the Speaker of the House Gavel, Pelosi also seems to have found her, and by extension the Democrats, backbone. Now it can safely be said that Nancy Pelosi is the Queen of the Clapback, and she "dog walked" Donald Trump without ever laying a hand on him.
Edward AndersonPublished 5 years ago in The SwampEU In or UK Out?
On the 29th of March 2019, the UK will leave the EU. Now, this is very easy to say, but it's being made almost impossible to implemented by a wide range of people and political groups who have a vested interest in keeping the UK exactly where it is at the moment.
Michael BlairPublished 5 years ago in The SwampHugs Not Walls
Walls are not who we are as a country. We can discuss all the benefits someone might claim a wall can bring, but in all truth, a wall is hardly enough to stop the immigration problem in the United States of America.
Phoenix LawsonPublished 5 years ago in The SwampPost 9/11 Radicalization in Literature: Do Literary Works Show Modern Flaws?
Introduction The events of 9/11 triggered a change in both the world and in literature—a change that has frequently occurred within the history of war and terrorism. The genre of "9/11 literature" has led to issues of validity and accuracy for the writers of which have addressed the devastation head on, and those who use the weakening of a western society as a backdrop to the development of their characters. The conflicts that arise within culture result in the representation of prejudices from the "victims" and contrasting bitterness of the "enemy." Depending on the author and their own experiences and thoughts of such cases, leads to the creation of a protagonist—one that we respect, or one that we find unlikeable. Within the novel Saturday by Ian McEwan, the protagonist of Perowne follows the prior, as a neurosurgeon who is reflective of his faults and open to the errors of the wider world. On the other end The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid is formed around the monologue of an individual who feels personally victimized by the Western culture, making for an uncomfortable read and unlikeable personality. The Guardian review of Fundamentalist supports this as the article addresses this narration as "epically one-sided … his developing concern with issues of cultural identity, American power and the victimisation of Pakistan" (Anthony, 2012).
Caitlin AskewPublished 5 years ago in The SwampWhy Is There a Lack of Loving in American History?
I just saw the film Loving recently. My knowledge of the Loving v. Virginia US Supreme Court Decision is relatively new. Growing up, many facets of civil rights history are drilled into us, such as the Thirteenth Amendment, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Brown v. Board of Education, the civil rights legislation of the sixties, and so on. Most people, including maybe even your teenagers, can say at least the bare minimum of these topics.
The 9th Amendment
“The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people,” this is the text of the 9th Amendment. On September 17, 1787 the Anti-Federalists demanded a Bill of Rights be added to the final draft of the Constitution. Federalists felt that a Bill of Rights would give the government too much power. The Anti-Federalists had to be contrarian and were against ratification of the Bill of Rights. Fascism means that the government has the right to do whatever they wanted, so the Anti-Federalists were paranoid that having too many rights would lead to this.
Iria Vasquez-PaezPublished 5 years ago in The SwampReview of 'Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists'
Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists, the new documentary on HBO, is lots of things. A paean to an age of journalism (Breslin would say "reporting," as this movie tells us) which is either gone or transmuted into another form, depending upon whom you listen to. A story of New York City, which, also, is either dead or transformed. But definitely a story of two uniquely gifted writers who indeed worked on a deadline, the deadline of timely reporting (i.e., at most, last hour's or yesterday's news, not last week's).
Paul LevinsonPublished 5 years ago in The Swamp- Top Story - February 2019
Your Slavery Footprint—How the Choices You Make Every Day Harms People and the Planet
As the new generation of young people, Millenials, Gen Z’s and the ones to follow, we are known for our fast fashion and trends that come and go quicker than night turns into day. Whilst some of us dwell on the fact that we may not have the money and/or resources that’s required to stay on top of these fast moving trends, we remain ignorant to the real-life, disastrous consequences of the industry that we continue to fuel and support.
Published 5 years ago in The Swamp What Has Changed? What Hasn’t?
The strive for social justice is the backbone of modern history. It defines a nation’s narrative: what it stands for and what it wants to achieve. History pushes one to ask: “What has changed? What hasn’t ?” This is the caption of TIME Magazine’s May 11, 2015 gripping cover, shot by David Allen. The cover not only garnered support for the Black Lives Matter Movement, a response to the vigilant persecution of African Americans, but it also conveyed the intensity of racism in the United States as a control mechanism through the most abhorrent form of political violence: police brutality. The cover crossed out the date 1968, and replaces it with 2015 which is the actual date during which the photo was taken. In bold red numbers, the placement of the year 2015 cemented the stark resemblance between the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM). Although these two movements are separated by decades of modernization, they both remain all too relevant in terms of their messages, tactics, and influence.
Elianor M.A.Published 5 years ago in The SwampReview of 'Brexit' (HBO 2019 Movie)
The new movie Brexit, released 13 days ago on HBO, provides some important lessons for America, in the parallels of what led to the Brexit win in the UK referendum and the election of Donald Trump President of the United States in the Electoral College. That difference—success in a straightforward plebiscite verses a complex and indirect electoral college, in addition to Trump's opponent winning the popular vote in the US—points to a crucial way in which the two exercises in democracy are not comparable. But let's look at the similarities, first.
Paul LevinsonPublished 5 years ago in The Swamp