humanity
Humanity topics include pieces on the real lives of politicians, legislators, activists, women in politics and the everyday voter.
Delusions
Delusions Cassandra sits alone in a dark room in Eternity’s basement, it makes little difference, she’s blind and no one ever pays her any mind anyway. No one ever has, no one ever will.
Guillermo CalvoPublished 7 years ago in The SwampManchester's Defiance in the Face of Violence
This morning I woke up to the news that there had been a terrorist attack in my home city. It seemed unreal, like it was almost a dream. The last time that I woke up from what I thought was a lucid dream, the 8 o'clock news announced that Donald Trump had been elected US president. It's a weird world that we live in. But last night's events occurred less than a mile from where I live, and the reality of that hits one square in the face. I didn't hear the explosion, even though the Manchester Arena is so close to my apartment. I had the TV off, and was insulated from the Internet. I was blissfully unaware until I woke up today.
Katy PreenPublished 7 years ago in The SwampDear Mr. Trump...
Dear Mr. Trump, I want to pity you, I really do. However, I have no idea what you thought the outcome of your candidacy would be. Your scorn and derision for President Obama are simply being repaid, in kind. If you are the man that you think you are, prove us wrong. I would love to look back in three years at the wonderful surprises that led to a better country for all of us. Winston Churchill was also a harsh man who was little liked by anyone who knew him personally. Yet history remembers him as the man who was needed at that exact moment in time. This isn’t at all uncommon in history. My question to you is, can you be the dealmaker? Because this country is on a collision course with a second Civil War, and we need you to be that man.
Mickey FinnPublished 7 years ago in The SwampDon't Touch Me
Hehhehehehe. Yes that is giggling and it will continue to be giggling. When 45 got elected, there were many close ups of the new First Lady and one face that was especially telling was when he turned around after smiling at her and she went back totally at least looking very upset. Now whether she was or not, only she is going to know. What it did show however is that body language is a muthafucka. Disdain and hatred cannot be hidden and though our faces and our tones may be better at controlling how we feel, our body often rejects to bullshit. Now that there is video of Melania basically slapping his hand away, it begins to paint more of a tale.
Janine AddisonPublished 7 years ago in The SwampWill the Past Sins of this Country Continue to Define Our Karma?
I was recently in Clarksdale in the Delta region of Mississippi. It has a bitter sweet history. Before the arrival of the European settlers Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians occupied this region which intersected two Indian routes.
Felicity HarleyPublished 7 years ago in The SwampSocietal Maladies
Societal Maladies, How to Recognize and Treat Them, a Hypothesis It seems clear that society suffers from serious maladies that negatively impact honesty, decency and equitable and fair conflict resolution, especially in the United States. Observations during the past decade strongly imply that the cause of such evolving and expanding maladies can, in large part, be attributed to the creation, distribution and assimilation of a related series of very negative memes and memeplexes (see, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memeplex) propagated by and through our entertainment and news media (now in too many cases seemingly not a branch of journalism but rather of propaganda and entertainment) via the quotidian programming we are exposed to on television, the cinema, literature and the media (now including social media). Not exactly an epiphany of course, our grandparents warned their children about the subliminal evils of music and entertainment of which they did not approve (remember Elvis’ hips) but perhaps it’s past time to consider the issue from a new direction.
Guillermo CalvoPublished 7 years ago in The SwampMyth of Trump Regret
With Trump's polls showing him to be the least popular president in modern American history, many Democrats and political groups have assumed that voters may have felt remorse about voting Republican in 2016, AKA "Trump Regret." Even many of Trump's own voters have come out to say that they don't like the policies that he's enacted.
Ossiana TepfenhartPublished 7 years ago in The SwampWhat To Do If Your State Turns Red
The Republican party has gone under fire from both Democrats and independent voters for the many controversial or downright corrupt movements they have made over the past 100 days. That being said, more people are voting Republican than ever before - and that means that many blue states and swing states may turn red.
Riley Raul ReesePublished 7 years ago in The SwampRush Limbaugh is a Liberal
When you here the terms “Liberal” and “Conservative” you attach good and bad connotations to them. That’s partly because the root word of “liberal” is “liberty” so it gets associated with freedom and permissive policies. “Conservative” gets associated with our grandparents and seems confining. The majority of our current perspective on these two factions is based in a massive public relations campaign that has been going on since the sixties, though. The truth is that one’s opinions on gay marriage and social justice have nothing to do with their position on this spectrum. Liberalism is the belief that the Constitution can be interpreted liberally to grant the Federal Government more power than is specifically mentioned in the Constitution. Conservatives believe that the Constitution is a living document and is not subject to interpretation, and least of all by the government it was written to limit. Now, if the Constitution is our recipe for freedom and a “more perfect union,” then how is interpreting it liberally related to freedom?
Mickey FinnPublished 7 years ago in The SwampLWB
Remind me never to get into crafting outside of my home. Or maybe just don't do anything? I recently came across an article where a Colgate University student was under suspicion of having a firearm when in reality he had a glue gun. Yes ladies and gents, a glue gun. Now to add to the ever growing list of what black people or hell even brown people can't do. So now we can't do arts and craft.
Janine AddisonPublished 7 years ago in The SwampThe Age of Pure Populism: Are We There Yet?
By every standard, populism is the perfect political paradigm for governance in any community. But that may depend on how one defines it.
Ahmed Aribito HassanPublished 7 years ago in The SwampWe Have Just Crossed Over Into The Twilight Zone
When Rod Sterling began each episode with "You unlock this door with a key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension. A dimension of sound. A dimension of sight. A dimension of mind. You are moving in a land of shadow and substance of things and ideas. You have just crossed over into the twilight zone," little did he realize that today we have the whole world in turmoil. More government reactions have only compounded the anxiety of millions, and societies are swept up in currents of unrest and tension. All of this has resulted in that millions are now feeling like they have literally crossed over into the "Twilight Zone."
Dr. WilliamsPublished 7 years ago in The Swamp