opinion
Opinion pieces from the left, right, and everyone in between.
Electoral College
TJ Hyland - November 8, 2020 The Electoral College is a system intended to give wealthy landowners greater voting power than everyone else. According to the 2020 census data compared to the voting results, Texas has 322% less voting impact per voter than Wyoming residents. It's time to abolish the electoral college because empty land is not human life and shouldn't get to have a say in our democracy.
SNROCINUTAFPublished 3 years ago in The SwampA $15 Minimum Wage
Written by Bob Zielonka - December 2, 2020 As we approach 10 years since the national “Fight for $15” movement took shape, it’s important we take a moment to consider whether or not a $15 minimum wage is enough in 2020 and beyond.
SNROCINUTAFPublished 3 years ago in The SwampThe New Nobility and Royalty
A few years ago, I got into fantasy. I loved it. So much magic, so much possibility. I could be a warrior going off and fighting for what was right, for what I believed in. I could champion causes and stare down villains. Not long after I found D&D and got to do all those things. I became the DM and soon I was working on worlds of my own, making good guys and bad guys, plots within plots, allies, and enemies to throw my players against. Eventually, I became a fantasy author. I have to tell you, writing my world M’Diro has been one of the highlights of my life.
R. F. DeAngelisPublished 3 years ago in The SwampLife to 28th November 2020
Wednesday was one of those days full of promise. Good weather, a chance to ride on one of our horses across the New Forest and a genuinely relaxing day. A promise that was soon to be broken by a loose rock and a hole but more of that later.
Alan RussellPublished 3 years ago in The SwampSomebody Has to Care
Recently, I watched Hamilton for the first time, after putting it off for years. There's a popular Native American proverb about having two wolves inside you, locked in constant fighting. The one who wins is the one you feed. Why are these two things related? Because I have decided that the two in me are best represented by the characters Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. For a while, I have been feeding Burr by staying quiet and just trying to get through life. That stops now (or soon, depending on whether I can keep my anxiety about speaking up in check). I'm fed up with a lot of things and it's time I did something about it. I will be applying for law school at Boston University, to hopefully start in 2022 in one of their dual degree programs. It’s time to be more like Hamilton and not play it safe, even if it costs me.
Kenneth MayPublished 3 years ago in The SwampOpEd: Universities Provoking Racism?
In 2017, Michael Rubin, resident scholar of American Enterprise Institute, wrote an article titled "Are universities driving racism?". The entire tone of the article was condescending and the article lacked a poignant theme. I think Rubin misses a bigger point than he is trying to make about universities driving racism.
Lyssa WyldePublished 3 years ago in The SwampPet Peeves About COVID-19
2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. The one headline that has been dominating news stations and the airwaves this year is the coronavirus pandemic. You can’t go one day or one minute without hearing about it. Honestly, there’s way too much coverage about COVID-19. I understand that it’s an important story and to keep people informed about it. However, it’s not necessary to report about it 24/7 and trying to scare us. That’s why many people have been panic buying and the media keeps instilling fear towards us. It can also make some feel anxious, especially to those who have mental illnesses. Are there even any positive stories in the news to report these days? Here are my least favorite terms and phrases that have been repeatedly said during the pandemic. Don’t get me wrong. This virus is real and has claimed the lives of thousands of people in the U.S. I’m in no way downplaying the severity of it. These are the terms that I dislike the most and not in any specific order.
Mark Wesley PritchardPublished 3 years ago in The SwampAmerican Taxes are built for cheating
The American tax system, or more specifically the United States Federal Income tax is not democratic enough. It doesn’t create an equal playing field for all Americans. By nature it is convoluted, and headed by a bureaucracy that does not hold people accountable for avoiding or cheating their taxes sufficiently. A system based in more direct democratic ideals would streamline the tax system and make it more egalitarian.
Gus KriderPublished 3 years ago in The SwampDr Martin Luther King Jr. Reflection:
I’ll be honest; I’ve been thinking about what to write for weeks; months even. As soon as the conception of ‘Philosofemme’ came to life and the blog was confirmed – I was thinking. I knew for certain that I wanted to write something poignant about Martin Luther King Jr. and his non-violent philosophy – which is not often considered as part of philosophy, but as political theory. We know him as an activist, but I was interested in his ideology behind his politics. However, I was aware this would be difficult. I wasn’t wrong – it’s been very difficult. How can you write anything new and insightful about the most documented civil rights activist in history? The man is on - a rightfully gained - pedestal; he is the king of love. Despite how loved he is, he is also a man who was murdered in a hate-filled vitriol for fighting for basic human rights for African Americans. This dichotomy and the magnitude of his influence means I feel the pressure writing about him. Especially in the tumultuous civil rights battle that is unfolding across the world - America particularly - around the subject of police brutality towards the Black community. Black Lives Matter campaigners are being silenced, harmed and arrested.
Philosofemme.Published 3 years ago in The SwampThe Illusion of Difference
As I write this, it is 2020 in America, a year marked by division and unity alike. Divisiveness is driven on by the clash of political parties, while unity is being forced on because of the division of the world into seemingly competing parties. It would only make sense that in a glaringly bi-directional country that the two conflicting parties are doing their best to recruit new members, and sway those who stand in the middle ground between them. Thus, unity follows division.
Matthew BurnsPublished 3 years ago in The SwampThe politics of overseas aid
The politics of overseas aid The UN has a vast budget, why is this not overseas aid? Politicians in most developed democracies, seem to have an aversion to questioning what their tax payers are forced to donate to other nations, as aid.
Peter RosePublished 3 years ago in The SwampCharity Means Love
It snowed for the first time this winter yesterday. I was exhausted by it. Procrastination is always exhausting, but the constant “winter is coming” variety is even worse.
Kate BaggottPublished 3 years ago in The Swamp