Top Stories
Stories in The Swamp that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
Us vs. Them.
I have been trying to find the right words to express everything going on right now. I'm at a loss for how much at a time like this where all lives should matter, the life of my people is still undervalued. For years, we have only seen police brutality on a surface level, but looking back at history, what we’re seeing at this moment in time is the suffering and trauma of decades of unjust treatment from the people who swore to protect us. Now when I say us, I’m talking about those who look in the mirror every day and see our ancestors. Our ancestors who were brought into this country shackled, muzzled, and sold to the highest bidder to work the 40 acres from dawn till dusk. Our ancestors who were devalued with the term “N*gger” that to this day follow us everywhere we go. Now if you can’t look at yourself in the mirror and see what we see, then it shouldn't be that hard to understand exactly why buildings are being burned and rage fills the streets. If you don’t come from a lineage who was beaten and mistreated while building the homes and buildings you occupy with your privileged lives, then you should understand why we are running up in stores to take what belongs to us. If you can look in the mirror and see that you come from a lineage that enslaved, and traumatized our people, then put your privilege to the side, open your eyes to what’s happening in front of you, and listen to the cries beyond our rage.
Saint WillPublished 11 months ago in The Swamp
The American Spring
In the spring of 2010 the Middle East reached a tipping point. It was called the Arab spring. A decade later, we are in the midst of the American Spring. We are the country whose fuse is lit and ready to explode. With the stock market making COVID-era highs, the disconnect between reality on the street and the illusion created by printing money, lending at 0% interest rates and outright lies by the federal government, has now seeped into the psyche of the American people. The illusion that 40 million unemployed can be fooled by a check in the mail and bringing back sports is finally being shattered and the glass will cut deep across the political divide.
Jeremy FrommerPublished 11 months ago in The Swamp
Lana Del Rey and White Clumsiness
I will start by saying that I absolutely love Lana. Discovering her discography in high school truly felt like an enlightenment, and her album Ultraviolence is, to this day, one of my favorite albums of all time. However, miss Lana dropped the ball a few days ago, severely. In an attempt to confront her critics and haters, she, in the eyes of many people, shaded a handful of female artists who are either Black, part Black, part of an ethnic minority or… Ariana Grande. While I don’t think her intention was to be racially insensitive, there were several missteps in her rant, and we will take a look at them in this piece.
Lonely Allie .Published 12 months ago in The Swamp
The Future of the United States Depends on the Immediate Adoption of UBI
This article has been translated into Italian and Spanish. Flatten the curve... We’ve heard that phrase repeatedly as a result of the novel coronavirus in regards to the healthcare system. There are only so many healthcare workers, only so many hospitals with a limited number of rooms and beds, only so many ventilators and PPE. Because of these limits, we have to avoid surpassing them by stretching out the number of coronavirus infections over a longer amount of time.
Scott SantensPublished about a year ago in The Swamp
COVID Pandemic Exposes the Ugly Secrets Hidden in America’s Healthcare System:
Picture courtesy of Lenore Stutznegger and Norman Rainock (Norman Rainock Art Ca.) COVID, the hallways are eerily empty because of you. At night, where there normally exists an air of calmness as patients sleep, the hospital walls that surround me instead convey a sense of uncertainty. It is palpable. It is heavy. It is unlike anything I have ever encountered as a physician. Perhaps this is because deep down in places where fear and dread reside, we know you are there watching and studying our patterns of behavior. All the while, you silently spread yourself at exponential rates, knowing that our testing capabilities, while ever-growing, still fail to keep up with you. For this, you mock us. You are learning the truth about the American healthcare system as it stands. On the outside we are strong, with sophisticated buildings, fancy technology, and state-of-the-art equipment. To nearly any onlooker we appear to be thriving, at the top of our game. Yet you aren’t fooled by this; no, not at all because you have already penetrated these walls, exposing the hidden prison behind the shiny facade of our healthcare system.
Dr. Megan BabbPublished about a year ago in The Swamp
Who Is Joe Biden?
Joe Biden has made a primary comeback that is nothing short of extraordinary. With his chances of becoming the Democratic nominee stronger than ever I wanted to know more about the former Vice President. So, I partnered up with KnowYourVote to help put together this mini tip sheet.
Nathalia RamosPublished about a year ago in The Swamp
An Open Letter to Trump On The Environment
President Trump, I fail to understand the reasoning behind your disregard for preserving the continued habitability of our planet. As a father, I would assume you are possessed of the basic paternal inclination to ensure the security of your own progeny. Yet, you disregard all subjects of environmental concern with a casual and disinterested contempt which can only be called lazy, arrogant, and entitled.
Walter RheinPublished about a year ago in The Swamp
2020 Presidential Candidates Tip Sheet
Election season can be really confusing. I wanted to learn who some of the top candidates are so we can all be better informed when placing our votes. So, I partnered up with Know Your Vote for an extra special episode of my IGTV Series, "Who The F*** Are The Candidates". Know Your Vote is a platform that aggregates publicly available candidate data, so you don't have to go looking for it. They helped me put together this tip sheet of --simple, non partisan facts about some of the top candidates and some of their top policies. I compiled their notes into this easy to read tip sheet , but I recommend you go check out their website for more information and to see where each candidate stands on the issues that are most important to you.
Nathalia RamosPublished about a year ago in The Swamp
The Controversies From Shakira and J-LO
During the fifty fourth Super Bowl this year in 2020, the Half-Time show was a performance put on by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. The show caused quite the controversy in the media. While everybody is entitled to their opinion, some things are simply facts. Facts and humanity are what we are here to discuss today.
On ‘Daisies’ and Why it does Matter
The Czech New Wave was a film movement that emerged in 1963 which writer Simon Hitchman in his 2015 article suggested was due to increasing pressure for socio-political reform within Czechoslovakia. The country was in the midst of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (CSR) period in which the country was under communist rule. Film makers needed a voice to combat this oppressive rule and thus the New Wave movement began. During this period, a renowned female director, Vera Chytilova; ‘first lady of Czech cinema,’ according to Fox in 2014, released the film Daisies in 1966. The film is a 70-minute experimental, absurdist look at two young girls who, after deciding that the world ‘has gone bad’ decide that they themselves will ‘go bad’ too. They embark on a series of anarchic, destructive behaviours as a rebellion against society. Theorist Shaviro in 2007 wrote that he regarded Daisies as a ‘violently nihilistic assault’ against the conventions of filmmaking, social normalities and even the spectator themselves.
Jordyn KelseyPublished about a year ago in The Swamp
Harry Megxits Royal Life
It is perhaps one of the most iconic pieces of Royal film ever: a 21-year-old Princess Elizabeth dedicating her entire life to the service of her people and further Commonwealth family. Her historic words – “my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service” – set a precedent for her reign, and in the near seventy years of service as Queen and Monarch, she has unflinchingly, stoically and tirelessly honoured each and every word.
Jonathan ReedPublished about a year ago in The Swamp
AUSTRALIA IS ON FIRE
Photo by Mick Reynolds For my first story of 2020, I racked my brains for an idea. The film fanatic in me set to work on some reviews, but it didn't seem right. It was like trying to complete a puzzle where every piece was too small. That’s because there’s only one thing worth writing about at the moment. The one thing that’s calling for attention. That floods my newsfeed and winds its way into every conversation.
Tessa D'AlfonsoPublished about a year ago in The Swamp
