Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in The Swamp.
Dear Donald: Please Shut The F*&^ Up
Dear Donald, I'm a pansexual, nonbinary/transgender individual who rallies for legalized cannabis. So, to a point, that's basically a guarantee that you wouldn't have gotten my vote, unless I was already dead. I think you're the worst president to ever be elected.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart8 years ago in The Swamp
Cultural Appropriation Costumes. Top Story - October 2017.
Let's start this article with a caveat. I am a White, cisgender female. I experience a great deal of privilege. I also do not have children, so when a friend of mine posted a Facebook status talking about whether or not it was racist to allow her daughter to dress up as Moana for Halloween, I had to take a step back.
By Tarin Campanella8 years ago in The Swamp
US Equality Laws That Never Passed
America is the land of the free, but based on several US equality laws that never passed, it’s not exactly the land of fairness and equity. Women, as well as people of color, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community, have been fighting for equal rights for almost a century. And, despite the wins (i.e. Roe v. Wade, marriage equality, DACA, etc.), there’s still a long way to go. For many marginalized groups, their right to fair and equal treatment isn’t a guarantee. The following US equality laws that never passed show what could have been.
By Jefferey Spivey8 years ago in The Swamp
Dear Donald... Something Smells Funky
Dear Donald, Something — I can't quite make out what it is, yet — smells funky. Obviously, you've noticed it, too. Maybe it's the continuous, yet overbearing, backlashing you constantly receive from every nook and cranny that can find a voice. Even if they don't actually complain, the mice still use ways of whispering. And, oh boy, do they whisper.
By Donald Gray8 years ago in The Swamp
A Timeline of the History of the Republican Party
From the ashes of the Whig Party came the Republicans. United with the desire to abolish slavery, the founders of the party met in a small schoolhouse in Ripon, Wisconsin. The Republican party has taken major strides since then.
By Eric Green8 years ago in The Swamp
The LGBT Conservative
How are you, the reader, doing today? Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Kam Williams. I am 22 years old, and although I am a young adult, I have quite the imagination. This led me to writing fiction novels, in which case I am currently remastering one on this platform, (My novels may not be for the faint of heart, as they may contain NSFW content, so be forewarned). My imagination has also led me to form my own opinions outside of the norm. Having said that, let's get down to business.
By Kameron Williams8 years ago in The Swamp
Waging Wars
While economists sway to and fro like the ebbing tides of a fiscal ocean, one thing remains solid and unmoving to me. The reality is that income inequality leads to disenfranchisement and unrest in the lower income areas of our country. This has been proven time and time again not only in the history of our nation, but the world itself. In our day and age, money is the prime resource, and when resources are low, tempers run high. Raising the minimum wage is a hot topic among economists; in fact, it’s the surest way to divide a room full of them right down the middle. This issue has seemingly stumped lawmakers on the national level as the nation’s minimum wage stands at $7.25 per hour and hasn’t moved since 2009. This policy of procrastination seems to be perpetuated by both major political parties as it is an unpopular fight on all fronts. Though a Gallup poll conducted in November of 2013 reveals that 91 percent of Democrats support increasing the federal minimum wage to $9.00, so do 58 percent of Republicans. They also suggest pinning the minimum wage to the consumer price index, in order for it to keep pace with inflation. That way, as the economy shifts, so would the minimum wage. Prior to 2007, the federal minimum wage had been stagnant for ten years. This oversight has contributed to the current turbulence in our global market. The less money people have to spend, the larger the wage gap becomes, leading to less currency in the market and thus a shrinking economy. Fears that raising the minimum wage would flood the market with currency and lead to drastic costs of living are very shortsighted. There are several steps that must be taken to revive our ailing economy. One of the first steps should be to raise the minimum wage and index it for future generations.
By Eduardo Victor Garcia8 years ago in The Swamp
Dear Theresa
I know that you’re having a tough time. Your job is probably the most difficult and thankless in the whole country, and yet it is also coveted by those you should be able to rely on. I say that it is the most difficult not lightly; because jobs of comparable complexity and status have largely gone overseas. And so you are left to sort out this mess, and what a damned fine mess it is.
By Katy Preen8 years ago in The Swamp
How Would the U.S. Government Survive the Apocalypse?
Since the dawn of the nuclear age, how to survive a potential war fought with perhaps the most dangerous weapons invented by human beings has been a frequently asked —not just by private individuals, but by governments as well. Tracing the history of how the U.S. government has planned for a nuclear showdown and its aftermath, Garrett M. Graff's 2017 book Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die is a sobering but engrossing look into this shadowy world.
By Matthew Kresal8 years ago in The Swamp
Homeless in Seattle
In the 21st century, homelessness is rampant in most major cities of America. It exists on a large scale and can be easily seen no matter where you go. Take Seattle for example and I write from experience. Here it is a lifestyle that is overt, monotonous, and dismal and that is putting it mildly.
By MissRuth Green8 years ago in The Swamp
The Challenge of Revising the Iran Nuclear Deal
On Thursday, October 12th, Zachary Cohen of CNN reported on fear of potential consequences of decertification of the Iran nuclear deal. He cited Jake Sullivan, a top foreign policy advisor to Hillary Clinton who helped negotiate the original nuclear deal in 2015, and Trita Parsi, President of the National Iranian American Council, as two particular doubters of President Trump's potential approach to the deal. Sullivan, when testifying before the House Foreign Relations Committee, said that President Trump risked leaving America with the sole responsibility for whatever happens, a scenario similar to what America faces with North Korea. In a statement to CNN, Parsi said "The risks are too great to allow Trump to open up a nuclear Pandora's box in the Middle East. Trump's national security team, and all serious thinkers in Congress, must block the President from a failed certification before it is too late."
By Michael McKeever8 years ago in The Swamp
