Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in The Swamp.
#GA6 Was a Reminder - Not a Referendum
The special election held for the open congressional seat in the 6th district of north suburban Atlanta was supposed to be a movement. People I know as far away as California sent money to the Jon Ossoff campaign in hopes of beginning a revolution of sorts against the ideology of the Trump administration.
By Jennifer Gulbrandsen9 years ago in The Swamp
Fade to Black
When most people see a spider in their house, more often than not, their first reaction is, "Oh shit? Where's my slipper!" or something along those lines. Oddly enough, though, "house" spiders do not aim to harm us (humans), they're simply just trying to get from point A to point B in their ordinary, daily lives as insects. They're just trying to do what spiders do--eat bugs, give birth to smaller baby spiders and, of course, avoid becoming a tiny gush stain on the mean end of a size 10.5 slipper).
By Dre Joseph9 years ago in The Swamp
The End of the US Constitution
Reading that title what first comes to mind? Do you think I am anti-American? Do you immediately assume I am a rebelling millennial? Do you assume I don't know any better? Or perhaps you are intrigued? You have come across something you have thought about, but never dreamed of speaking aloud?
By Brian Paredes9 years ago in The Swamp
Moving Tribute From the Whole Country
The hardest thing of all is when you are a victim of any kind of trauma that we hear about every day; most importantly the recent events that we have heard about, seen, helped, and applauded. This is the only way to go about it when something like this has made an impact on so many lives recently; if it wasn't for Ariana Grande fighting back, raising money for the Manchester victims at her concert bringing everyone together, Simon Cowell may not have taken a leaf out of her book as a father. He can understand how horrible it must have been to lose a child in that way; I could be wrong but I'm giving him the credit on the count that he brought singers in and most importantly added a touch of community spirit to the song that has been recently released.
By Lizzy Arrow9 years ago in The Swamp
Libertarians
I know, I know. You’re probably picturing some country whack-job in flannel in front of a pile of MRE’s and ammunition. Well, that is a bullshit image that the media paints of Libertarianism the same way they painted Bernie supporters as entitled whiny brats. We are not Republicans in any sense of the word. Nor do we support racism, religious ideology, or legislated morality. The only thing that we even remotely agree with Republicans on is cutting spending, but for much different reasons. We are also not anarchists. At least not all of us. The phrase is “Minarchism,” which is the idea of only having a government big enough to provide the rights and structure allowed by our Constitution. So, here is a break-down of what I believe, and why in the hopes that even if you don’t agree you can see where I am coming from.
By Mickey Finn9 years ago in The Swamp
Freedom? More Like Controlled Movements
The world in which we live spins around space, and orbits the sun; gravity holds us down. Common sense right? I know. But something many don’t seem know or think about, expect the few that long for freedom, is how come we don’t get to feel the unknown? How come we're always protected, obeying the rules, and forced by laws of nature? How come our safety and health is so important to others and not so much ourselves? Almost as if we're apart of something bigger, a bigger plan, for the human race.
By Alexandra Clausen9 years ago in The Swamp
The Wonder Woman of Tel Aviv
There’s a billboard on the Tel Aviv highway that proclaims “We Love You” under a picture of Wonder Woman. More accurately, under a picture of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. In Israel, she’s kind of a big deal. And if you’re wondering why all you have to do is watch her late night interviews. She mentions her home country in all of them. Jimmy Fallon? Check. Kimmel? Check. Even Conan. And Conan didn’t even interview her. During a segment where she takes him through her workout regimen, he mentions that she was trained in the Israeli army (she served for two years). Now imagine you live in a country like Israel, where United States exposure to your culture is limited. And if somehow you do manage to break into the cultural sphere, odds are the focus isn’t really on where you’re from. It might be mentioned in an offhand question - “You’re from so-and-so, what do you think of America?” - but the bulk of the questions will be fun personal anecdotes about your breakfast, your kids, or that time you met that other famous person and you were just so star struck. But there’s Gal. On American TV. Talking about Israel.
By Zane DeYoung9 years ago in The Swamp
A Face Saving Rewrite of Named Person
Parts 4 and parts 5 of the children and young person Act (Scotland)2014, that are currently revoked from law and commonly known as named person and child plans, are making their way back to the Scottish Parliament for approval. This will cost another million pounds to retrain all relevant staff on named person and child plans.
By Harmony Flower9 years ago in The Swamp
Speak No Evil; The Flaws of Society in Literature
Literature has shaped our society in more ways than one. Not only is it a reflection of our history and future, it is a commentary, albeit a dramatic one, of how flawed the human world can be, a wake-up call that demands people to rethink the world they live in.
By Varinder Singh9 years ago in The Swamp
Dear President Trump, Think About Your Family
Dear Mr. Trump, In the last couple of months since you took over as President of the US, you have diminished more than just your own name, but rather, your entire family’s name too. Melania and you are in the midst of a very complicated and unusual relationship and it is believed by some that you don’t even care for each other (Is Melania really just in it for the money and fame?). Recently, you tried to grab Melania’s hand after leaving the airplane on your Middle East trip & she nudged your hand away and gave you a dirty look. Also, your daughter, Ivanka has been severely scrutinized by the media mostly because of your wrongdoings. As President, you must start to think about your family before you bring them all down. I write this letter to you, Mr. President to challenge you to change your values, integrity, and approach for the country and for your own family.
By David Lasher9 years ago in The Swamp
Neutrality or Neutrali-tarianism?
The Problem The conversation about Net Neutrality seems like a simple one: Proponents say that without it, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will run amok and adopt unfair practices to keep ahead of their competitors. This would be a horrible miscarriage of justice… if we only had a single ISP for the geographical region. It could even be used to stifle freedom of speech…except that new networks also have deep pockets and they keep a keen eye on their viewership. In fact, it should be a problem by now. The internet providers have had decades to institute these practices that proponents of formalized Net Neutrality. So, if there were a profit in it, wouldn’t they steer things in a way that benefits them?
By Mickey Finn9 years ago in The Swamp
