humanity

Humanity topics include pieces on the real lives of politicians, legislators, activists, women in politics and the everyday voter.

All Your Heroes Are Dead
"Man, in his arrogance, thinks himself a great work. Worthy of the interposition of a deity..." Darwin wrote in his notebook in the decades prior before he would publish The Origin of Species, this simple observation would have profound ramifications on how we view ourselves and our place in the world. Its contribution to a much larger body of work would not only influence science, but also challenge strongly held religious beliefs.
By C. Raymond Martin7 years ago in The Swamp
The False Paradox: Cultural Heritage vs Human Life
As I sat on the train on my commute home on Monday April 16, I, like millions of others, read the news in horror. Notre Dame was burning.
By Kaylee Spivey Good7 years ago in The Swamp
The Ongoing Battle for Gay Rights
Growing up in the 70s and 80s was not always easy, but it was particularly hard if someone was anything out of the “ordinary.” This era was crucial when it came to things like human rights and tolerance. It was a turning point in how America viewed homosexuality and in how LBGTQ+ community members were treated both by the law and by the people.
By Tessa Giasson7 years ago in The Swamp
The Problem of Race
Racism and prejudice have been present in almost every civilization and society throughout history. Even though the world has progressed greatly in the last couple of decades, both socially and technologically, racism, hatred, and prejudice still exist today. It lives deeply embedded in old-fashioned, narrow-minded traditions and values. People like being right. When confronted by a different person's views, they get angered. That is what the United States is—a country is built on people having their own views and points. Although this is good, it can become fatal. America as a nation has a deep central problem with the way it views people that are not ‘white,’ it stereotypes and places people in boxes that make it difficult for them to get out of, unless we go out of our way to neglect stereotypical views we see or hear from people and the media, the racial issues and problems deeply embedded in American history will never be fixed. The only way to teach about the issues of racism in America is through education, one way being Ta Nehisi Coates “Letter to My Son” because it helps the reader understand the fear of being a black American and relate to the issues that will not only affect them but the people around them.
By Ade A7 years ago in The Swamp
Why You Must Have Close Friends that Have Political Beliefs Different from Your Own
I've always had close friends of different political stripes. It's enriched my life, and enabled me to have empathy for people who I may disagree with, but still able to continue to have a cordial relationship with.
By Kubvoruno Dzimiri7 years ago in The Swamp
Turns Out You Can Really Create the World You Want to Live in
I used to work for an employment agency. I used to get sent off to work at different locations, mostly to help cater the lunch at big companies, and did it on and off for about three years. Though the setting and people who I worked with, or for changed, I always found myself answering the same questions, and ending up feeling the same way.
By Dalila Abdelkhalek7 years ago in The Swamp
Sleeping Rough in a Murder Capital
In 2016 a small Lincolnshire Market Town was labelled by Home Office figures as the most murderous place in England and Wales, and the least integrated town in Britain.
By Lee Bowman7 years ago in The Swamp
A Night in a Shelter...
2019 and we are only giving someone a place to lay their head in a safe, warm environment when the weather dictates. The chance of a conversation, a hot drink, and a small piece of cake to line their stomachs when the conditions become so severe. Only when it is too cold to lay on a pavement with nothing but all your belongings and a piece of cardboard from a skip.
By Lee Bowman7 years ago in The Swamp
Brunei Wants to Punish Gay Sex and Adultery with Death by Stoning
Brunei wants to punish gay sex and adultery with death by stoning. It seems to be a history of the Middle Ages, but it is in 2019. Authorities in the tiny Asian country of Brunei intend to put into effect, as soon as next week, a law that punishes those who commit adultery or have sex with same-sex people with death by stoning—a move that has irked human rights activists across the world.
By vincent ferdinand7 years ago in The Swamp
How Do We Measure Up?
Hakas are being performed multiple times a day in New Zealand at the moment and sadly it is not for a rugby game or wedding. The Hakas are being performed to honor the 50 people that recently lost their lives due to a white supremacist with a firearm at the Al Noor Mosque.
By Catherine Agati7 years ago in The Swamp
The Day of the Mandalay Bay Shooting
I grew up in the fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada for the last ten or so years of my young life. As you can probably imagine, the city life was just as fascinating to me as it was for any other child that grew up in rural areas for the beginning years of their growth. The city lights brought heat to my big blue eyes and the buildings were like Jack’s beanstalk, it never seemed to reach an endpoint. The sound of airplanes were as magical as the shooting stars and the people were so lively, that is—until October 1, 2017.
By McKy Sillitoe7 years ago in The Swamp
Swimming Against the Tide. Top Story - March 2019.
I’ve lived in the UK since 2006 when I first came over for graduate school. Every year the immigration rules became more stringent, sometimes in surprising ways. For example, when I realised that the rules had changed when I wasn’t looking and would no longer be eligible for a tier one work visa after my PhD. This was because I’d spent my entire final year focused on my PhD (or severely depressed and unable to focus on anything, as is so common in academia) instead of part-time working and earning the minimum income threshold for tier one applicants. Now on the cusp of becoming a citizen, this journey has been the most dehumanizing, dispiriting, and wearying experiences of my life, touching deeply and painfully on my personal identity. I’ve hesitated to share my story because though I experienced it as great hardship in my life, I am still one of the lucky ones. I approached the process with the most possible privilege one can have. Though it was difficult for me, realistically my experience was by far one of the most painless of all the migrants of my acquaintance, and far, far easier than the journey that many others experience.
By Caitlin McDonald7 years ago in The Swamp