controversies
It seems every time one racially-charged incident ends, a gender or religious controversy takes its place; Ruminate on the issues dividing our nation and world.
2018 Volcanos
- Hawaii, Kilauea Volcano - It was on the 3rd of may when the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued an evacuation order for hundreds of people. A fissure had opened up near the indigenous volcanic structure Kilauea, causing alarm for scientist at the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The half a mile long crack in the earth would be the first of 24 to open in an eruption event that would go on to last to this day. Pelehonuamea or Pele for short, the Hawaiian goddess believed to reside in Kilauea's crater, had unleashed her wrath on her native people. Credited to the swift response time at the observatory, the eruption has yet to take any lives and there has only been one serious injury. Although i wish the same could be said for the actual island itself. 500 homes have been destroyed already leaving an immense amount of people homeless. Thankfully the president has directed that financial assistance be provided to the people who did lose their homes. Pele also claimed a legendary victim when lava flow completely evaporated Green Lake, the biggest lake in the entire state. Legend has it that the goddess would come down to bathe in the lake herself. If the loss of their lake wasn't shocking enough for residents, the collapse of Kilauea's crater would be. Geologist do not exactly know what consequences that will have on the eruption as it continues.
By Carlos Guerra8 years ago in The Swamp
Torah for These Times
In this essay, I am going to discuss the relevance of the Torah in the times in which we find ourselves. I want to be abundantly clear, that I am not going to speak at the pulpit, nor do I have any interest in converting people to Judaism. Rather, my approach will be largely based in philosophy.
By Graham Ohayon8 years ago in The Swamp
Why Do Some People Want the Apocalypse?
Some people seem to have empty lives other than their brand of religion, which fills the void. In order to keep the world working, we all have to do our part by getting out of bed just to go to work. Those who join cults do not have enough love in their lives from somebody, are lonely, and temperamental. They feel that they need structure in their lives, so the cult provides a means to fill that particular void as well. The apocalypse cannot happen even if you watch way too much of The Walking Dead.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in The Swamp
The Outside Looking In
Politics are not usually an area I talk about unless it's with my closest relatives. However, seeing all the recent news coming from America makes me realize how little people know about immigration to the country. I feel like some background is needed to understand my view point. A little over two years ago I moved from the USA to Sweden. It was one of the toughest choices in my 20+ years. The choice also didn't happen overnight. My husband and I weighed our options between him moving to the states and me moving to Sweden.
By Cecelia Sorqvist8 years ago in The Swamp
The American Dream
When America came to be the biggest success of its century, everyone flocked to it. There were immigrants coming from all over the place. There was no hesitation, if someone wanted to be free of something or oppression or whatever it was they needed to escape, they escaped to America. The Irish, the Dutch, the German, the Japanese, and everyone else. America was a safe haven for everyone. Then the people got here and found decrepit, disgusting men that did the same decrepit and disgusting things that they did in every country that they had tried to escape. Somehow, that didn’t stop people from coming though and here’s why.
By Respectfully Sandra8 years ago in The Swamp
Never Again?
I have spent most of my life trying to understand what makes a Nazi. Ever since I read Elie Wiesel's Night, I was haunted by the horror of what happened to the Jews in Germany under the Nazi regime. Mostly, I tried to understand what makes good people do nothing—and what turns an ordinary human being into a killing monster. I have read many books about the era and even made a film about a Holocaust survivor. I never found any answers. But now I finally get it. The Trump administration's abominable actions of separating mothers from their children, siblings from each other, and of picking good people off the street has finally allowed me to see how it happens. A monster gets elected with an extreme following—or of ordinary people who think his extremist policies will "help them." There are rationalizations. In this case, people talk about "border security" and about making "America Great Again." Try and hold back the vomit as we look at the unsavory characters trying to sell these policies to the American public. And it's working. Unbelievably, Trump's numbers are up.
By Karen Goldfarb8 years ago in The Swamp
Does Color Really Matter?
Think to yourself, are you racist? Why does color matter? Every human just wants to achieve something, why should their skin color matter? A lot of people are racially bullied and feel like they don't belong in society and that is WRONG! No one should feel this way. Every life has a meaning and a purpose. I personally have been bullied by my skin color after the 9/11 attack. It was probably the worst time of my life, I felt like I didn't belong. All my friends left me, and I was called a terrorist. But, I soon realized, I was not the only one who had experienced this. There are many others who have felt the same.
By lizzie smith8 years ago in The Swamp
Gun Control
For an average child in America in 2018, being in a school where at any moment a kid can pull out his father’s handgun is scary. For the average adult, a grown man pulling out a new AR-15 on the entire mall crowd has a higher chance than what it may seem. The events are real, they have happened, they will happen again. Either a lost, damaged child is bullied until he feels as if the only option left is to slay 20 children in his own classroom. Or maybe, a grown man, 18 or 19, was tortured as a child, abused and scared deathly of everyone since his whole life he has taken mental abuse from his old classmates, and decided to buy a new AR-15 to approach his old school and kill 17 innocent, loving teenagers without any mercy. Living a day knowing that dying is a legitimate fear is not a world any American should live in. Going to school and getting an education should not be scary. Whether someone’s daughter will live through the day safely at school should NOT be a worry. Therefore, this paper will further in-depth explain why things should change, maybe why they should not, and how these issues correlate with everyone on a daily basis.
By Makaio Carter8 years ago in The Swamp
Gun Control
What About Stricter Gun Control? In America, a staggering amount of crimes are committed with the assistance of deadly, and often military grade weaponry. Whether it’s a brutal, malevolent murder, or one of the dozen and a half senseless, bloody school shootings that have the entire nation in shock three months into 2018, guns are owned by 42% of Americans, yet 67% of all homicides committed by the use of a firearm. In America, the process to get a gun can take a mere three days, and background checks can take only minutes, allowing basically anybody without too severe of a criminal history to get a gun on demand. In Japan, where violent crime rate in relation to guns is significantly lower, the process to achieve the title of a gun owner can take up to around four months full of interviewing, inspecting, and learning. Due to that, the aforementioned crime rate relation to a gun control issue is substantially low compared to here in America. With that knowledge and comparison, should gun control strictness be increased? The answer: definitely. Many people try to argue their second amendment rights; despite the fact that the only goal of gun control advocates is to bring an end to the NRA’s blatant disregard for sensible gun regulation. In short- the time to do something about gun violence, was yesterday.
By Makaio Carter8 years ago in The Swamp
The Racist Attorney
This lawyer who shall remain nameless has a history of racist ranting. Oh, not the person you are? When you have a history of being documented on video ranting about illegals, about Jewish people. You make me sick. Really, get over yourself. Learn to accept people. Learn to mix with people since you are an arrogant White person. You deserve having your law license suspended indefinitely. You have the company that operates the business center where your law office is canceling their contract with you. The space wasn’t full-time, but the company provided mail and phone services for you.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in The Swamp
Why, Racism?
I want to find whoever came up with these double standards and kick them where the sun doesn’t shine. There are double standards when it comes to men and women, the races, employment, and dare I say it, racism. Since Donald Trump became the president of the United States, more and more people are letting their racism and bigotry just hang out like laundry on the clothesline. We all knew racism existed but when African Americans were given more rights and were actually treated like human beings, those bigots and racists didn’t just disappear. That type of thing doesn’t just go away. It just gets buried and hidden so that it can’t be seen. When Trump was elected, he gave those people back their voices. Suddenly, it became okay to compare someone to the Planet of the Apes. Trump has, without a doubt, set this country back because he was so dead set on reversing and undoing everything that President Obama had done to make this country great. I will never understand how protecting and preserving health care coverage for Americans is a bad thing. But when you are used to people going without and having less, seeing them gaining access to a better quality of life will burn you up inside. Just as I suspect that it did for Trump and all of his supporters.
By Shanita Marshall8 years ago in The Swamp
