humanity
Humanity topics include pieces on the real lives of politicians, legislators, activists, women in politics and the everyday voter.
Jose Antonio Vargas and Joy Reid at Powerhouse Arena
I first heard about Jose Antonio Vargas in 2007 from my wife Tina. She was editing Barack Obama's and Hillary Clinton's Wikipedia pages, and Jose had called her for an interview in a article he was writing for The Washington Post about the impact of Wikipedia on that Presidential election. Those were early days in the advent of social media—or what I call New New Media (buying a book online is new media, creating a book online is new new media, or consumers becoming producers). Twitter and YouTube were just a year old, and Wikipedia, though a little older, was not allowed as a reference in student papers in probably every class except mine at Fordham University. But it was a new new medium par excellence —anyone who could read an article on Wikipedia could edit it—and Tina and Jose recognized its importance.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in The Swamp
Immigration
Broken systems tend to destroy the things that pass through them. America’s immigration system is broken. It is amassed with government officials who do not yield to compassion. The immigration system is strenuous; its complexity leaves people feeling frustrated, dismayed, and powerless. The system leaves the lives of the individuals that pass through it in ruins.
By Carolina Vazquez7 years ago in The Swamp
Impoverished Nation
When the Peterson Foundation sited medium incomes for 2017 they implied that Americans are earning more than in previous years. Not so. When we take a closer look into the demographics of all Americans today medium incomes don't tell the true sorry state of where this country is in. First off medium means the average based upon those earning the most and figure into the equation those who are in low income levels. Where more higher incomes come into the fold it boosts the average incomes so that we really don't realize the actual facts about the majority of workers who are faced with little or no increases in wages. For African Americas their incomes are pretty bleak. They have seen their incomes levels decrease every year for the past few years. For them the majority, not the average income is at or below the poverty level of $36,000 per year. For the rest of us whether we are Asian or Caucasian income levels for the majority have all shrunk.
By Dr. Williams7 years ago in The Swamp
Politics A Level
Multiculturalism is often criticized for breeding tension and social conflict. However, critics of multiculturalism have argued this case in different ways depending on the political tradition from which they come. On the other hand, multiculturalists strongly reject this view arguing that multiculturalism is in fact a way of relieving tension and reducing social conflict.
By Natalie G.7 years ago in The Swamp
Homeless in Paradise
Southern California is stereotypically known as the land of dreams. The weather is almost always perfect, year round. Palm trees sway in the breeze. Winters are typically mild and welcoming. Tropical flowers decorate the landscape. Tourists in designer sunglasses and name brand clothing crowd the sidewalks and local shopping areas. The ocean, desert, and ski resorts are all accessible, within hours of each other. Many of the people who live in Southern California are some of the wealthiest in the nation. Sadly though, things aren’t always glamorous for the residents here.
By Marsha Morgan Medina7 years ago in The Swamp
Public Housing
I often joke describing my Instagram posts as, “projects chronicles shenanigans.” Of course, this is nothing to joke about, but just my way of bringing some levity to real life for many of us who live at the lower spectrum of society. And those Instagram stories are just my experiences. Within the yellow walls, red doors, brown tiles, and long hallways exist today's public housing. All of them look the same, nothing special sets them apart. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. Inside many, you will hear all the same sounds of children crying and playing; adults yelling, laughing, fighting and sometimes even partying. According to The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, (HUD) "Public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. In fact, if you were lucky enough to have been selected from the many awaiting their turn, public housing used to be the Utopia of the low-income family who couldn't afford “the house with the white picket fences” or to live in better affluent neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, for the progenies (like myself) who grew up within the walls of public housing as it is widely known, but nicknamed, “the projects,” it is the place where you couldn't wait to move away. The place when you left, it was like being granted parole for good behavior or before you got scarred for life. It's the place once you left, you never wanted to come back, not even for a visit. Growing up, I had come to know public housing as a cautionary tale. By the time my family moved to public housing in the 80’s, it was already well on its way to becoming known as the place where, you never wanted to be caught out after a certain time or in a particular neighborhood. At the time, my neighborhood especially was riddled with the current crack and cocaine epidemic, and rampant prostitution. By the time I was thirteen, I quickly realized that public housing was no Utopia. It was the first time I heard the term “ghetto,” a part of the city that is a slum, impoverished, destitute and occupied by a minority group or groups.
By She Writes7 years ago in The Swamp
How Islamophobic Are We?
A Much Maligned group? Ten years ago, during a parents’ evening at a secondary school, I spoke to a German-speaking Muslim couple of one of my pupils. Their English wasn’t yet good but with my limited German, we were able to converse. They had recently come here from Germany where they experienced prejudice and found the English were far friendlier.
By Richard Winnington7 years ago in The Swamp
100 Venezuelans Leave Peru to Go Back to Their Home
I must confess I stay in very little touch with my Venezuelan relatives and friends, so over the years I’ve lost touch with the so-called situation in the country. My best friend, one of the few I do speak to regularly, resides in Peru now. His chances of relocating his family to Lima are in jeopardy now thanks to actions taken by the Peruvian government—Venezuelans would no longer be allowed to come into the country with their laminated IDs, something that would normally suffice when crossing the borders between the countries of South America. Soon they will need a passport and visa to cross, and even that may not be enough if some get there way.
By Greg Sanchez7 years ago in The Swamp
Why Are You Ranking: How Individualism and Capitalism Are the Only Antitoxins for Racism Listed from Powerful to Puissant
Racism is stupid. On a ranking of the most unintellectual, base forms of collectivism, it ranks high. This pall of viciousness has fallen on both the victim and the perpetrator. On the one side, the victim identifies with his or her “race” and seeks to defend it. On the other, the perpetrator destroys the victim using non-scientific beliefs. The perpetrator continues on his or her path of destruction based on non-scientific beliefs and a corrupt mysticism related to skin color. African male and female specimens were different from European structure. Today, there are plenty of boxes besides race to check on an identification sheet. Muslim, Lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, disabled, and other nonessentials all pile up like rush hour traffic collisions. But the one lasting idea that separates and has kept human beings from advancing is the pigment divide. Honest individuals, both melanin challenged and otherwise, feel that they have to tip toe around the subject so as to avoid being labeled a racist. Outright defenders of the thoughtless act of judging chemical makeup rather than character find alleged “pride” in their own skin. In blacks, they ascribe their own “intelligence” to the geniuses of George Washington Carver, Miles Davis, and Toni Morrison; while choosing to ignore the black morons at the other end of the intelligence bell curve. They fail to see that the long list of black morons have constituted the race as well. Since the days of slavery in the United States, the distinction that has been placed on people with a darker flesh and coarse hair would be laughable if the history of racism in this country had not been so horrific. Just for being a black man, an individual could be stripped, shot, stabbed, hanged, set on fire, and drawn and quartered. And that’s just a mob showing restraint. Not to mention the black women used as breeding stock by their owners. So open up your tablets to receive a fresh take on a form of collectivism for "Why Are You Ranking: How Individualism and Capitalism Are the Only Antitoxins for Racism Listed from Powerful to Puissant."
By Skyler Saunders7 years ago in The Swamp
