humanity
Humanity topics include pieces on the real lives of politicians, legislators, activists, women in politics and the everyday voter.
What If We Change the World?
I hate the world we live in. It’s an intolerant and cruel place where you don’t get to just be yourself. I hate the fact that it’s so difficult and painful to love ourselves and to be proud; the fact that being you can also mean not being accepted by people you love. It’s so important to be proud of ourselves to be happy in this world, but it is so challenging at the same time. I hate that you get to be judged by every single person just because you’re not them. Everybody is different and no one is perfect. Isn’t it beautiful? I think it is, but society thinks the opposite. We live with society’s standards, but what is so cool about fitting in them? I don’t want to look like these girl with their perfect beach body. I love the way I look. I don’t want to be this skinny blond on these underwear ads. I don’t want to fit in these insta-babe pages. This isn’t reality. Reality is unity in diversity. The fact that we’re all different makes us a society. The fact that we have our own history and our own opinion, the fact that we weren’t all born in the same country, the fact that we have different taste, that’s what makes the beauty of a world. Sadly, there’s so many people who disagree with that, who are scared of what’s different than them. Would they prefer to live with a bunch of people who look just like them, who think like them, who speak like them? I wouldn’t. I am way too annoying. But seriously, I hate the world for making people feel miserable, for making them feel wrong. Nobody should feel guilty to be themselves. You don’t have to justify your choices or about your taste. You get to do whatever the hell you want and nobody should tell you that you can’t do something or that you’re wrong. Because they are. They are wrong to make you feel that way. I hate that in some countries, it is still illegal to marry someone of the same sex. I hate that in some places, a women doesn’t have the same right as a men. I hate that you get judge by the color of your skin or by the language you speak. I hate that you get beat up for thinking differently. I hate that the person who beat you up gets away with it. I hate that the wrong people get to have all the power. I hate that the world is controlled by a bunch of losers. I hate that the president of the USA is dumber than all the country combined. I hate that we get to follow rules that doesn’t make any sense. I hate that we fight at war and that we think it’s going to solve our problems. I hate that even after hundreds of years, the world hasn’t change. It’s still an awful place and I don’t want to live in it anymore. I wish I could change it, because believe me, I would do anything it takes to make it a place where everyone is happy and where you get to be yourself at any time. This sad world we live in doesn’t have to be this way forever.
By Charlie Garcia8 years ago in The Swamp
Renegotiating the Intergenerational Contract
It’s reasonably safe to say that parents expect their children to be better off than they were at the same age. Polling shows that, across age groups, the majority of people expect the next generation to have better living standards than the previous one. However, the figures also reveal a consensus that this expectation is not being met. Given that the unique challenges facing the younger generation are widely recognised, what is standing in the way of making progress in re-balancing the intergenerational contract? The debate is often framed as a generational battle, but the answers are more likely to lie in mutual sacrifice and collaboration, than in a fight to reinforce the interests of one group at the expense of another.
By John Cooper8 years ago in The Swamp
Homeless in California
This not to place guilt on anyone. This is about dealing with all the hidden factors that provide a strong foundation for homelessness. This is about dispelling the lies that make it hard for homeless people to be helped. We all deserve to live decent lives. No person who loses their job and faces the challenges of life that lead them to homelessness should be accused of being lazy. Depressed, yes, hurt, lost, and even broken yes, but lazy, no. Try standing in a line waiting for food after walking all day. Imagine having to walk most of the places you need just for food and clean clothing for a job interview. Most of us can’t. Then imagine doing it with your family following you. Imagine the single mother who lost her husband to crime, who has to take care of her child and work. Imagine the man or woman from the military who fought for our country and is dealing with PTSD or crippled in combat and cannot work.
By I AM. Master of Arts8 years ago in The Swamp
Black Lives Matter
#BlackLivesMatter Do you think people of color and “white” people have the same rights and opportunities? Do you think systematic racism exists today? You might be thinking it doesn’t exist anymore and everyone is equal and some might even believe it’s not that big of a deal. They have to have their priorities straight to be accepted by society. It’s hard for blacks to feel elevated in this country because it’s mainly run by white folks. Society's perception of black folks is always negative and they are often misunderstood. Law enforcement definitely doesn’t have a problem putting a black nigga behind bars and will always start a problem when there isn’t one there. Racism is still a thing and black folks have to try twice as hard to be accepted by society, be cautious of the laws and pray their lives aren’t next.
By Fatima hassan8 years ago in The Swamp
Ireland's Trouble
From the time that I was in high school in New Orleans, I knew I wanted to travel. Particularly, I wanted to go to Ireland, the country my family was so connected to, with its Catholic roots, ability to drink, and lust for good company. After graduating, I was given an opportunity to travel this magical little island, and I fell in love. A few years later, I decided that I was going to move to the Emerald Isle, and I began making plans. I happened to show up at a party, which my future love had planned with his American family. He was in the States with a program entitled The Ulster Project, aiming to end the prejudices caused by The Troubles in Northern Ireland. They find American families to house teenagers coming from Protestant and Catholic backgrounds, still very much segregated within the towns in Northern Ireland.
By Claire Wilson8 years ago in The Swamp
The Era of Open Racism and Prejudice
You see, the United States has a long history of racism, first involving the early settlers and the Native Americans. Racism serves no purpose other than belittling somebody. To demean somebody different from you deliberately is wrong. How many times have we tried to eliminate our racism as a species collectively? None. We have leaders that come every so often to help us like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or President Barack Obama but we do not learn from their teachings. And in modern times, we have Meghan Merkle marrying Prince Harry.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in The Swamp
Living in Two Regimes: Communism vs Capitalism
Sitting in the comfort of my living room, I flipped the remote control and stumbled upon a TV program that stirred my emotions and brought me 30 years back. The show was about a Communistic regime in North Korea, and I felt as though I was watching a video from my childhood: the kids being interviewed were wearing the same uniforms and saying patriotic speeches. I felt like it was me on that screen, being interviewed by an American journalist and representing my country, the Soviet Union.
By Nina Domricheva8 years ago in The Swamp
Knowledge: Is It Really Power?
Political cartoons are in and of themselves meant to comment through imagery and text on contemporary social issues, evoking a strong emotional opinion in the viewer. In one of Nick Anderson’s political cartoons, a small burqa-clad woman kneels on an open book three times as big as her with the word “Knowledge” inscribed on one of its pages. A large man wearing a hijab towers over her with the words “Boko Haram” written on his chest and he is about to crush the woman with a book captioned “Dogma.” The message conveyed by the cartoon is clear: the education of women in countries taken over by the terroristic Nigerian sect Boko Haram is forbidden by the male overlords who enforce Sharia, or Islamic, Law upon the people. To raise awareness in young men and women about how Boko Haram forbids the education of women, the cartoon uses specific design elements that are emotionally, yet logically, inducing.
By Sarah Bryan8 years ago in The Swamp
