opinion

Opinion pieces from the left, right, and everyone in between.

European Immigration
In Europe, immigration has evolved and contributed to cultural and economic stimulation however in my opinion, these changes, in the end, are positive. As far as I am concerned, when looking at the history of Europe, immigration commenced when Europeans would emigrate to other countries across the globe to colonise other nations. For centuries, merchants, craftsmen and intellectuals crossed continents to practice a trade. Aside from voluntary immigration, forced immigration also was widespread in Europe, for example, The expulsion of Jews from Spain to the wars between Russia, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman empires. Since the 1980s, the number of asylum seekers has increased vastly. In 1984, there were around 104,000 immigrants in Europe, by 1992 there were around 700,000. It seems to me that as the number of asylum seekers rises, the more European countries start to protect and close-off their country. The reason for this rise is mainly because of war, safety, and career opportunities.
By B B7 years ago in The Swamp
The War on Christmas
It's that time of the year again. You put up your Christmas trees, hang a wreath, maxing out your credit card buying crap that will only satisfy your family members for one year and even getting that holiday ham to stick into the oven. The best time of the year for some of us
By Johann Hollar7 years ago in The Swamp
Gun Control
There was recently a shooting at Mercy hospital in Chicago. I live in the suburbs, so this hit close to home. It also gave me a minor panic attack when I got an alert on my phone that there was a shooting at Chicago hospital and didn't say which one. Details are important and should be displayed on phone alerts. Anyway, as with most shootings, the topic of gun control came into play again. Living in a pro-gun house, a family member's immediate reaction was to ask me to get my concealed carry license. Believe me, with recent stories in the news, the thought has often crossed my mind. Honestly though, I don't feel safe carrying because I have seizures. I don't feel safe having guns in my house because I have seizures and a young child that lives with me. There's no reason for me, personally, to own a gun inside my house at this time. I've taken gun safety courses, I know how to operate a gun, I have my FOID card, and I love going to the shooting range. I am not a monster, I'm just someone who's explored their options and the legal ways in which to own and operate them.
By Michelle Schultz7 years ago in The Swamp
Austerity Britain Is Like a Modern Day Dickens Novel
I have been engaged with politics since the Conservatives came into power via a coalition government, back in 2010. I can remember feeling, even at 16, that my life was going to change for the worst. I come from a proud working-class background in Liverpool, in the north of England: a staunch Labour stronghold, with deep socialist roots; a place that past Conservative governments (namely under Thatcher) have tried to destroy. Education schemes, funding, signposts to opportunities not afforded to the generations before me, and not least, sacrifices by my ever-supportive mother, have meant that I was the first in my family to go to university—despite the enormous tuition fees and interest rates on student loans imposed by the Tories, to try and keep people like me out of the world of the educational elite. Waving goodbye to Labour in 2010, and beckoning in the past eight years of austerity under the Tories, have done untold harm to cities like mine—and the end does not seem to be in sight.
By P.O. Williams7 years ago in The Swamp
We Repress, We Obey, and We Live
The alarm rings at 6AM, you swipe unlock on your iPhone 7 and turn off the ear-splitting sound that daunts you to remember your 9-5. You begin to think… Must you continue living life with the absolute fear and resentment to ‘rise and shine,’ to face a world that is so dysfunctional, and relive each day the same as the last because we are all controlled to operate, if not, obey to the order of those who reign supreme through a vote which we call ‘democracy’. The answer is yes. You rise, you shower, you brush, you dress, you eat and you leave. You leave to a job which holds back your dreams, your desires and your happiness. You leave yourself forever clinging to the inevitability that this is all that is, and all that will be. You stand, unable to breathe through the compelling thought of the never-ending debts of life, and the constraining disbelief that you are in fact, free, to do-as-you-please. We understand, that yes, we have the choice of freedom, but how can one be free without an income which is received through a 40-hour week, which pays for the shelter we sleep, the food we devour and the water we bathe and drink. But we are free, unattached, uncommitted and unrestrained to a position we hate, yet… we are not free from poverty. Can we rely on refuge from those we call our family and friends, those we know are continuously living life with the absolute fear and resentment to ‘rise and shine,’ to face a world that is so dysfunctional, and relive each day the same as the last. The answer is no. So, we continue, we obey, we repress and we live… because, after all, hard work is one of the most valuable necessities of life. So valuable, that we may never, in fact, meet the man which employs us, the face that destroys us, and those who underpay us. We are continuously told that we have the rights to our own freedom, but we must learn ourselves that the cost outweighs those right, and therefore, we stand in line and live by the life we believe is a choice. From the moment we are truly able to comprehend any of the world around us, we are thrown into that which is called mandatory Education. In this, we expect a fish to climb a tree the same way that a monkey can. When the truth is, we don’t all function the same. We don’t all function to understand that our lives should be more than ‘rising and shining’ to relive each day the same as the rest. We understand that life should have meaning, that we, a civilization of human beings living in a free world, should, in fact, be free. Free from the restraints of the five days of hell and the two days of freedom. We will forever be programmed to live the life we live until we are able to break free. We create lives, children, families, and homes, with the crippling debts of a mortgage, health care cuts and free school means been a thing of the past. We create a life for another when we, ourselves, cannot make a life without the need to live each day the same as the rest.. .because that’s our survival. And until our fight for true survival ends, we will sleep… the only true redemption from the civilization we call humanity… The alarm rings 6AM, you swipe to unlock on your iPhone 7 and turn off the ear-splitting sound that daunts you to remember your 9-5.
By tezzaxoo7 years ago in The Swamp
What Happens When We Forget We're Human?
It started with a thought, a maniacal imagination, really, that ran wild in my head in an airport in Salt Lake City. I was on a layover, headed for Denver, Colorado and I was running on two hours of sleep and too many cups of coffee. There was a monotone woman with a cellphone slipped between her shoulder and left ear. The shoulder was pinched tight and I imagined no hands had caressed those shoulders in a long time. She seemed frustrated, unsatisfied.
By Danielle Dragani7 years ago in The Swamp
A Booming Economy: A Word of Caution
The United States economy seems to be in a period of prosperity. Our economy is booming, but there may be problems around the corner The United States Economy is expanding too fast for its own good. This is because the economy is at full employment, inflation is starting to rise, gross domestic product is growing at an alarming rate, and investors have been bullish for too long and are starting to worry about the impending consequences. The Trump administration has pushed the economy too far by introducing extremely aggressive tax strategies. It is only a matter of time before Washington’s greed catches up to them and we enter another economic downturn. It is of utmost importance that we pay attention to these issues at hand. We have to write to our congressmen, get out to vote, and overall, make sure the economic future of our country is in good hands.
By Adam Phillips7 years ago in The Swamp
Planet or Plastic?
DISCLAIMER: I am not a scientist, I do not have any qualification that says "I know what I'm talking about," I am simply just a girl trying to save the planet that I live on.
By Leigh Hooper7 years ago in The Swamp
CNN's Jim Acosta Butts Heads with the President
BRYCE ON THE NEWS MEDIA - And comes out the loser. Click for AUDIO VERSION. After clashing with President Trump during a presidential press conference at the White House Wednesday (Nov 7), CNN's Jim Acosta had his press pass suspended "until further notice," thereby sparking a long standing feud between the President and the main stream media. The meeting was intended to give the President an opportunity to review Tuesday's election. He said he was satisfied with the results and hoped to forge a relationship with House Democrats to work on legislation. He then opened the floor for questions from the press.
By Tim Bryce7 years ago in The Swamp
We Remember in November
After two years of having to put up with the crap that the Orange Fuhrer (Donald Trump) has done to this country, the Democrats have taken back the house.
By Johann Hollar7 years ago in The Swamp
Further Thoughts on Why the Rise in Right-Wing Politics Continues
Further thoughts on why the rise in right-wing political groups continues. The rise of right wing politics in the 21st century additional thoughts.
By Peter Rose7 years ago in The Swamp
Birthright Deportation
In the Autumn of this year our Fearless Leader in Washington is set to alter the Constitution in many ways. But, the 14th Amendment is the prime focus that President Trump wants to abolish. Our Founding Fathers in their infinite wisdom stipulated want constitutes citizenship and now Trump is again trashing the Constitution for his own political gain. Instead of focusing on total immigration reform, which is surely needed, Trump is again agitating millions of Americans with his rhetoric about eliminating birthright citizenship. With a bravado for circumventing the truth, Trump is fraudulently claiming that birthright citizens have no place in America today. Bear in mind that if Trump gets his way, millions of already American citizens could very well be deported just as inhumanly as this administration has done in the past. The cost would be a deathblow to the U.S. economy. The fact of the matter is currently there are still over 65 percent of undocumented immigrants already living and working in the US. And they have been here for over ten years.
By Dr. Williams7 years ago in The Swamp