Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in The Swamp.

Is Gun Control Really the Problem?
Students deserve the most nurturing care that American schools have to offer. Imagine accommodating these students’ needs by creating an atmosphere for children that is similar to the comfort they feel in their own home. Undying feelings of security would drive students to attend school with carefree attitudes ready to learn. Ideally, schools are a safe place for parents to send their children during the day. However, due to recent events of school shootings, these ideals seem to become a fantasy.
By cayleerose8 years ago in The Swamp
The Real Harrison, AR
I started on this journey when I applied for a government job for a "Public Safety Dispatcher" in what I presumed was Buffalo, NY. I was sick and tired of working a job where there were so few women and too many men getting recognized for the same type of work I was doing. God only knows if they were getting paid more than me, but I didn't care when I applied. I worked for the government before, and because I was attending college full time, I didn't have time to drive over an hour away to work. (Most of you are thinking, why not? it's ONLY over an hour away! You could've made it work!) And I agree wholeheartedly. I worked it for a while until college course schedule was changed by my instructor, which meant I had to be in class earlier than expected. I was using my annual leave to cover the cost of me leaving work early, and getting to class on time with no sleep. I loved that job! However, trying to make good grades versus making "good enough" grades came into play. I decided to get good enough grades and take a leave of absence from my good paying job. On some level, I should've stayed working and gave up college all together. But I digress...
By Teri Ford8 years ago in The Swamp
The Starbucks Boycott
Apparently, two people arrested for trespassing at a Starbucks location is worthy of national news, Good Morning America appearances, and a call for a boycott of our overpriced, trendy corporate coffee house. The reason? The men arrested were black.
By Brian Dollard8 years ago in The Swamp
It’s Time for an Honest Conversation About the Second Amendment
I don’t think I am one to talk. I lived in a house where mom and dad despised guns, to this day. Yet, I went the other day shooting at a range here in Charleston, and they seemed to be happy for me that I got to have some fun trying something I’ve never done. How could that be possible? Now the real question stands, can we have a healthy talk about what’s tearing our country apart?
By Tristan DeJesus8 years ago in The Swamp
America & the Arms- Ageddon
In current times, we face many different threats to our way of life, as well as how we operate globally. Not only on a physical level either, as with advancements in technology we've become at risk to a whole catalouge of new weapons. The increasing risk of Artificial intelligence (AI) being weaponized, the prospect of nuclear war and many others. But it seems that we still have a lot to acomplish with our 'traditional' issues - such as the ongoing firearms issues that we continuously see in the United States of America.
By Ryan McGregor8 years ago in The Swamp
Review of 'The Americans' 6.4
The Americans 6.4 last night was about as stark as this series gets—which is to say dire, for everyone concerned. It's hard not to feel at least a little bad even for Elizabeth—hard because she surely deserves all that befalls her, given all the people she's played and murdered for her cause. But in the bed there with Philip, telling him she's tired all the time—it's hard not feel something for her.
By Paul Levinson8 years ago in The Swamp
Don't Have a Cow, Ditch the Beef!
Scientists are asking the question, but what is the answer? A subject that has everybody talking—from biologists to economists, everyone has a stake in what’s going to happen to planet Earth over the coming decades. There is much debate over the expected severity of climate change, but it can be agreed humans are influencing the speed in which cyclic warming and cooling are occurring.
By Emily Butterfly8 years ago in The Swamp
Ways to Fix the Democratic Party
There's no hiding from it anymore: the DNC needs some R&R—or, something that can not only be of benefit, but of overall holistic change to the entirety of the party. While it's obvious that these adaptations and "bug fixes" won't happen overnight, it must not go unnoticed that the party does need mending and that a more insightful examination into the practices, leadership, and thought processes involved on a deeper level of the Democratic National Committee must all be brought further into the limelight.
By Donald Gray8 years ago in The Swamp
Songs About Police Brutality
Sometimes a song is the fastest and the most emotionally evocative way to communicate a lesson. You can read a book, watch a movie, and even subject yourself to raw cam footage of grizzly police violence, but what music is able to communicate is simultaneously both feeling and narrative. In doing so, the issue is both illuminated and complicated. That's why songs about police brutality are indispensable; they both shape the conversation and are the conversation in and of themselves. Crank up these jams, get woke, and shut it down! No justice; no peace; no racist police!
By Ben Kharakh8 years ago in The Swamp
Universal Healthcare Now!
Republicans want to do away with gains made in the last decade with the Obama administration. The Republican plan is to do away with cutting the number of uninsured people in the US. Obamacare leaves 30 million people not covered, however, and leaves middle-class Americans with a higher insurance premium to pay off. The United States spends more money on health care than say Japan, who spends too little money on health care while we make many excuses as to why we do not have cheaper healthcare because of the insane prices of prescription medication. Single-payer healthcare is something that scares those Republicans because the government is supposed to regulate the cost of prescriptions as well as medical services. They are terrified of having anything better that serves the people. This is why extremists have to start letting go of extremist perspectives.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in The Swamp
Best Political Gifts For People Who Hate Trump
The perfect gift for the anti-Trump person in your life is going to help send a message to the dumpster fire in the White House. It's not going to be some wacky shirt or a Donald Trump blow up doll that you can wack over and over again. The best way to wack Trump is to practice self-care, amplify the voices of the disenfranchised, and take it to the streets to flex our collective might. The must-have political gifts for people who hate Trump aren't tchotchkes; they're practical tools of fighting against an oppressive and repressive regime.
By Ben Kharakh8 years ago in The Swamp
Syria: Dust, Rubble, and Mirrors
Not for the first time, the Middle East is in turmoil. Once again, outside forces are stirring up trouble and trying to obscure the truth behind the plumes of acrid black smoke billowing from the bombed out buildings.
By Michael Blair8 years ago in The Swamp