activism
Grassroots campaigns have proven instrumental in bringing about political, social or environmental change; you've got to start somewhere-might as well start here.
Why Homeless People Stay Homeless
The homeless problem in California will get worse before it gets better. Our high cost of living doesn’t help homeless people. They often choose the streets, despite the fact that 700 people die from hypothermia every year because of homelessness, according to NPR, Talk of the Nation, and the National Coalition for the Homeless.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez7 years ago in The Swamp
Better Ways of Protesting the Alt-Right
I can’t go to protests since I get very stressed around violence, then you can figure out a way to protest with writing, song, poetry, fiction, journalism, and more. I want to give rise to my fiction again for starters, fiction about how fascism is overcome. Staying home, rather than counter protesting, is easier to deal with for some people because we do not have to face the negativity on the street. We don’t come home with injuries, fear, or anxiety from having to stare down the violence. I protest in my own way.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez7 years ago in The Swamp
Why Plastic Straws Are Being Banned
Plastic straws have been in many headlines recently. Popular celebrities like Kim Kardashian-West have made public announcements that they have completely cut out plastic straws from their homes and refuse to use them otherwise. Major cities like Calabasas, California, have banned them from their cities and big-time companies like Starbucks have also started making moves to eliminate them.
By Bria Elizabeth7 years ago in The Swamp
The Homeless Problem in the United States
Throughout the world, the homeless exist. They do not have steady jobs or homes. They are usually on illegal substances, like marijuana, and often alcohol as well. They have to exist outside all the time while those of us with homes exist indoors. Working people resent the homeless population and look at them with disdain. Even low-income people who have living arrangements, or pay low rent as part of their situation, can’t often give the homeless their “spare any change.” Many of us tell them no. Homeless bums have no other options other than being a bum when the shelters are full.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez7 years ago in The Swamp
The Audacity of Leadership
For some time now, there has and continues to be such audacity of our leaders to presume that they have done no harm to the American way of life. In sharp contrast to their rhetoric, the United States is no longer the embodiment of the land of milk and honey and land of opportunity where anyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Today, too many don't even have bootstraps. The livelihoods and freedoms we once knew have been silenced by the political whims of the powers that be.
By Dr. Williams7 years ago in The Swamp
Is This the Shape of Things to Come?
As the soft gentle summer breeze flows, it is hard to imagine all the horror taking place in today's modern world. It seems mankind has really done it this time. Many of us especially baby boomers have fond memories of carefree summer days and whatever harsh realities existed then were really a world away. As sheltered as we once were, we have now come to realize how much misery there really is in the world around today. Now, the sun is setting on the twilight of my years and in my solitude visions of fleeting memories cascade through my conscious thoughts. As if it were yesterday but yet so far away was a world that today is so unrecognizable and different as night is to day. I tremble at the thought that this is the shape of things to come. For those of us that have made it this far where we have reached the golf cart reality, something I thought I'd never be, I have come to realize just how fortunate so few of us really are.
By Dr. Williams7 years ago in The Swamp
Why Are Companies Getting Rid of Plastic Straws? The Answer Shocked Me
If you’re anything like me, from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed you’re sipping on coffee, tea, or red wine. Try as I might, no amount of Crest Whitestrips can keep up with my drinking habits, so I often turn to straws to prevent my teeth from getting stained. However, thanks to non-profits like Plastic Oceans and Lonely Whale, straws might become much harder to find. Why? Well, apparently many of the straws we use and toss every single day end up polluting our seas. According to Plastic Oceans’s website, 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year—and this number is growing.
By Lily Hoffman7 years ago in The Swamp
An Era of Censorship?
I stumbled across an article while wandering online yesterday and it scared me a little. I’ll cover why and the implications I think we have seen, are seeing, and will continue to see in regards to this problem. It’s probably best you give the article a read before continuing on with the rest of this post:
By Lewis Convery8 years ago in The Swamp
Overcoming Phone Anxiety Through Civic Engagement
Most of my friends know that I suffer from debilitating phone anxiety. Having to call someone I don't personally know makes all of my muscles tense up, and asking for something over the phone is often physically painful. In an effort to overcome my phobia and ameliorate the despair I've been feeling from watching the news for the past few months, I started using 5Calls.org.
By Robert Wells8 years ago in The Swamp
