controversies

It seems every time one racially-charged incident ends, a gender or religious controversy takes its place; Ruminate on the issues dividing our nation and world.

10 Years of the Civil War in Syria.
The Syrian conflict started 10 years ago in March 2011. Before the conflict began many Syrians were not happy with rising unemployment, corruption, and a lack of political freedom under president Bashar al-Assad who had succeeded his father.
By DEEPAK SETHI5 years ago in The Swamp
Evil spirits from the pillbox
After Ayao has chosen a t-shirt with colorful prints, white pants, and fake kappa sandals, he pulls a comb through his short curls, distorting his face in pain. Quickly, the 16-year-old fishes two white Tramadol tablets out of his trouser pocket and put them in his mouth. “If I take this, I can do anything,” he says. “Nothing seems impossible.” Then Ayao, who has a different name, leaves his parents’ simple house on the outskirts of Lomé, Togo’s capital, to go to work. With a motorbike rickshaw, he delivers drinking water to shops.
By AddictiveWritings5 years ago in The Swamp
From ‘model minority’ to targets of hate
I have been especially disturbed recently about reports of hate crimes directed toward Asians on the rise. Asian Americans have appeared on the Denver news expressing real fear in the wake of the Atlanta shooting.
By David Heitz5 years ago in The Swamp
21 U.S States Sue Biden Over Keystone Pipeline
There are two sides to every story. Then there are the versions of those stories that are told. When writing pieces like this one I write to inform, educate, advocate and remain factual.
By Misha Alsleben5 years ago in The Swamp
NOT IN MY NAME
Unless you’ve been in a vegetative state during the last few years you understand that this is an intensely charged period in our history. There is an ongoing evolution of awareness unfolding in our society. As the winds of fortune have shifted, so too has the sense of urgency to deal with the formidable and pressing matters at hand. The issues we face are many, but one of the biggest ones is the fomentation of derision and polarization along political, cultural and racial lines. To say that the United States is in a state of crisis is to woefully understate the situation. We are fucked.
By Steve McManus5 years ago in The Swamp
Mental health in the black community
Because black history was last month I felt I need to post this. I know what your thinking. Why in the black community only?
By Author A 5 years ago in The Swamp
Let’s cancel everything to torment conservative snowflakes.
I recently walked into the middle of an animated conversation about how Dr. Seuss was being canceled which was horrible because the speakers all loved Dr. Seuss (the speakers all being middle aged adults). At the time I had no idea what they were talking about, but I immediately sensed that it was all bullshit.
By Buck Hardcastle5 years ago in The Swamp
Texas Lifted the Mask Mandate
The motto for the state of Texas is, "Don't Mess With Texas". Though that motto was derived from a need to stop littering on highways, people attribute it to anything and everything these days. In 2021, Texas has proven that there is no need for anyone to "mess with Texas". Our government is capable of doing all the messing with Texas we can handle. Today Abbott lifted the ban on masks.
By Dana Saunders5 years ago in The Swamp
The Keystone XL
On January 20th, President Biden signed an executive order on "protecting public health and the environment and restoring science to tackle the climate crisis." This executive order essentially halted the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline which would have run from Canada to Nebraska. You can read the executive order here.
By cd ybarra5 years ago in The Swamp
Propaganda Truth Fiction Or Out And Out Lies
With the COVID-19 flu running ramped around the world; you have to ask yourself why there are so many non-believers. Is Coronavirus even true? My question is, do people have to fall over dead beside you for you to believe it’s real? Or ... not!
By Dave Wettlaufer5 years ago in The Swamp
On The Minimum Wage
In a tweet, John Thune, Senate Minority Whip and Senior Senator of South Dakota describes how, in the 1970s, he began working bussing tables at a local restaurant for $1/hour. He slowly moved up to earning $6/hour as a cook in the same establishment which he describes as “the big league” "for a kid like him." As pointed out by many critics, these wages, with inflation, would be akin to $23/hour in 2021. In his example, Mr. Thune’s top pay was marginally more than twice that of the minimum wage of the time, which stood at $2.90 in 1979. It is clear from the senator’s story that the restaurant he dedicated himself to in his early work life had the margin of profit and the decency to pay him in a manner that respected his efforts and the value of his labor.
By J.D. Rose5 years ago in The Swamp
I Asked Quora About Ending Systematic Racism And This is What Happened
I try to keep an open-mind. I try to educate myself as much as possible. I also try to put myself in the shoes of other people.
By SWS5 years ago in The Swamp