opinion
Opinion pieces from the left, right, and everyone in between.
The Anthem
Kneeling during the "National Anthem." Now this is one of the most controversial topics widespread across our country today. It all started back when 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick decided he wasn't going to stand for the anthem to protest civil injustice and it quickly spread across the NFL. So much of politics, economics, and society has been influenced by this movement. Now I'm not here to tell you why you should stand for the anthem. Nor am I here to tell you why you should kneel. But I'm here to voice my opinion on what you should do. And it is simply put like this, do what you feel is right, and allow others to do the same. Honestly, if everyone did this, there wouldn't be so much hate.
By Shandon Pendleton6 years ago in The Swamp
The Infamous 'They'
From the first day when we as human beings decided that we would trust other people to tell us how to live our lives, something changed. A long time ago, people decided that there was a benefit to letting certain people determine what was right and wrong, and it’s been a bit of a mess ever since. While there are certainly things that should be considered right and wrong for all of us, these focuses on what constitutes as good or bad has shifted well beyond what any of us ever imagined.
By Taryn Thomas6 years ago in The Swamp
HS2: Rising Costs
Don't come here looking for real news. That's not what I am. £30 Billion So the HS2 rail aiming to reduce the time it takes to travel by train from London up into the superior of the North by nearly an hour in some places (Manchester to London) might end up costing an additional £30Bn. The 250mph trains are set to be in use (for Birmingham to London journeys) by 2026 and for other places around the 2033 mark.
By Cronan Parry6 years ago in The Swamp
Reason First: Can Someone Be Too Black or Not Black Enough?
The issue over how “black” an individual is should be nil. Whatever the people who say that they’re “black” is actually a floating abstraction or concept are not grounded in reality. What does it mean to be “black?" How does someone qualify for such a tribalist notion? Presidential candidates and Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris have both been accused of not being black enough. Most recently, Senator Booker has stated that senator Harris has nothing to prove. It’s as if to be black means you must subscribe to the unknown and unknowable, know who Playboi Carti is dating, and enjoy pig feet smothered in hot sauce. What it means to be black should pale in comparison to being a rational, confident individual.
By Skyler Saunders7 years ago in The Swamp
Reason First: Should the Government Be Involved in Cornrows and Afros?
Nonessentials, like hair texture and skin color, should have no bearing on whether an employer hires a candidate or not. And there definitely should be no laws for or against natural hair. In reality, in a fully free laissez-faire capitalist society, there would and ought to be discrimination against race, color, sex, sexual preference and anything else that really doesn’t matter among private citizens. All that should be considered is the competence of a given potential employee.
By Skyler Saunders7 years ago in The Swamp
The Craze That Swept a Nation
With great fondness, I look back on a life well-lived. Sure, there were times of anguish and sorrow, but overall, I remained steadfast to my convictions. But, as I remember, many a time those convictions got me into a whole lot of trouble. Nonetheless, I managed to survive with just a few scrapes and bruises. Now, when I compare the times of my youth to today, the sharp contrasts are so evident, especially the behavior patterns of society. In many ways, there has been a steady decline throughout our whole society. The morals, ethics, individual responsibility and integrity many of my generation possessed was instilled by our parents and our schools. Some 60 years later, much of what we see today reflects the retardation of many of the basic principles we were taught so long ago.
By Dr. Williams7 years ago in The Swamp
The Importance of Wording
Diction is the choice and use of words and phrases in writing; there is specific diction used by the media and people that manipulates the information that is being presented. Diction can also be used to minimize the importance or what is actually happening. For example, people use the phrase "abortion debate." A women's right to bodily autonomy is not up for debate, this is a religious minority's move to control the bodies of everyone who has a uterus. That cannot be called a debate because it is not a debate, it is a human rights violation. People also tend to call Nazis monsters, but they are not supernatural creatures or mythical demons; they are human, terrible humans. Nazis were young, they have parents, they are parents, they could be siblings, they eat, they sleep, they die, they still do not deserve forgiveness or empathy. When people use that wording, it dehumanizes Nazis and that creates a level of separation between us and them; that can be dangerous because people will then ignore the subtitle signs of anti-semitism by saying "Oh they're not monsters." Do not forget that they are human and they do not deserve sympathy.
By Selena Vazquez7 years ago in The Swamp
