opinion

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

Racial tensions
Racial tensions are high in a society that promises equality to all shades of human kind. The small eyes in the mirror have always loved the red in the skin that surrounds it in the summer and how yellow it becomes in the winter; a pride of color but never supremacistic about it. Racial identification has become a highlighted necessity amongst the small minded stuck on over labeling. Within the last few weeks I was physically challenged by a Black male who called me on the slant which honestly surprised me and pissed me off simultaneously. Later only to attract a White Supremacist who chose me to sit next to and discuss how I Black Women should die. Later I was approached by my apparently “Latino” Papa in the street who insisted on calling me Mija in public for his assistance; he was also upset I was speaking Spanglish. I helped him to his location nonetheless. I was also judged for not being “Black” enough by someone else’s definition as if my skin color changes based on my lifestyle and personality I was also reminded that I cannot relate to others because I am only Black and nothing more to invalidate my strange experiences; only becoming another unnecessary experience.
By Cadma5 years ago in The Swamp
Dear Americans
If you’re hoping to maintain your independence, then I'm begging you to wake up before things get much worse. It saddens me to see so many of you give up your freedoms and your rights to do and think for yourselves, despite the fact that so many true American patriots have risked so much to defend them. Free will, free thought, progress, unity, and much more is being lost or given away freely without even a second thought. These are not the Americans I know, the strong courageous children of this land that defend my honor with all they have, up to and at times even including their last breath.
By Angel Perez5 years ago in The Swamp
How Can An Individual of color Say whether A White Individual Is Bigoted?
Therefore, within 60 seconds of meeting you, most people of color can tell you if you are overly attached. Here are some references:
By Son Sim5 years ago in The Swamp
Politics as Usual
The pandemic has caused many issues around the world and in the United States people are about to be evicted and landlords are struggling to keep their heads above water.
By roy Slezak5 years ago in The Swamp
Let’s Not Forget What Happened in Srebrenica
11 July 11 2021 marks the twenty-sixth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in which 8372 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were massacred by the Bosnian-Serb forces. The worst atrocity in Europe since World War II is still a bleeding wound for humanity.
By Ece Uyguc5 years ago in The Swamp
Get Off Your Whining Zombie Ass
Many young Americans take freedom as a given, and also see they have very little freedom, because all costs tend to rise beyond their means. In many ways there is less opportunity for satisfying work in the big, grand and decadent United States than there is in Ukraine. Ukraine is more like the U.S. after WW II. In 1950, there were lots and lots of jobs, plenty things needed doing, and there are more good jobs than people to fill them. And, at that time free education for millions of veterans. Now, in the U.S. there are always more people than there are good jobs. Most young Americans have not compared their lives to the lives of young Ukrainians. Perhaps they should. And then tens of thousands of young Americans should make a plan. And think about how to side-step the slave-owners, those people who attempt by every way possible to corral them, and beat them into submission. That is, the corporate CEOs, and the predatory demands of their own Federal and State governments. Young Ukrainians are practical and thrifty, and allow no one to corral them and beat them into submission.
By Roscoe Forthright5 years ago in The Swamp
Illogic
I wrote this piece for my personal blog two years ago today (July 9th). Some of the details are no longer relevant (like the current US administration), and others I have learned more about in the meantime (like accelerating climate change), and some stuff has gone down since I wrote it (like Covid-19 and Jan 6). But the overall feeling is still accurate.
By Jenn Kirkland5 years ago in The Swamp
The Greatest Political Lie Americans Believe
"The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults," - Alexis de Tocqueville.
By Farah Thompson5 years ago in The Swamp
Why Daniel Hale Deserves Gratitude, Not Prison
by Kathy Kelly The whistleblower acted on behalf of the public’s right to know what is being done in its name. “Pardon Daniel Hale.”
By CODEPINK5 years ago in The Swamp
What If The Election Audits Did Go In Favor Of Donald Trump And What Might The Supreme Court, The Military, Congress, And The Trump Supporters Do If The Unimaginable Should Happen?
After a day of our favorite ex-president being in the news talking about his big tech suits, and more than a dozen reporters that have published their opinions and legal opinions on the question of the forensic election audits, I decided to sit down and take my own look at what might be should the unimaginable actually happen.
By Jason Ray Morton 5 years ago in The Swamp
How to Deal With Liberal Family Members and Friends When You Are Moderate or Conservative
While I consider myself moderate and an Independent, if push comes to shove I do tend to lean conservative. And like me, I know there are a lot of people out there with individuals in their social circles that are on the opposite end of the spectrum of their own viewpoint. We all know this can be at best awkward and at worst downright nasty. We hear about uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinners and even relationships that keep people apart for years. In my experience I have come to a conclusion. We in the moderate category or on the right need to learn how to deal with the liberals in our lives in the most effective way possible.
By Jason A5 years ago in The Swamp
First Responder Mental Health..
June was PTSD Awareness Month. We recognize PTSD in soldiers, in abuse victims, in sexual assault victims but when it comes to first responders we hide it in the shadows. We expect them to "suck it up" and we don't recognize "Warrior syndrome." Warrior Syndrome is not in the DSM, it is not a clinical term but it doesn't make it any less real. The repeated exposure to trauma, is a trauma itself. It fundamentally distorts the perception and response to the world view. We are entrusting first responders with a sacred duty, " To Serve and protect" but in this country we are not serving and protecting them. From equipment that is inadequate to departments not concerned with not even their physical much less their emotional wellbeing. The expectation that they "solider on" under what have become war like conditions they are not trained for, with threats of violence not only by the public they serve, but also working in departments who view them as replaceable. Human beings are not replaceable, or able to undo systematic stress for long periods of time. Our brains are not built that way, it changes the functioning in our brain. Sleep deprivation has been shown in studies to be as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. This is just one of the major things first responders are subject to, add in life and death scenarios, no time to regroup, rotating shifts from day to night, lack of proper eating habits, familial stress, working off-duty to supplement the wages that are familial and you have a recipe for trauma and mistakes through no fault of their own. Then we stigmatize it when they ask for help. Can we say failure.
By Justice for All5 years ago in The Swamp