Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in The Swamp.
Dear Donald: Telling a Military Vet Off Isn't the Way to Win Support
Mr. Trump: I am the child of a Canadian military vet. Granted, my father was not ever part of any deployment, though I do recall he spent six weeks in the Yukon when I was really young. I am also the wife of a Canadian military vet; my husband did spend time in Haiti, and let me assure you, what he went through there was no picnic in spite of the sunny locale. At the time, he was part of the United Nations deployment there in the late 1990s and was on site when the ferry disaster of 1997 occurred. In fact, several of the pictures he took (he was part of Combat Camera at the time) were disseminated by the Associated Press.
By Christina St-Jean9 years ago in The Swamp
Should Police Wear Body Cameras?
At the current time, where small cameras can be mass manufactured and weeks of video can be stored on Terabyte hard drives, I believe we should start using technology to bring justice to criminals. Today we should allow it to be done on the municipal level and only in the cities that can afford it. In New York, a program is starting where their police department is aiming to put body cameras on 23,000 police officers. (New York Times, 2017) The New York Times is calling this a very large experiment where we can see technology’s effect on the penal system. The costs for a three year program are estimated to be higher than $70 million dollars.
By Jesse Guerrero9 years ago in The Swamp
The Conflicts Waged In the Name of War
History is an invaluable tool. For it tells us of the mistakes made in the past so as to not repeat those same mistakes. Yet, our leaders have continually failed to head the lessons that history is supposed to teach us. The present Administration is again repeating history. We have to remember that the last time the United States declared war was in 1941. The conflicts waged in the name of war from Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq were never sanctioned by the Congress. These conflicts disguised as wars were designed as tools to increase the profitability of the Military Industrial Complex, certain politicians, and major corporations.
By Dr. Williams9 years ago in The Swamp
Draining the Swamp
In American society, there are some careers, which may be very lucrative that people just aren't able to do forever. Professional athletes, commercial airline pilots, supermodels, even artists in certain genres of music all have an unwritten shelf life policy in their hypothetical employee handbook that classifies their careers as stepping stones to assuming more senior levels in their individual industry.
By Victor Trammell9 years ago in The Swamp
What I Want
Did you ever want something? Well here are a couple dozen things I want, today. I’ve always wanted something or other depending on my age and the situation at the time; a VW bus, a Nehru jacket, a lava lamp, some bell bottom jeans, a guitar, some blue suede shoes, a double breasted suit, out of the Army, all my family healthy and happy, the latest hot golf clubs and the ability to use them. Once again I’ve found some things I want. As I shuffle through my 83rd year these wants are compelling, don’t you think?
By Robert B. Jordan9 years ago in The Swamp
Can Art Save The World?
Right now, it feels like the world is on the brink of a global nuclear war. Korea has been flexing its military prowess. China has been slowly trying to move into certain sections of the South Seas. America has Trump's very aggressive cabinet in power, and Brexit's pressures have made the EU very unstable.
By Cato Conroy9 years ago in The Swamp
Apathy
The 2016 General Election set an all time low for voter turn-out at 55.4%. The highest turn-out in the past 60 years was 62.77% in 1960 according to The American Presidency Project. In the 56 years between1900 and 1956 the average turn-out was 59.5% by The APP. In 2016 there were 200 million registered voters – 92 million did not vote.
By Robert B. Jordan9 years ago in The Swamp
Here Comes The Smear Campaign Against Al Gore
Now that former Vice President Al Gore has released his new film, AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER, we can all expect, and are already seeing, an all-out attack on his character and on global warming science. The fossil fuel industry is regurgitating old stories, such as the story recently posted by "Salon.com" that Al Gore's house uses 34 times the amount of electricity than the average American, and so this supposedly makes him out to be a huge hypocrite. Of course, Al Gore's house is not the size of the average American's home, and is powered by solar panels that were upgraded in response to criticism that came after the release of the first INCONVENIENT TRUTH, not to mention that this is an ancient attempt to smear the former Vice President that was used over a decade ago after the first film was released.
By Scott Bowen9 years ago in The Swamp
My Calling
Much of America and the world feels a tug. It is an anxious feeling like a ball in the pit of our stomachs. We all know that big changes are happening. We just don’t know exactly how it will all play out. I watch daily as conflicting stories flood the Internet. There is a great divide in opinions about the world, just as, there is a great divide in our relationships with each other. I feel an overwhelming need for unity. I believe this was put in my heart by God. To me, everyone should be coming together to help one another. It shouldn’t matter who you are. We will need each other. I feel like I am standing at the start line and God is saying, “Get ready.” Next, he will tell me to get set and go. This change is inevitable, and we will not like it. I pray we are ready, but I don't think we are.
By Sabrina Overbay9 years ago in The Swamp
Donald Trump: Despicable and Deplorable
I’m gonna blow. We have this thing called social media that let’s you sound off whenever something rubs you the wrong way. Hello, Donald Trump. But the election taught me how impulsive posts only elevates anger, alienates without resolving anything and makes Facebook fertile ground for unfriending. So my responses have been to encourage people to get involved rather than seething with each unsettling factoid. But after seven months, I just have to vent.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in The Swamp
