Nov 6Member-onlyPutting a Price on the American BodyOne of our most disturbing businesses in the USA reveals some alarming trends about how the living are treated. — In 2015, you begin to hear complaints of a “mysterious stench” and “odd activity in the courtyard” at a research facility near Las Vegas, Nevada. You know they work with the dead, so this shouldn’t be out of the ordinary, right? When you finally arrive, you are horrified at what…Death And Dying3 min readDeath And Dying3 min read
Published in An Injustice!·Oct 4Member-onlyMahsa Amini’s Heart Problems Never ExistedHacktivists caught Iran’s government in a bold-faced lie. Iran retaliated by shutting down the Internet. — A 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, died shortly after Iran’s morality police took her into custody for removing her hijab in the act of defiance. State television said that she suffered from a “sudden heart problem” and died from “natural causes” while in custody. Meanwhile, Amini’s family insist that the morality…Mahsa Amini2 min readMahsa Amini2 min read
Sep 9Remember when Christians Didn’t Fear Death?Portugal does. The charnel houses remind us that we weren’t always this averse to death. — Sometimes, as Christians, we take this life for granted in anticipation of the next. We look forward to heaven, yet we are afraid to leave the earth. Even so, we often forget just how temporary our lives are and how easily they can come to an end. …Death3 min readDeath3 min read
Aug 1Enough With the Monkeypox MisinformationIt’s not an STI. It’s not a gay disease. Treating it like one kills. — Disclaimer: I am not an infectious disease expert. I just know firsthand that bigotry and misinformation have killed and will continue to do so unless they are ameliorated. As if COVID-19 wasn’t bad enough, we have another health crisis on our hands. Monkeypox sounds like a disease from a cartoon…Monkeypox3 min readMonkeypox3 min read
Published in Prism & Pen·Jul 27Take it on Faith (17): A Secret Asexual Traitor to Her CountryLabor camps and culture shock hit full force. — As Amalia and I left the plane, I asked her more about her background. She told me that she grew up in one of the Empire’s orphanages but calling them orphanages was quite generous. They were more like labor camps that exploited the poor and desperate. …LGBTQ4 min readLGBTQ4 min read
Published in Prism & Pen·Jul 14Member-onlyTake it on Faith (16): A Secret Asexual Traitor to Her CountryInternational Citizens keep their affiliations under wraps — until now. — “But...where are…” I asked. There was no way I could rest easy without knowing my husband and kids were safe. “They’re with my friend Yuri,” Amalia answered without skipping a beat. “I had to split you guys up for safety reasons. I didn’t have time to explain before.” As she…Asexual3 min readAsexual3 min read
Jun 29Member-onlyMy Religion, My ChoiceHow abortion bans thwart religious freedom — I will preface this by saying that I am not Jewish or a scholar of Jewish law. Abortion bans in various states have gone into effect in various states after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. It is no secret that this decision will endanger many people’s lives with desperate…Religion3 min readReligion3 min read
Jun 24Member-onlyAmy Coney Barrett’s Ties to People of Praise Spell Trouble for AmericaThe secretive Christian sect has its fair share of secrets. This shouldn’t have been one of them. — Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett was found to have ties to a cult called People of Praise in 2020. When this news came out, many people were not surprised that Barrett was part of this group. …Amy Coney Barrett4 min readAmy Coney Barrett4 min read
Published in Prism & Pen·May 19Member-onlyTake It on Faith (15): A Secret Asexual Traitor to Her CountrySkirmishes began over water — My thoughts about how the Empire became what it is today got me thinking about the Southwestern Water Wars, a period of time in which the Empire’s southwest region experienced a drought that was beyond anything that had ever happened before. Lake Mead was a puddle and the Colorado River…Fiction5 min readFiction5 min read
May 10Member-onlyAdmit It: America is More than Ready to Accept Human CompostingOpposition isn’t about respect for the dead. It’s about imperialism. — COVID-19, climate change, and mounting tensions in various communities have me thinking about my own mortality more than I ever have before. Speaking of climate change, more and more people, including myself, are considering the environmental impacts of our current death practices. A standard cremation emits around 42 cubic meters…Imperialism3 min readImperialism3 min read
