International 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…

How 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…

The 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. Having lived with the founder Kevin Ranaghan, Barrett’s confirmation as a Supreme Court…

Skirmishes 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…

Opposition 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…

The Catholic Church tells us to respect the dead yet won’t confront its own bloodstained history. — The same Catholic Church that calls human composting disrespectful funded and partook in the cultural genocide of Native Americans. This reveals that the Catholic Church does not care about respecting the dead at all. Rather, this institution cares about maintaining its influence as a religious and political organization.

Gunshots ringing in the distance — As soon as I saw the hordes of heavily armed militias approaching, a wave of panic washed over me. I looked to Amalia. She told me to get on her motorcycle and, for the first time, I found myself protesting. I couldn’t leave my family, even if it meant I…

Thinking of sending your kid to military school? Don’t. — If you’ve ever seen references to a vague ‘military school’ in school or film, you’ve seen a nod to the troubled teen industry. This industry is made up of a series of institutions, such as schools or camps, that promise desperate parents and teens an end to problems such as…