Politics

justice-reform-3

I Served My Time But I Will Never Be Free

Steel doors crashed shut behind me as I stepped outside onto the curb. Sunshine splashed down onto the back of my neck. In less than 2 months, I had lost 20 pounds, grown a full head of hair again, and gained a new appreciation for the virtues of solitude. When you’re a “violent offender,” after all, 20 hours a day in a cell is the standard, not the exception. The

5 Myths About Illegal Immigration

In the following video, I address 5 myths about illegal immigration. This includes the myth that immigrants don’t pay taxes. The myth that undocumented immigrants disproportionately commit crime. The myth that undocumented immigrants steal American jobs. And the myth that undocumented immigrants abuse welfare services. To keep up with future videos, subscribe here. Brandon Loran MaxwellBrandon Loran Maxwell is a Mexican American writer, speaker, prize winning essayist, film director, and

My DNA Test Proves I’m Narnian

A few month’s back, Senator Elizabeth Warren underwent a DNA test to prove she is Native American. The test, which was conducted by Carlos Bustamante, a professor of genetics at Stanford, ultimately found Warren was somewhere between 1/32 and 1/1,024th Native American. Or, to put it another way, less than 1 percent. As one might expect, critics have cried foul. However, as someone who has personally wrestled with a similar

police-brutality-essay

In Defense Of “Thugs”

I was sixteen the first time a police officer pointed a loaded gun at me. I’m lucky to be alive. But while blaming police officers for all of the problems I encountered growing up would certainly be convenient, the truth is I had already had at least a half-dozen guns pulled on me long before I was sixteen, none of which were by police officers. It’s an ugly truth. When

not-my-president

Trumpism Was Built On Weakness

Throughout history, Americans have often looked to and expected strength from their elected leaders. And throughout history, such strength has often defined effective leadership. Strength, however, has taken on a new meaning under Trump. In fact, Trump not only believes strength derives from unapologetic exhibits of contention and division, but racial and cultural division. But more than anything, “strength” under Trump has become a political and strategic mask. It is

anti-trump

Trump’s Dangerous Big Government Conservatism

Dangerous people have existed in the past. Dangerous people will exist again in the future. But at this place, at this time, Donald Trump is perhaps the most dangerous. Like a bull in a china shop, Trump has not only alienated millions with his rhetorical brimstone and bombast, but hijacked an entire political party that once promoted limited government, setting the stage for a fiscally disastrous and alarmingly intrusive federal

obama-vs-trump

Unlike Trump, At least Obama Was Presidential

Say what you will about Obama, but at least he was presidential. Love him or hate him, at least he never bragged about grabbing women by the genitalia, degraded minorities, or lambasted long time allies within hours of sustaining a terrorist attack. No, President Obama would have offered words of hope and encouragement. He would have conducted himself with the kind of dignity the presidency deserves and, now lacks. Of

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Immigrants Help The Economy & Decrease Crime

Contrary to Donald Trump’s incessant anti-immigrant rhetoric, the truth is America would not have been possible without immigrants. Indeed, immigrants not only helped build what Ronald Reagan once famously called a “shining city upon a hill”—they’ve sustained it. And no amount of bluster will ever change that. Immigrants introduce specialized skills. In fact, some of America’s most profitable and celebrated companies, including Budweiser and McDonald’s, were either founded by immigrants