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Kirk Swearingen

Kirk Swearingen

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6d ago

Immigration Is Our Strength — with Some Prominent Exceptions

Turns out, the “worst of the worst” are in the White House.

A “No Kings” protester in St. Louis holds up a sign “Know Your Parasites,” showing three examples: a Dog Tick (outlined and colored in yellow), a Deer Tick (outlined and colored in green), and a Luna-Tic.” The latter is an outline of Donald Trump’s head, with the face colored in orange. (Photo by author.)

Kirk Swearingen

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Jun 30

SCOTUS Keeps Papering Over the Antiquated Second Amendment

The FEDSOC justices again turn to “history and traditions” to ignore the obvious.

A protester in a cityscape holds up a sign that says “PROTECT KIDS NOT GUNS.” American flags drape the entrance of a large building at right. Photo by <a href=”https://unsplash.com/@timmudd?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Tim Mudd</a> on <a href=”https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-in-black-jacket-holding-signage-panel-_ANxZIWTHdA?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>

Kirk Swearingen

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Jun 25

Let’s Fix America With Grammar

In the MAGAsphere, sloppy language leads to foolish thoughts, and much worse.

A photo of some English grammar and and usage guides, including some hardbacks (e.g., “Fowler’s Modern English Usage” and a dictionary of classical quotations) and softbacks (e.g., Strunk and White’s “The Elements of Style”). A quote in handwritten calligraphy on a small card sits to the right: “There are only four subjects in the curriculum of life — love, justice, courage, and compassion. — Richard Trelease.” (Photo by author.)

Kirk Swearingen

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Jun 11

The Fraud on Voting in America

Trump, Vance, and Johnson push the absurdity that no evidence of voter fraud is the evidence.

Close-up of a wall covered with unsettling images, at the center of which is a distorted all-orange image of Donald Trump with his mouth open. The word FRAUD in white letters is written over his forehead. Photo by <a href=”https://unsplash.com/@jontyson?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Jon Tyson</a> on <a href=”https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-black-and-white-fitted-cap-cabX1s_1xHo?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</

Kirk Swearingen

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May 29

What Shall We Call MAGA’s Perverse Christianity?

Trump’s thought police are investigating anyone who criticizes Christianity, but what if it isn’t Christianity at all?

Photo by <a href=”https://unsplash.com/@artchicago?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Art Institute of Chicago</a> on <a href=”https://unsplash.com/photos/two-figures-stand-over-drowned-souls-in-a-desolate-landscape-siS3gFW6gq4?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>

Kirk Swearingen

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May 8

Deepfake Don

No one is more in need of artificial intelligence than the Conman in Chief.

AI image posted on Truth Social of Donald Trump as the Pope, in full regalia, seated on a throne. (Image apparently created by the man occupying the White House.)

Kirk Swearingen

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Apr 29

They Want the Culture

Donald Trump and Leonard Leo don’t want to control the judiciary only — they’re out for everything.

Protesters in St. Louis stand with their backs to camera behind two colorful signs that read: “Epstein Is In The Trump Files” and “Thank You For Your Attention To This Matter.” (Photo by author.)

Kirk Swearingen

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Mar 24

Buy Civilization

Expand your world as right-wing religious zealots try to shrink it.

A colorful jumble of magazines and books that I cannot possibly keep up with, including recent issues of The New Yorker, The New Republic, The Atlantic, The New York Review of Books, ACLU Magazine, “Imperial,” a book of poetry by George Bilgere, and “To the Lighthouse,” by Virginia Woolf. (Photo by author.)

Kirk Swearingen

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Mar 4

The Man-Child Leading This “Christian” War Is No Christian

Hard-right believers blind themselves to the fact that Donald Trump is an apex sinner

Photo of etching of Dante’s circles of hell by <a href=”https://unsplash.com/@artchicago?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Art Institute of Chicago</a> on <a href=”https://unsplash.com/photos/detailed-etching-of-a-mythical-creature-surrounded-by-scenes-v-Nu0qTW82c?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>

Kirk Swearingen

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Feb 15

Can We Keep Psychos from Running for Public Office?

You want us to prove we have the right to vote? How about you prove you’re not a sociopath?

Strands of DNA under high-power magnification show their double helix structures. (Photo by <a href=”https://unsplash.com/@warrenumoh?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Warren Umoh</a> on <a href=”https://unsplash.com/photos/a-chain-link-fence--qycBqByWIY?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>)

Kirk Swearingen

Kirk Swearingen

Kirk's work has appeared in Salon, Margie, The American Journal of Poetry, and The Riverfront Times. He's a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism.

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