By Christ-Shamma Matalbert — For decades, laws, such as the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA), have created a social construction that labels immigrants to the United States as criminal aliens.
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The Relationship Between State-Level Gun Policies and Gun Deaths
By Christ-Shamma Matalbert — In the U.S., state governments are the primary regulators of firearms. On average, the gun death rates in states with strong gun laws are a fraction of those in states with weak gun regulations. It’s well beyond time that these demonstrated, lifesaving solutions are instituted across America.
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Analyzing Social Constructions Regarding Immigration in the U.S.
By Christ-Shamma Matalbert — In the U.S., social constructions have been used to disenfranchise individuals based on their ability, or inability, to assimilate into white culture.
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The Self-Limiting Senate
By Eden Iscil — In a political era known for its toxic partisanship, substandard bills, and restrictive legislative process tightly controlled by leadership, to argue that complex Senate rules somehow produce the opposite is nonsensical and far removed from reality.
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Broadband Internet: The Utility of the Future?
By Marcel Akhame — Before the pandemic made home internet a requirement for K-12 education, many Americans viewed internet and computer access as a privilege that one could do without. This view must now change in order to address existing inequalities.
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How Effective is Digital Activism?
By Christ-Shamma Matalbert — Digital activism often generates the most considerable success when it’s used as a complementary tool to offline activities or is used as the introductory method to encourage people to engage in offline activities.
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Undocumented Immigrants Deserve Better Policies
By Samuel Murray — If changes to the United States immigration system are to stay, there needs to be a systematic overhaul in how undocumented immigrants are perceived, treated, and talked about. The debate around immigration should be reframed so that it centralizes empathy, compassion, and caring for those who may be escaping poor living conditions or threats of violence.
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Beyond Gay Marriage: Why the LGBTQ Community Needs Urgent Action
By Gaspard Delaoustre — Their names were Lexi, Monika, Dustin, Nina, Tony, Summer – all were transgender women and men or nonbinary individuals, and all were killed in 2020. Last year, at least 45 trans and nonbinary people were murdered – a gut-wrenching increase from 2019.
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Is There Something ‘Fishy’ with 30×30?
By Julia Singer — The world urgently needs environmental policy reform. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, federal law protects 23% of U.S. oceans, but critics of current protections note that 99% of these protected areas are in the remote Pacific and do not effectively preserve biodiversity across the country.
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The Need for A Bold Infrastructure Redevelopment Plan
By Samuel Murray — For far too long, we have neglected necessary infrastructure across a diverse array of services and systems, from roadways to water systems to the internet; all are vital to the daily functions of society.
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