Tammy Swofford

The Chechens have always been a stalwart people. They were one of the few groups to successfully withstand the invasive assault by the Mongol Empire during two centuries. A survivalist mentality that evolved within the 13th and 14th centuries allowed them to develop battle-tested mountain, forest and stream guerilla warfare tactics. The later meddling of […]

“Hagar reached into her pocket and pulled out a small round mirror. It was bi’dah (an innovation) and forbidden. When it had fallen from the purse of a Western woman entering a taxi with her newly acquired purchases, Hagar had quickly scooped it up and tucked it into the folds of her hijab. It was […]

“Hagar reached into her pocket and pulled out a small round mirror. It was bi’dah (an innovation) and forbidden. When it had fallen from the purse of a Western woman entering a taxi with her newly acquired purchases, Hagar had quickly scooped it up and tucked it into the folds of her hijab. It was […]

Journalistic musings. There are times when seemingly disparate events take place within a short window of time. They coalesce within the mind of a journalist. They become paint for the canvas of our words. This is one of those times. First Act: The Make-a-Wish Foundation. The national headquarters for the Make-a-Wish Foundation is in Fort […]

We are all familiar with binary thought. Issues come down to right or wrong, do or die, yes and no. “If it is Friday, it is fish for dinner” (Catholics). “If it is adultery, there must be stoning” (Taliban). “If my son brings home a low test score there will be a beating” (A father). […]

My name and writing made it to a pro-Gaddafi Facebook page months ago. I merely noted the digital footprint. My name has also popped up on a major jihad portal in the past. Duly noted. But as ‘Citizen Q journalist’ I cannot request a security detail. Frankly, what I engage is merely freedom of expression. […]

Last week, my husband and I found ourselves on the water every morning. Before the fog had lifted from the cove view of a lake in South Carolina, my husband cast his fishing rod into the water. I settled into the covered area of the dock with my coffee cup and a handful of books. […]

‘Arab Spring’. I hated the phrase as soon as it was coined by mainstream media. I knew that the Arab Spring would be followed by a ‘Carbon Winter’. We are there now. And we scarcely know what to do. The news broke regarding protests in Egypt and the brutal murder of our ambassador in Libya. […]

Warning: graphic content. The first paragraph is a partial truth. The remainder will be fact-based opinion. If you are a victim of a sexual assault or domestic violence, please read no further. Thank you. The news of an unimaginable crime first entered the regional media market of Colorado Springs, Colorado, via their hometown paper, The […]

We are quickly approaching the day when Americans will determine the future makeup of our Houses of Congress and choose the next POTUS. The season for political blackmail and yellow journalism is now in full swing. Already, we open our newspapers and are greeted with the non-news that freshman Rep Kevin Yoder (R-Kansas) took a […]