Articles written by Michael Burgwin

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About me - Michael Burgwin

Writing has been one of my enduring dreams, though all too seldom written and only occasionally published. Poetry, short stories, love letters, activist policy, news reports, columns, op eds, features, an unpublished science fiction and a non-fiction book

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Religion & Spirituality > Bible Study Bible study: The tithe: 1 of 46
SELFISH TITHELike all aspects of our relationships with God in which the Creator presents us with ways to grow and mature into the Kingdom, tithing is for the tither, not God. Even though it often looks otherwise, we do nothing for God. God needs nothing from us because God is us. By focusing our energies, including cash, on ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Soldiers & Veterans Why Americans should support the troops!: 2 of 79
In order to answer the question: Why Americans should support the troops, we have to first ask another question: What do we mean by "support."In order to answer either of these questions we have to understand what the role of the military is in a democratic society. Very simply put, the role of US troops is to protect the Con... More..
Arts & Humanities > Meaning of Life Contemplating the purpose of life: 4 of 147
When contemplating the purpose of life, life itself provides the clues. Look at the world around us and see that it is written in the cantaloupe and the apple, the house cat and the canary, the bristlecone pine and the life of a single individual. All living things and much about life, generally, tell us that we are alive to ... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Nature: 24 of 633
ANZA BORREGO MUSEEmpty desert illusionmidwife to the early vernal sunhides the flesh-eating spineson the flowering ocotillopretending to seek moisture in our sweat,she takes our bloodto paint the blossoms red.Keen to the wisdomof underground waters alignedwith the steep San Ysidro mountain wallsthe burly, one-legged elephant ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Homeland Security Appraising America's security in a post 9/11 era: 1 of 26
THE CRISIS OF NATIONAL INSECURITY: Approaching the precipice?In the current aura of strategic, evangelic crusades, it is difficult to discuss any single challenge to the security of the United States without slipping into doomsday paranoia and turning off the ears that need to hear. It is equally challenging to present a pict... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Unusual encounters: 9 of 227
NEWCOMERShe had just arrived and was already forgetting. With each wobbly step in her new body she was pulled deeper into the illusion and the deeper she went the more difficult it was for her to remember where she had come from and what she was doing in this place. She had known about the difference in energy densities but t... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short Stories: Seeking God: 1 of 25
THE SEARCHI had been searching since 8:30 and already it was time for lunch. Got out of the house without packing a brownbag, too, not an uncommon occurrence for a rookie, they said, and my stomach was growling like a garbage grinder. "You try to eat out everyday on this salary and you'll soon be living on salad," Sarg had sa... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Saddam sentenced to death: Was it right to hang Hussein?: 1 of 24
JUST MURDER"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." Martin Luther King, Jr.Although a good argument can be made that, when it comes to severe punishments, Abu Graib s... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Immigration Views on illegal immigration in the US: 9 of 212
RETURN THE TIDEIf we step back from the emotionally charged day-to-day details and take a look at the larger picture, we can see that illegal immigration has little to do with fences, law enforcement or incorrigible employers and much to do with the disparity in standards of living in Mexico and the US. Are there any among us... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Government & Policies Are gun control laws compatible with the Constitution's right to bear arms provisions?: 1 of 23
In much the same way that interpreting the Bible has always been an intellectual and emotional quagmire, the debate about gun control in the most violent, developed country in the world has been obfuscated by countless interpretations. Virtually all of the arguments take into account only one aspect of that part of the US Con... More..