History, Culture & Current Events

I didn't plan to be an author. What I planned, what I was taught to plan, was to be quiet. Being quiet is the survival training most of us are given...

There's a moment every truth-teller faces, right before they open their mouth, when they ask themselves, "Is this worth it?" Worth the arguments. Worth the discomfort that settles like fog over once easy relationships...

Lilly remembers the moment she finally admitted what was happening behind the closed doors of her home. Sitting in her pastor's office, hands trembling, she struggled to find words for the bruises hidden beneath her long sleeves. "He told me to pray harder,"...

We are living through a national identity crisis engineered for profit, and millions of ordinary Americans are being pulled into manufactured realities that feel as real as gravity. How did we get here? And more importantly, how do we get out?..

By A.M. Ber ,  Founder of Gravel & Ink Publishing In every generation, there comes a moment when silence becomes complicity . Protest is the definitive refusal to be silent. It is the collective act of saying "no more." Throughout history, it has proven to be one of the most powerful tools ordinary people have to create extraordinary change. Protests have been a vital part of every successful movement in the fight for human and civil rights. From the streets of Montgomery to

By A.M. Ber ,  Founder of Gravel & Ink Publishing The Holocaust's horrors are well documented, but the specific targeting of transgender individuals during Nazi rule remains a lesser known tragedy. This post aims to shed light on this dark chapter of history, exploring the persecution, resilience, and ongoing fight for recognition of transgender victims of the Nazi regime. A Golden Age Lost: Weimar Germany, the period between World War I and the Nazi takeover in 1933, was a t

By A.M. Ber ,  Founder of Gravel & Ink Publishing Being a hippie wasn't some Instagram worthy lifestyle choice with perfect flower crowns and designer tie dye. It was a full-chested middle finger to their parents and the establishment, wrapped in bell bottoms and backed by some of the most revolutionary music ever made. Picture this: it's the 1950s, and America is drunk on post-war prosperity. Everyone's supposed to be thrilled about their shiny new suburban lives, complete w

Imagine a sporting event with no referees. Players making up rules on the fly, ignoring fouls, and claiming victory no matter what....

These are crazy times, no doubt, and it's easy to get swept up in the chaos. Fear is a seductive beast, whispering doubts and anxieties...

The world is getting scary. Fascist ideals are creeping into mainstream politics, and it feels like the powerful few are tightening their...

Tyrants.  The word alone evokes images of ruthless dictators, oppressive regimes, and unimaginable cruelty. But how do these figures ascend to power? Are they born with an insatiable thirst for domination, or are they molded by their circumstances? This exploration delves into the making of a tyrant, examining the historical patterns, psychological traits, and societal conditions that allow their rise. We'll analyze the minds and methods of some of history's most notorious di

Fascism is a complex and dangerous political ideology that has wreaked havoc throughout history. In recent years, concerns have grown about its resurgence, particularly in connection with Christian nationalist extremism. This blog post aims to shed light on fascism, its historical ties to Christian nationalism, and strategies to defend against it. What is Fascism? Fascism is characterized by the following key features: Authoritarianism:  A centralized, autocratic government w