Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Capital Punishment
I am against the death penalty. I think that killing the murderer won't bring the person back, and in my opinion, being executed is an escape. I think that the person should suffer in jail for his/her whole life. Even though it is suffering to await your own death, it is worse to be in jail for life. I think the person should be in jail to reflect on what they did, even if they are happy with what they did, I think after years and years in prison they will start to feel guilty, and definitely bored and they will suffer in jail.
I think the presentation today went really well and we had a long discussion, which was good.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Gun Control
I believe that we definitely need stricter gun control legislation. I think it's sad how many school shootings there have been where kids have had access to intense firearms that should be used in the military and even just their parents' handguns. I don't think people need these weapons just sitting around their houses. I think the police are armed for a reason, so we don't have to be. I also think that it's really sad how the US' death rate by guns is extremely higher than other countries', like we saw in the Bowling for Columbine clip, and that is linked to our relaxed gun control legislation. I think that if people kill people, why would you give them a gun? I think that we need to prevent gun violence before it happens. I don't think people shouldn't be able to own guns in certain circumstances, it just needs to be regulated more thoroughly. I think there need to be more things like the Brady Act, which has worked to stop about 400,000 people from buying guns that shouldn't be able to because of a mandated background check.
I think our presentation went really well. I think our clips could have been shorter so that our discussion could have been longer, but I'm pretty sure almost everyone talked during class except for maybe 1-2 people who didn't raise their hands.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Gay Marriage
I support gay marriage. I think that marriage is based on love, and who are we to deny a marriage to our fellow Americans just because they love someone of the same sex. I think marriage is a human right that should be available to everyone. I do not believe that the function of marriage today is procreation. There are lots of single parents and children born out of wedlock and I do not believe it is bad for a child to be raised by two parents of the same gender. I think we need families like that so that people become more aware and tolerant. I don't think people should be defined by their sexuality in general. I think the struggle for gay marriage is similar to the struggle of blacks during the Civil Rights Movement. People don't choose to be gay- they are born that way, and it is uncontrollable, just like one's skin color. I think it's ridiculous that just because the Bible states that marriage is between a man and a woman that legislation reflects this for everyone who doesn't neccessarily believe in the Bible. I think the world is changing and people are becoming more accepting.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Abortion
I believe in pro-choice. I think that abortion is a woman's choice and that the government shouldn't be able to impact it. I think that abortion needs to be legalized because women are going to extremes to have unsafe abortions. I thought it was really interesting and shocking that Romania has the highest death rate and 87% of them are from illegal abortions. I think that abortion is a good option because people make mistakes.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Liberal vs. Conservative
Liberals believe that the government should be involved to make sure the poor are taken care of and that everyone has a decent standard of living. They think there should be programs for healthcare and food stamps for the poor so that no one lives below poverty. There should be the separation of church and state and the government should stay out of religious views and how people live their daily lives. Liberals tend to be more accepting and open.
Conservatives believe in limited government control. They think that people are responsible for themselves. They believe in low taxes for everyone and they want to reduce government subsidized programs for the poor, and they don’t believe the wealthy should be taxed more to subsidize programs for the poor. They believe in the right to life. They believe in faith based government programs and prayer in schools.