Capital Punishment

Conservatives believe in capital punishment. They think "do the crime, do the time". If you are willing to commit a murder, you have to accept the consequences, and for murder, that is death. Liberals are against capital punishment because there are other options. Being executed is basically taking the easy way out and escaping the guilt. The person should have to live with the guilt and they can also become better people in jail and think about what they did.
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.

Gun Control

Liberals believe there needs to be more regulation in gun control. There needs to be laws that make it harder for people to buy guns. We can do this by regulating sales through stronger background checks and improving the safety features on guns (ex. make them childproof). We need to prevent gun violence before it happens. Conservatives believe that people kill people, not guns. They believe that we have the right to the second amendment, so we have the right to bear arms and own firearms. We need to be able to protect ourselves/our families and we cannot always rely and wait on the police.

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.

Gay Marriage

Liberals believe in gay marraige. They believe that gay people are just like everyone else and they can't be denied a human right to marriage just because they are gay. They believe that it's discrimination to deny gay people the right to marriage, and it is going against the separation of church and state because not everyone believes in the Bible. They believe marriage is based on love and it doesn't matter who it is between. On the other hand, conservatives believe that the point of marriage is procreation and that the Bible states that marriage is between a man and a woman. Some think that being gay is a hate crime against the Bible. They think gay marraige is being promiscuous and that it changes the image of a traditional American family. They think it's bad for a child to be raised by two parents of the same gender.
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.

Abortion

Liberals believe in pro-choice. They think that the government shouldn't have control over a woman's body and that women should be able to make this personal choice for themselves. People will do what they want regardless of whether abortion is legal, such as drinking too much to kill the baby or using a hanger to physically kill the baby, so abortion should be legalized so it can be done safely. When someone is raped, they didn't give conscent, and if they get pregnant, they should be able to have an abortion. On the other hand, conservatives believe in pro-life. They think people have to take responsibility for their actions and that if they get pregnant, they have to deal with the consequences. They think it is morally wrong to kill a baby through abortion- abortion is murder because even cells are living. They believe in other options besides abortion if the mother cannot raise the baby in a safe environment, such as adoption.
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.

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.