Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Does the DCFS abuse its power?

Do you think that the department of children and family services will take a child from home quicker in low-income and single-parent families than from middle-class or upper-class families? If so, why do you think this happens?

       Once a child is taken from a home, do you think it is harder for low-income families to get their children back than it is for a middle-class or upper-class family? If so, do you think the lower income families do not have the money to pay for lawyers to fight for their children?
        Do you think a lot of children get taken from their parents for no reason at all? If so, do you think they try to find a reason to do so?


Natoka


Is technology moving too fast for older people to catch up?



With technology becoming more advanced every day and people becoming more reliant on computers and cell phones, many different people are trying to "catch up" on all these new advances. A problem that these advances create is that older generations are not able to follow along with new technology. They are confused on how to text and on to use or set their computer or laptop. Do you believe that older generations are having a harder time with these advances? Why is that? How is this affecting the way they live? Do these advances make it difficult for people to do the simplest task, such as using a cell phone or using a computer? Why do you think older generations are not as accepting to these advances as newer generations? Also is technology taking over the way we live, whether it be learning, communicating, or socializing? And are they damaging or enhancing or both? How?
-Josue

Abortion--keep it legal?

How many total abortions do teenagers have annually? Should abortions be illegal? Why/why not? In what cases should abortions remain legal? When are abortions murder?  After multiple abortions, can a woman still have babies? After a woman has a certain number of abortions, should she be forced to have her baby? Should she be sterilized? How many abortions is too many? Can a woman die during an abortion? How often does this happen? What do you think about Obama legalizing abortions?

You don't need to answer all of these questions, but please answer the ones that interest you most. Thanks!

Ardell

Legalize it?




We've all heard the debate on legalizing marijuana. And I’m here to ask the same question: Should marijuana be legalized? What are the biggest controversies on this matter? Why do you think some states made it legal and others didn't? Why do some people who actually need this medicinal drug have to suffer the pain, or buy marijuana illegally?

-Samantha

Is obesity a problem we can fix?




There are a number of people who try and figure out a way to control or lose weight. Many of them try what I call the quick fix to weight loss, dangerous surgeries or trying the gym but quit. The center for disease control and prevent states:
Obesity is common, serious and costly
* More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese.
                 * No state has met the nation's Healthy People 2010External Web Site Icon goal to lower obesity prevalence to 15%. The number of states with an obesity prevalence of 30% or more has increased to 12 states in 2010. In 2009, nine states had obesity rates of 30% or more. In 2000, no state had an obesity prevalence of 30% or more.
                * Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of death               
* In 2008, medical costs associated with obesity were estimated at $147 billion; the medical costs paid by third-party payers for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight
Obesity prevalence varies across states and regions
                 * During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high.
    * By state, obesity prevalence ranged from 21.0% in Colorado to 34.0% in Mississippi in 2010. No state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-six states had a prevalence of 25% or more; 12 of these states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia) had a prevalence of 30% or more.
    * The South has the highest prevalence of obesity (29.4%) followed by the Midwest (28.7%), Northeast (24.9%) and the West (24.1%).
As you can see from these stats, that overweight and obesity is an increasing epidemic. Do these people want to really lose the weight or just the thought of something that would classify as a quick fix just ease the pain of the weight problem? Do you feel that it is something we can fix, or will this problem get out of hand?
-Christopher H

Death to the death penalty?





Early last year, governor Pat Quinn of the state of Illinois declared that it would be getting rid of the death penalty within its borders. It has become one of another sixteen states who have dropped the policy of executing inmates. How do you feel about this? Do you think that the death penalty should be abolished? Are there only certain cases where it is right to be used (for serial killers such as Jeffery Dahmer, and such)? What about people under the age of 18, and the mentally disabled? By United States federal law, we are not allowed to execute mentally handicapped people and juveniles under the legal adult age, no matter what crimes they have committed. Do you believe that law should be repealed? Why or why not?

Lauren Smith

Drugs of medical use


Drugs, we all have heard about them. There are drugs that are illegal with medicinal values and drugs that are legal that are used medically, but some of these legal drugs are more harmful than the illegal ones. Why can’t the drugs that are currently illegal be used medically for a person’s illness if it’s safer than the legal drug that they are using? Why can’t illicit drugs be monitored and regulated for medicinal reasons just like the drugs we have now that are legal? There are illicit drugs that were made for good reasons but they were taken away and made illegal, because some other drug was made that is supposable safer. Well why not bring them back for medicinal and responsible reasons? If the right people were able to control the drugs and understand the good and bad about using a drug, what would be so wrong about that? If there was a way to make the drugs that are illegal now legal, how would the people controlling these substances keep complete control from the drug gangs? Here’s a site that shows just few of the drugs that are now illegal but still have medical values, http://www.oddee.com/item_97276.aspx.


John

Don't look under the bed . . .


Often when we were young, before going to bed, we took a look under our beds hoping that there wasn’t a monster underneath. We swore that we heard something scurrying below, or that we saw glowing red eyes. When we told our parents, they always reassured us that there is no such thing as monsters.

     The truth is, there are such things as monsters, and people with mental illnesses have to face them daily. Some people refuse to recognize these monsters as a real problem. Others just want to look the other way and avoid the person altogether. People with mental health problems are often told to just brush it off or to snap out of it. Even when mental illness is acknowledged as something real, people with these problems are often viewed as freaks with no hope for recovery.

Do you think that mental health problems are actual health problems like heart disease or diabetes? Do you think that people with mental illness are just “crazy?” Do you believe that a mental illness like depression is a weakness or character flaw?  Do you believe it can just be shrugged off? Once someone develops a mental illness, can he or she recover? Do you have any overall thoughts on mental illness?


-Sam





Usage of Tobacco


What are your opinions on the usage of tobacco (any form)? Why do you think people smoke? How does smoking impact an individual? How does it impact others? How does it impact the environment? Are there alternatives to using tobacco? Do you think there has been an increase or decrease in number of smokers today than, say 10 years ago? Please comment and state your own opinions on the topic.

 -Charlie

Do you trust our banks?

What do people think about our central banking system, mainly the federal reserve?  Is it a good institution? Should we burn it to the ground and send the executives to the Guillotine? Whats wrong with it and how can we fix it?  What do they do and how does it benefit us or curse us?

Schnitzel

Here is some info about them:  
http://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/default.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_System

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-02-09/wall_street/31040431_1_interest-rates-big-banks-member-banks

Sexual harassment



What is Sexual Harassment? What is the reason for harassing someone? Is sexual Harassment about power or lust? Do you think that a man harasses a woman because he wants to show that he is a man and he can do anything? Is harassment about men being superior or not? How prevalent do you think sexual harassment is in our society? Is it a huge problem or do people make too big a deal about this issue? Either way, why do you think so?   

-Nilay

To be (equal) or not to be?


Do you think that marriage is only for Christian, male/female couples? Why/why not?

Do you think same-sex marriage will ruin the institution of marriage?

What if they are Christian homosexuals? Do your religious beliefs influence your opinion on the topic?

What is your opinion on civil unions?

Why is it okay for people like Britney Spears to have a "joke that went too far" marriage that was annulled after just 55 hours, but gay couples that have been together for years can't get married at all?

What do you think of heterosexual couples that decide not to get married until everyone can get married? Can you see yourself doing that?

Any other opinions, comments, rants about gay people being able (or not being able) to get married?

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Andi