Will racism ever die?

Do you think racism remains a serious problem in the United States? In Illinois? In Champaign-Urbana? What do you base your views on? Please give me your thoughts on this subject. If you have any personal experience with racism, I'd like to hear that, too. Thanks for your help!

Jericka Tiger (9:00)

Too Much TV ?

What's wrong with watching TV?
Do you think TV is bad for kids? Why or why not? How much TV should kids be allowed to watch in one day?Is playing video games on TV or on a computer about the same as watching TV, or is one worse than the other? Is it okay for kids to watch several hours of TV a day if they are watching good shows, like PBS, AE, the Nature channel, and the History channel? Do you have any other comments on the influence of TV on kids in the United States?

Okay, now, help me out with this . . .

Willie Tanner

(12:00 class)

Domestic Abuse

Do you know of anyone who has been a victim of domestic abuse or family violence? If so, what in your view were the consequences of the abuse? How common do you think domestic abuse is in our society? What are the possible causes and effects of domestic abuse? How can this problem be dealt with better in our society?If you need more information on this subject, you might have a quick look at this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_violenceThank you for your time.

Cristobal Gonzalez (9:00 class)

Corrupt police force

Why are the Chicago Police among the most corrupt in the nation? What are your views and thoughts pertaining to a possible solution to this problem?

Thanks for your comments--

Nick (11:00)

Are Americans too sensitive and politically correct?

The recent controversy over what Don Imus said on his radio show made me wonder if people sometimes overreact to what others say. You might or might not agree about the result of this controversy (Imus was fired), but in general do you think people are too sensitive or too eager to be offended? If everyone was worried about saying something that might be offensive to someone else, wouldn't that mean a lot of things that should be said would not be said, simply because of political correctness? Do you think some people take political correctness too far? Also, do you think Imus should not have been fired for a single mistake, even if it was a big one? Everyone makes mistakes, and he said he was sorry and that he was misunderstood--should he have been fired?
Any other comments you have on this topic would be appreciated!

A.J. Monroy (11:00)

Global Warming and The Greenhouse Effect

Do you think global warming is a serious problem that needs to be dealt with urgently? What do you think the biggest cause of global warming is? How can we effectively stop or reduce the amount of pollution we put into the atmosphere? Could there be a solution to take some of these gases back out of the air? Are we really worried about the climate we will leave behind for our children? And will there ever be a total global flood because of the ice caps melting?

Jimmy Butler (12:00)

Are people too materialistic?

What’s your opinion on people today being more and more materialistic, and less humble?

If your have no comment on that, please try to answer some of these questions.

Can a person be judged to be materialistic by how he spends his resources?
Is collecting material goods an important concern?
Are you materialistic if you pursue wealth and luxury?
Are you concerned more about money than people?
How far would you go for money?
How much do you care about your external validation?
Is material success the highest purpose/goal?
What are we here for?
Does it matter how I treat others as long as I get/have what I want?
If life is about materialism why should I live a moral life?
If you are not distinguished, why do people look at you as if you are inferior to them?

Thanks for your help!

Nolberto (11:00)

Learning Disorders

Do too many people these days use learning disorders as excuses for poor effort or poor attitude in school? Learning disorders such as dyslexia, dysgraphia (a learning disability resulting from the difficulty in expressing thoughts in writing and graphing), and dyscalculia (math dyslexia) are real conditions and cause real problems for many people, but it seems that in recent years you hear more and more about people who have even light cases of these disorders and other conditions such as ADHD who use them as excuses not to try their hardest. Instead they take the easy way out and let their disorder limit or define them. Do you think this is a problem in our society or educational system? Do you have any other thoughts on this subject?

Thanks for your comments!


Travis Lambasio (9:00)

Drinking Age

What should the legal drinking age be? Would reducing the drinking age to 18 or 19 really cause that many problems, especially since college students will pretty much drink no matter what? Many people suspect that drinking alcohol before the age of 21 can cause developmental problems. Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Do Young adults under the age of 21 experiment with alcohol because it is dangerous and illegal, or another reason?



Thanks for your comments,



Chad Peters 9:00A.M.

Affirmative Action

Is affirmative action justified? Affirmative action allows people from minority groups a step up in university admissions, job opportunities, etc. because of the applicant's race, but it does this by disadvantaging another applicant. Is it fair to balance one disadvantage with another? Is affirmative action a good solution or a solution that is the same as the problem it is intended to solve?

If you don't know much about AA, you can check out the basics at this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_action

Megan Qualls (11:00)

Eating Disorders to better Society's Ideal Body Image

In today's society are young girls and women obsessed with their body image?
Do you feel there is too much pressure on women to become model thin?

Are you aware of websites offering advice on how to become anorexic or bulimic?
http://www.ceruleanbutterfly.com/

• Do you think this is a growing problem in young girls? Why or Why not?
• Do you feel the media is to blame-showing advertisements or commercials of thin models and celebrities?
• Why do you think young girls and women want to be thin?
• Do young girls or women think we have to be thin, in order to be considered beautiful?
• Should there be more supportive websites to encourage healthy body image?
• Are there too many commercials and advertisments on weight loss programs and pills?
• Are you aware that Dove has a new commercial supporting less than perfect women (not model thin, but average)?
• Are young girls developing eating disorders to stay thin?
• Who placed the so called requirements of what size is the perfect body image?
• What do you think is the ideal body image? Why?
• Do you think Marilyn Monroe/Anna Nicole Smith had the ideal body image (size 14)?
• Should there be more preventative action on eating disorders? More support groups, advertisments, counseling at the schools and colleges?

Thanks, Cheri Adkins

When does spanking our children go too far? Why do we feel that spanking our children is the right thing to do? Will it really help our children grow if we do not spank them? How would you be able to punish our children without hitting them? Does it really go too far in the eyes of the law? When does physical punishment become just too much?When DCFS steps in, is it really necassary for them to interfere in your life in certain situations?


Here is good link to more information www.stophitting.com
Thank you for your comments

Jennifer Jocelyn (11:00)

What is the most important lesson you would like to teach your children? Are their life lesson's you were raised with that you would like to pass on? If so, what are they? And what about life lessons or siutations you were raised in that you would do everything in your power so that your children would not have to experience the same thing?

Christie Johnson (11:00)

Is the United States winning the war on terrorism?

It seems that every day we hear more protests and threats towards our country. We also hear about soldiers and civilians being killed en masse. Are we conducting this fight the correct way?

Douglas King (9:00)

MLG, and the future of competitive gaming.

The 2007 MLG (Major League Gaming) completed their first tournament of the season just recently, thus insuring the gaming community a competitive season. MLG and other competitive video gaming leagues are very popular these days due to the increase in video game publicity and new technology. But should we recognize the MLG and other video gaming leagues as main stream sports. Should MLG have the same publicity as basketball or football or is competitive video gaming just a waste of your time, you decide.

http://www.mlgpro.com/

Isaac Mitchell (9:00)

Champaign-Urbana Smoking Ban

Should the smoking ban in Champaign and Urbana expand to be state wide? Why or why not?Should the ban become nation wide? What places should be exceptions to the ban and why?

Jeremy Miller (9:00)

How to act in public

What is the appropriate way to act in public? Is there a good way to act or a bad way to act in public be it a store or nice restaurant? For example if you were at a restaurant how should you expect yourself to act or those around you for that matter? Should you make yourself act in a certain way when you are in public? If you were again in a store or restaurant and you see a bunch of people coming in or out, would you open the door for them or let them get it themselves? Should you as a person set rules for yourself to act upon when are in public?


Jarrod Winder (9:00)

Unhealthy habits?

Are we promoting unhealthy habits in our children? Does our society lead our children to become unfit or obese TV freaks and computer geeks? Do we let them see too much violence on TV and in video games? Too much sex? Do we promote kids being overweight and not getting enough exercise? What do you think will be the long-term consequences of subjecting our children to too much too early? If you have children yourself, what are your policies on eating, exercise, TV, and video games for your kids? If you don't have children, how do you expect you'll handle these issues when the time comes? How did your parents handle them? What was the result?

Thanks for your comments.

Amy Marx (11:00)

probation vs. parole

The criminal justice system has had many sorts of punishments, howerver the most common is probation. Has this been as successful as we wanted it to be? I believe that we need to be more harsh on parole's and people on probation. What do you think?

Smoking ban in the land of the free

Smoking bans are growing across the United States now more than ever before. Are bans the right thing to do, or are they conflicting with our rights and freedoms as Americans? Some states are banning only indoor smoking, while others are banning both indoor and outdoor smoking. We have bans in restaurants, bars, and clubs, but service industries (lawyers, financial consultants, etc.) are exempt and can decide for themselves to permit smoking or not on their premises. Some bans come with exceptions, such as smoking might be permitted if smoking areas are closed off from the nonsmoking side and properly ventilated.

What do you think of smoking bans? How should they be handled?

Thanks for your comments!

Dustin Claypool (8:00)