Marijuana--Legalize it, or not ?

Marijuana--Should it be legalized? Most people have their own opinions to everything, of course, but is marijuana as bad as some say it is? Why is marijuana illegal in some states, but about 10 other states have passed state for it to be legal? Some say marijuana is helpful for some medical conditions and to reduce stress, among other benefits . . . what's your opinion? Would legalizing marijuana be harmful or helpful to our society? Would it stop drug wars? Could marijuana be a cure for some conditions? What are the disadvantages of legalization?

Shannon Adams (11:00)

unadopted orphans . . .

What if you didn't have a family? Where would you be? Who would you love? Who would you laugh and cry with? Can you imagine being an unwanted orphan who was never adopted by a family but just passed from one foster family to the next? ? Some people can relate to this, but others can't imagine a life without a family, no matter how dysfunctional the family might be. Some people pay attention to how many orphans there are in the world, but I feel that when the number is in the millions, it's way too many.

Do you have any experience with orphans?

If you were an unadopted orphan, how would you go about finding happiness? If you never found a family, could you accept other children in the same situation as your friends and family? That is, could you create a nontraditional family of your own made up of people who had similar circumstances to your own but were not blood relatives? What does it mean to be a "family" anyway, in your opinion?

Chylisa Holmes (11:00)

Oil Depletion

Why are oil prices on a constant rise? Do you think the high cost of gas today reflects a shortage of fossil fuel resources at a global level? If so, what are some influences causing oil depletion? Where should we start looking for other resources besides oil? Should the United States continue drilling in Alaska? How about in the gulf? What effect did the recent oil spill have on oil depletion? What can people do to better conserve oil in America?

Josh Witt (11:00)

Success

How do you define success? What does it take for you to accomplish it? Who do you feel are successful? Who helps you reach your success in life? When you hear someone say "he's a very successful man," what do you picture, or what does that make you think of? When you hear someone say, "she's a very successful woman," what do you picture, or what does that make you think of?

Thanks for your help!

Tavaruss (11:00)

Felons and the Job Market

Do you think it is discriminatory against felons to not give them a job if their criminal background has nothing to do with the job they are applying for? For instance, a felon is applying to work as a cook in the dietary department of a nursing home, and they have many years experience in food service and are well qualified for the position, but are turned down for the job because of their record. However, their criminal background has nothing to do with abuse, whether it be sexual abuse, battery, assault, or even elderly abuse, should they still be denied employment?

Prisons are overcrowded with many people who once they get released to begin with, they end up getting sent back to prison because they can't obtain employment, are pretty much shunned by society, and then have to turn to selling drugs or prostitution just to get by to make their bills. Sure, they did their crime and they have done their time, so why do they have to continue to be punished by society and employers even after they have paid their debt to society? Do you think it is discriminatory to these people who are well qualified, but get turned down because of mistakes they have made? Shouldn't it depend on what the convictions are on whether they can work in a certain field or not?

Obviously a person who is convicted of robbery or some sort of theft shouldn't be able to work in a bank, but shouldn't that person be able to work as a food service employee in a nursing home, or maybe be a factory worker who works in quality control? The job market these days is bad enough for people who have clean records, but shouldn't felons have the same chances to better their lives and become a better person and be able to pay their bills and not have to turn to committing crimes again just to eke their way through life, constantly looking over their shoulder for fear of going back to prison because they are turned away from so many employers?

Melinda (11:00)

Concealed Carry in Illinois

Should Illinois pass a law that allows trained and registered citizens in the state to carry a concealed firearm? Would carrying a concealed firearm prevent crimes? If so, what type of regulations and permitting processes should be put into place to control who carries and who does not?

Every state in the United States except for Wisconsin and Illinois have some type of concealed carry law in place. Most of the states require a class, a certain level of accuracy, age limits, background checks, and fingerprinting. Statistics say that once concealed carry laws were put into effect, violent crime rates have gone down substantially.

Clayton B. (11:00)

NBA Draft Regulations

Why do you think the NBA draft regulations were changed so that high school athletes must participate in at least one year of college before entering the professional draft?

Since 2005, the NBA has changed the minimum age for players from 18 to 19. Athletes like Sebastian Telfair and Lebron James (shown in photo) have both made successful careers in the league after being drafted straight from high school. Being so young and energetic, they have created an intensity in the league that might have been absent without them.

By today's rules, players like Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose must commit themselves to a single year of college before entering the draft. Do you think forcing these players to wait to profit from their talents benefits them in the long run? Why is going to college such a big deal, when these men are gifted with a skill that they intend to make a shot at a career with? When you stop to think about it, both these players (Telfair & James) have shoe contracts with brands like Nike and Adidas. They are young and in the public eye already, so is delaying them on their road to stardom a mistake? The implementing of these new (2005) rules is making it harder for talented athletes who are in the same position to make a career with their talents.

So, what do you think--is the rule forcing basketball players to play at least one year of college a fair rule? Is the rule beneficial and fair for everyone--the players, the universities, and the NBA? Or is the rule not beneficial and not fair to players?

Tyler Ribbe (11:00)

Death Penality

Illinois abolished the death penalty March 9, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn signed the bill and said doing so was "the most difficult decision" that he had ever made as governor, but he felt "it was the right step forward for Illinois."

Quinn also commuted the sentence of all 15 inmates on death row, and now they will serve a life sentence instead of the death row punishment.

My question to you is how does this make you feel about the decision of the Illinois law makers and Governor Pat Quinn? Also, how do you feel about the death penalty in general? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a state having the death penalty?

Tyler Farmer (11:00)

Is abortion ever okay?

Is choosing to have an abortion ever the right thing to do morally? Is choosing to abort your baby ever morally okay? Or do you think abortion is always morally wrong?

What if conception of an embryo was caused by rape or incest? What if the mother cannot emotionally care for an infant? What if having the child puts other children in the home at a higher risk--less money for food to eat, clothes to wear, shelter, or medical attention? What if adoption can't guarantee a loving home? Is abortion an okay choice in any of these cases?


Peggy B. (1:00)

marijuana--should it be legal?

What do you think is the real reason our country will not legalize marijuana? Studies have shown that more people use marijuana than any other substance and that sellers make more profits from selling marijuana than from any other drug. Many people argue that marijuana is a plant that can help or even cure diseases and that marijuana is a relatively safe drug. Many studies suggest that smoking cigarettes is worse for you than smoking marijuana. So, what do you think--why hasn't marijuana been legalized by now? What are the advantages and disadvantages to legalizing marijuana?

Dea'Shanay (1:00)

Are You Thirsty?

The FDA has once again turned its eyes toward one of America's addictions--this time it's energy drinks. Though the ban has yet to be in effect, the process is in motion right now. The ban would target energy drinks that have more than 80 milligrams of caffeine, which is equivalent to a cup of coffee. Anything more than that and you must be over the age of 19 to purchase it. A popular drink called Four Lokos has been blamed for the cause of deaths in the state of Florida. Three states have banned the energy drink from its stores so far. One FDA official says," The concept is the same thing as for smoking. Why put foreign contents in your body?" Should energy drinks be banned? If not, should there be a certain age limit on them?

Rocky V. (1:00)

Do you think women degrade themselves by being in music videos?

Music Videos . . . Do you think men are degrading women in their music videos, or are women degrading themselves? Do you think the issue of degrading women (or men) in music videos is not a big issue or problem? Why or why not? Are the women in these music videos influencing young women in today's society? If so, how?

Slim (1:00)

Community colleges or universities?

With universities regularly raising tuition, community colleges are becoming more and more popular as less expensive alternatives to major universities. Do you think community colleges like Parkland are going to become the "new" universities? Are universities like the University of Illinois, which just approved a tuition increase (for the second year in a row), pricing themselves out of reach of many students' budgets? Do you think potential employers will start to look at Associates degrees closer than they ever have before?

Jared (1:00)

Serious Relationships At A Young Age

Do you think it's healthy for teenagers to consider themselves in a serious relationship? At that age do you think either the boy or girl is ready for what serious relationships bring: babies, serious commitment, and marriage?

When you're in a serious relationship, do you think you tend to make choices considering what is best for the relationship instead of what's best for you? Should teens be doing that--putting the priorities of a relationship before the prioroties of what's best for them as individuals?

Do you think the biggest regrets people have are from their teenage years? Do you think teens sometimes waste a lot of time and energy on something that wasn't meant to last?

Stephanie Odom (1:00)

How can we tell what's right or wrong?

As you know, the world is widely different, made up of individuals with their own tastes and styles. Different regions of the world have different lifestyles and behaviors based on the beliefs and systems valued in their culture. People in one culture are often raised to have different values from those raised in other cultures. What we in our culture see as normal might be seen as stupid or inhumane by people in other cultures. Sometimes individuals within one culture even pick fights with individuals in other cultures to try to force them to see things as they see them. How can we call ourselves civilized human beings when we turn on each other and even kill each other over cultural disagreements? Why can't people get along with others despite their differences? Who is to say who is right or wrong when entire cultures are in conflict with other cultures? If no one is right and no one is wrong, why do people kill each other over their disagreements?

Daniel (1:00)

Alcohol vs. Smoking? Jail time for weed possession?

Alcohol vs. Marijuana

Why do you think that the government thinks it is okay to drink alcohol but it isn't okay to smoke marijuana?

Every year 85,000 people die from being intoxicated with alcohol, but there has not been one known cause of death due to marijuana, why is that?

Why is alcohol legal when it kills people every year, and impairs your abilities to where you can no longer function?

Do you think that things would be a lot different if marijuana was legalized?

In the year 2006 they arrested 829,625 people for marijuana. Do you think they should have to go to jail for just possessing marijuana when more serious crimes like rape and sexual assault should be taken more seriously?

-Nikki (1:00)

Abortion . . . who makes the decision?

WHO SHOULD MAKE THE DECISION TO HAVE AN ABORTION, JUST THE WOMAN OR BOTH PARENTS? WHO SHOULD PAY FOR IT?

IN WHAT CASES IS IT OKAY FOR A WOMAN TO DECIDE ON HER OWN TO HAVE AN ABORTION? IN WHAT CASES IS IT OKAY FOR THE WOMAN TO NOT EVEN INFORM THE FATHER OF HER DECISION TO HAVE AN ABORTION?

JaTaun (1:00)

SPRING 2011 STUDENTS: STOP HERE! EVERYTHING BELOW THIS IS OLD.

stop here! don't answer any questions below this!

--john 3/16/11

Teen Pregnancy

Why do many teens today think it's okay to have babies at a young age, such as 16 or 17? Is this a big problem in our society? How long do you think teenagers should wait to have kids?

For more information, please visit this site.

http://www.mainstreetmom.com/par_babes_have_babes.htm

Thanks.

Darrian Carter (noon)

Black Women . . .

Do you think black women are degraded and stereoptyped by negative statistics?
Examples:
Most black women are loud and ghetto.
Most black women need welfare.
Most black women drop out of school and have kids too early.

Do you think it's fair that just about every African American woman other than Oprah and Michelle Obama are grouped together and stereotyped negatively?

Do you think it's fair that a black woman can't run a company or become CEO unless the company is black owned? "A black woman has zero chance of rising up through the ranks to the top of a white company no matter how hard she works or intelligent she is."

Do you agree with this statement?

If you view this issue as a problem in our society, can you think of any way to solve it?

Thanks for your thoughts on this!

Martina Harvey (noon)