Scenario: Debbie is not married, she is 19 and is pregnant. She does not want to have the baby

because she thinks it will interfere with going to college so she goes to an Abortion clinic in St. Petersburg.

Should it be legal for her to have the baby aborted?

Yes. Usually 'Pro-Choice,' liberals say that it is a woman's right to have an abortion if she wants to. Pay the $400 and get the abortion, it is your right in America.

No. Usually 'Pro-Life,' conservatives say that a woman should not have an abortion unless it was a case of rape or some other abnormal circumstance was involved. Jenny's baby is alive like you and me, so an abortion is kind of like murder.

Scenerio: Mike is a an 18 year old black male who grew up in downtown St. Petersburg. He has a 3.2 at Boca Ciega HS. Marty is an 18 year old white male who grew up in Palm Harbor. He has a 3.3 at East Lake HS with better SAT scores than Mike. They both apply to FSU and Mike gets the spot because of his racial/ethnic background. Is this a good or a bad policy?

Good. Because minority races and women in America have been oppressed in the past by white males, the government should require businesses and colleges to accept more minorities and females instead of white males, assuming they have equal qualifications. Also, minority applicants usually have tougher life situations than whites, like single mother households and poverty, so Affirmative Actions 'levels the playing field' for everyone.

Bad. No one should have a preference in college admissions and in seeking a job because that is un-equal and actually discriminates, which is what we are trying to get rid of in the USA right now. Colleges and businesses should be able to take whoever they want without government interference.

Scenario: John works at McDonald's and cuts his hand washing a knife. What should take place?

Scenario II: The Exxon Valdez oil tanker hits a rockface and spills lots of oil on the coast of Alaska. How should Exxon be punished?

Scenario III: Martha Stewart drops lots of stock in her own company just before the stock value goes down.

Government should create programs like OSHA to make sure that businesses do not have any potential work hazards. Government lawyers should be in charge of bringing suits against offending businesses. McDonald's must pay him and put up a sign saying 'be careful while washing knives' above the sink. Exxon should pay millions in lawsuits to teach them not to spill oil. Martha Stewart should go to jail.

Government must leash businesses.

Businesses don't have work hazards on purpose. The Exxon oil spill was an accident and they should pay for cleaning it up, but not punished with multi-million dollar lawsuits. The CEO should not be fired as he was for the accident of a boat driver. John should be more careful next time while washing knives. Oh, Martha Stewart- she is not guilty of a violent crime, if she is guilty of any crime, and should not have to do jail time. Jail is for violent people and public hazards.

Over-regulation of businesses drives up the cost of actually doing business.

Scenario: Johnny breaks into his neighbor's house and steals $500 out of a dresser drawer. He was high on Xanax and had no fear of being caught, plus he needed the money and his neighbor just had it laying around. When his neighbor gets home Johnny is coming out of his house through a window and the two confront each other. Johnny swings at the neighbor but then the Police arrive and they handcuff Johnny because he is wanted anyway for writing bad checks all over town. The police ask the neighbor if he wants to press charges against Johnny, and Johnny says to him from the back of the police car, 'don't press charges man, ill give back the money, I was high, I don't want to go to jail.' The neighbor says that he will press charges. Johnny says, 'I am gonna "cap" you.' Should Johnny go to jail?

Johnny should be let out on bond and then sent to a drug rehabilitation because he was brought up in difficult circumstances and didn't have the advantages that his neighbor had. Drug addiction made Johnny steal that money.

Protecting the right of the neighbor not to get robbed is the most important issue here. Johnny should spend time in jail because he is a public hazard. Johnny made Johnny steal that money. Lack of good values is the cause of crime in America.

Scenario: American kids are doing less well on tests today than they did in the 1950's. Have Americans become dumber? What should we do about this?

Raise taxes and give the money to public education. New textbooks and school improvements are the key to getting American kids back on top of their studies. All students have the potential for going to college so education should be the same for everyone.

Do not raise taxes. Bring public schools back to 1950's style disciplinary standards and also, separate the college bound kids from the non-college bound, and then teach a trade like auto mechanics or technical electronics to the average kid so they have some good job skills when they graduate.

Scenario: Should we mine for oil in the USA to lessen our risk of economic shutdown should our middle east oil become unavailable?

No. The envrionment is the primary concern and we should not drill for oil because it is messy.

Yes. The economy is more important than the environment, which we can keep clean and still drill for oil here.

Scenario I: A lady went to a men's golf club in South Carolina and tried to join it. Since it was a men's golf club they said no. She sued them and maintained that they were being unfair and considered women not equal to men. She got in when the court decided that the golf club was discriminating against her. Was it?  What about GI Jane?  Can the YMCA refuse admission to a Muslim?

Scenario II: A man goes to Hooter's Restaurant and applies for a job. He loses the job to the next canditate, an exceedingly voluptuious woman. He sues Hooters for discrimination- after all, he was there first.

The government should create programs to ensure equality. Men's clubs (like the all-male Citadel Military College) should be compelled to include women, in the name of equality.

Hooter's has no right to 'discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin...' so they must hire the man.

Organizations in the USA should be free to select their own members without government interference.

Scenario: Famine breaks out in Zimbabwe due to governmental corruption- people are hungry and there is not much time, what should we do?

Give taxpayer money to an international organization like the UN or the International Monetary Fund, or the World Bank. Let them take it to Zimbabwe and distribute it there.

Give nothing to the corrupt government, let the citizens revolt and change their government if they want, but encourage that the new government be not corrupt. The point is, the taxpayers should not be forced to give their money away.

Scenario: Should we sign up to join the FTAA?

Scenario: Shaggy and Fred are gay, and want to get married. They sue the State government for the right to get married and have it be legal. They win the case because the judges agree that gay marriage is a good idea. What do you think?

Yes, gayness and lesbianism is a lifestyle that people are born with. They should have the same rights as traditional married people of different sexes do.

No. Christianity says no to gayness and lesbianism, (although last year the church appointed a gay priest) and more importantly, so does the Constitution. Nowhere does it say that same sex marriage is ok... The job of a judge is to follow the constitution and not their own opinion as an activist.

Scenario: Cleatus is driving with no seatbelt. An officer pulls him over and gives him a $50 ticket under the 'click-it-or-ticket' Law

Liberal: Good. It is the government's job to ensure people are safe

Conservative: Bad. If I don't want to wear my seatbelt, that's my choice as a free person in a free country, not subject to government invasion into my private life. Are they going to come into my backyard next and tell me my hamburger is unhealthy and give me a ticket for that too?

Scenario: With US companies moving out of the country, should we lower immigration levels because Americans are losing their jobs?

Senario II: A group in Iran claims that their government is persecuting them. They apply for amnesty to the USA. What do we do?

Diversity and Multiculturalism are always going to be good, immigrants bring with them a lot of expertise on small-business ownership and also a hard work ethic, and a willingness to do jobs that Americans don't want to do. It is necessary to keep immigration levels where they are. For amnesty, yes. No one in the world should have to be persecuted, bring them in and do not discriminate based on national origin, job skills or any other criteria. A human being is a human being and should be treated with respect by us.

The purpose of immigration is to make the US better. We should pick and choose individual immigrants that are high quality, not just anybody who applies. They should take a test about American politics, laws and culture, and be ready to become fully American when they get here. If there is no need for more people because we have enough, we should stop immigration. Also, for amnesty, no. There are 5 Billion poor people in the world who would come here if they could, we cannot help them all. Other countries are simply going to have to 'clean up their own backyard.'

 United States

2000

281,500,000

White: 62% / Hispanic: 13%

Black: 12.5% / Mix-Othr: 7.5% Asian: 4.0% / Nat Am.: 1.0%

35

$42,000

$120,000

80%

25%

26 min

United States

2005

298,000,000

White: 58% / Hispanic: 15%

Black: 13.5% / Mix-Othr: 8.0%

Asian: 4.5% / Nat Am.: 1.0%

34

$41,000

$130,000

78%

24%

28 min

United States

2050

(In 45 years)

420,000,000

White: 42% / Hispanic: 25%

Black: 15% / Mix-Othr: 8.0%

Asian: 8.0% / Nat Am.: 2.0%  

39

Lower

Higher

Lower

Lower

Higher

United States

2100

(In 95 years)

571,000,000

Hispanic: 35% / White: 22%

Black: 20% / Asian: 13%

Mix-Othr: 10% / Nat Am.: 1.0%

42

Lower

Higher

Lower

Lower

Higher

Scenario: Debbie is a single mom who works at Denny's. She applies for welfare compensation to the government because she does not make enough money for paying her rent, keeping her car maintained, payments on her couch and plasma TV, and the baby well cared for. She recieves welfare from the government.  Larry has to pay child support for his two kids. He has no job and is on welfare. Should they be getting welfare, knowing that welfare money comes from their neighbors who pay taxes?

Yes. In America we have a social responsibility to people who don't make enough money or don't have a job. The government should raise taxes and re-distribute that tax money to other people who have either made a bad decision or for some reason can't take care of themselves.

No. In America we have individual responsibility and collecting peoples' money to give to other people is not right. If someone needs money, we have charities, churches and other places for them to ask for it. Welfare and other programs like it are socialism.

Scenario: In the last 15 years, the content of TV and radio has become more geared to violence and sex, is this ok?

If people like it, its ok. Relax, people are smart enough to know not to imitate what they see on TV.

Its bad to have swearing, sex and violence on mainstream TV.

Encouraging diversity and multiculturalism are good. All Americans benefit most from a multi-cultural environment because that is best for learning about other peoples' cultures, and fosters understanding and friendship. People should emphasize differences in language, culture, historical perspectives and ways of life as good, and schools should teach that all cultures are good.

American life and culture is good. People living in the United States should adapt to our American way of life. Americans should enhance their similarities, not their differences. The English language should be learned by everyone, as should the history and culture of the United States. Schools should teach what is good about America first and foremost, because we need that cohesion to remain a viable and great Republic.

Scenario: Your uncle has worked at Microsoft for 5 years. He made $30 dollars an hour and paid his taxes. Last week he found out his office is being closed and his job is outsourced to China, where Microsoft doesn't have to pay as much to the workers or in taxes. Is this ok or not?

American workers should not have to be sacraficed because the government encourages outsourcing. Government should not side with big corporations against the people who work for them.

The USA should manufacture what Americans consume here and not overseas, it is bad for our future because it gives other countries economic control over us, and we can't afford that. Plus, American people are poorer now than they used to be, and that is bad.

Scenarios: Should 'under God' be taken out of the Pledge? Should the 10 Commandments be banned from a classroom? A courtroom? Should a Christmas Nativity scene be allowed on public property, like at Sims Park in downtown New Port Richey?

Recently in some Detroit neighborhoods with a Muslim population, public loudspeakers in the streets have been playing the Islamic call to prayer 5 times a day. Is this ok?

Religion has no business in any public place because it is offensive to people not of that religion. Government should take 'under God' out of the Pledge of Allegiance, not allow Christmas displays in public and require companies to call 'Christmas Parties' 'Holiday Parties.' 'Happy Holidays' should be said, not 'Merry Christmas. There should be no 10 Commandments posted in schools, and no Nativity Scene in Sims Park.

Muslim chanting on the loudspeaker? I don't want to advocate public space for a single religion but I also don't want to be politically incorrect. My brain just melted.

The USA was founded under God as a Christian nation and though Americans can have any beliefs they want as per the 1st Amendment, we should not take away Christian traditions from public life because that is taking away the character traits that made this country great in the first place. People should be free to post the 10 Commandments if they want to, a Manger Scene if they want to, and have a Christmas Party at their workplace. That is what free people do in their own country.

Muslim chanting in public? No. No I don't think so.

No, we have no more need for this- other problems at home like poverty, hunger, politics and human centered issues are more important. Space travel and exploration will only lead to exploitation anyway.

Yes, more than ever. New technology, the very human urge to explore the unknown and unlock the mysteries of the universe and existence are good reasons, and if we need a practical one, China is developing a space program to compete with ours.

Scenario: Should we stay in the United Nations?

Yes. We are citizens of the world. The UN is an institution dedicated to promoting world peace and prosperity. Wars are caused by ethnic and economic disputes so if we eliminate nationalism and national differences, as well as building a prosperous economy for everyone, we will end war and conflict.

No. We are citizens of America first, not 'the world.' Our president and congress have no business giving control of the US to an organization outside this country, that is un-Constitutional. We don't elect representatives to the UN, so it is not accountable to American people. Borders should not be eliminated because if they were, America itself would be eliminated.

Scenario: Should the US attack Afghanistan? What about Iraq?

War is always bad. American support of Israel and the presence of Americans and American businesses in the Middle East is the cause of 'why they hate us.' We should withdraw those reasons for hating us, and then terrorism will stop. We should turn over control of Iraq to the United Nations and give money to Middle Eastern countries to fight poverty, which is the primary cause of terrorism. People who have no hope tend to become soldiers.

War is sometimes the only answer. Israel is the only democracy in the middle east and is alone against the entire Muslim world- we should continue to supply Israel with weapons should they choose to fight. Afghanistan was necessary to terminate the Taliban and the terrorist training camps, but in general the US should stay out of the problems of the rest of the world, including Iraq.*