Health Care Debate

President Obama has made universal health care coverage an important agenda item. This act would insure 40 million Americans who are today without health coverage. On the other hand, some estimates suggest that it would cost taxpayers in excess of $1.3 trillion.  The questions for you are these: Is it feasible to change the nation’s health care at such a high cost at a time when the nation suffers from a severe economic decline? Is it morally acceptible to deny 40 million people health care for the sake of keeping the economy stable?

Senator Chris Dodd’s Reelection Bid

This discussion will focus on whether or not Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) will be or ought to be relected to the U.S. Senate. Much has been made of Dodd’s role in the banking crisis and his past support of the AIG bonuses. Recently, his apporval ratings have dropped to 33 percent. For the first time in a long time he faces a tough battle against Republican candidates. The questions: Do you tihnk his nearly 30 years of service in the Senate will and/or should come to an end? What are the reasons you can give for your responses?

Is the Media Giving President Obama a Free Pass?

In this discussion, particularly for my American Government students, I’d like you to think about the role of the media and Barack Obama’s presidency. Has the media been fair in its coverage of the President? Has it asked the tough questions of him or has it not reported on his first few months in office with the proper level of scrutiny? Are there some elements of the media that have been more fair than others?

Who has the power to declare war–the President or Congress?

I would like students in both my American Government and U.S. Constitution courses to consider what the Constitution says about the power to declare war. It seems that the document contains a great deal of ambiguity regarding this issue. I also want you to apply your understanding of the constitutional power to declare war to the conflict in Iraq. Was the decision to go into Iraq constitutionally legitimate? If so, on what grounds? If not, who should be held responsible for this constitutional breach?

Barack Obama versus Hillary Clinton

The Democratic primaries have been the most heated in a long time in large measure because you have two worthy opponents sparring against each other. Either one would make history as the first African American and first woman President respectively. Recently, the issue of race in America’s political culture has become a very important issue. Do you think race is as important or perhaps more important than gender in determining for whom people will vote?

Jena-6

On December 4, 2006, six black students from Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana were charged for the beating of a white student. The event followed months of racially charged activities, the most notable of which was when three white students hung nooses from a tree at the high school. So when the “Jena-6″ were charged with attempted murder, protests began and spread throughout the country.  It was argued that the charges were excessive and racially discriminatory. For some, the events in Jena have come to symbolize the continued racism that pervades the nation.

My questions for you, my students, are these: Do you think racism is as prevalent as it was a half century ago or even a generation ago? What are some possible solutions to the problem of race in America? Has there been improvement in race relations? If you can cite statistical evidence for your opinions, it would be very helpful.

The Gap between Rich and Poor

Recently, in Western Civilization II, I lectured on some of the deleterious effects of the early Industrial Revolution, one of which was to create miserable conditions for the working poor. The lecture quickly turned into a fruitful discussion on the seemingly ever-expanging gap between rich and poor in today’s America; the middle class finds it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, one student contended. The questions I have for my students are these: Do you believe that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getitng poorer? If so, what anecdotal and statistical evidence might you cite to support your claims?

Is Britney Spears Worse Than the Puritans?

In our U.S. History I course today we talked about the strict moral code the Puritans embraced. One of the students argued that they “pushed their views on others.” It was argued in class that the antithesis of Puritan sanctimony is Britney Spears who, it has been argued, is “a symbol of everything that’s wrong with American society.” Were the Puritans correct in attempting to adhere to this code or is the Britney Spears philosophy of “live and let live” more worthy of our admiration?

Mayan Human Sacrifices

The Mayans believed that the giving of blood to the Gods, especially the rain god Chac, would make these deities look upon society with favor. As a result, the practice of ripping the hearts out of human beings for sacrifice to the gods was a common activity in Mayan Civilization. The Spanish conquistadors, no strangers to brutality themselves, looked upon this practice with horror, when they arrived in the New World in the early sixteenth century. My question is this: Was the Mayan practice of human sacrifice simply an acceptable cultural phenomenon that demands respect or was it an unjust taking of human lives that reflected the “uncivilized” nature of this society as the Spanish saw it?

The Founding Fathers: Brilliant or Racist?

In this post, I want you to address whether you believe the Founding Fathers were brilliant men who had the interests of the nation and future generations in mind or racist slaveowners bent on advancing their self-interest when they crafted the U.S. Constitution. What do you think? You might want to assess the actions of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in particular.