The Great Debaters

                                                       Thesis : Birth control should not be viewed as an issue linked exclusively to women and morality, but rather as a learning point and basic health care right for everybody.      The logistics and inner details of birth control are discussed in great detail throughout Margaret Sanger's speech, "The Morality of Birth Control." Sanger touches on many valid points that strengthen the proposal to make birth control a subject of science, rather than a taboo. A large portion of the proposal touches on over-population; the author's belief is that birth control is a necessity to counter the growing problem in the United States. Most of the arguments against birth control becoming a mainstream health care topic address the moral standpoint of birth control and the purpos...

 Thesis : Immigrants coming over from other countries should not be turned away because they are just escaping dire situations, want a better life, and it is the American way.      First, while immigrants are seen as outsiders or even worse, terrorists, more often than not that is not the case. Immigrants coming to the United States are just seeking a safe haven. In the article, " Tackling the Global Refugee Crisis: Sharing, not Shirking Responsibility" Salil Shetty writes about how Immigrants who escape war, bombs, and unlivable circumstances now have to be subjected to harsher conditions elsewhere (Shetty). Shetty provides a solution to Immigration problems in the format of countries sharing responsibility for Immigrants based on wealth, the unemployment rate, and population in a country (Shetty). These solutions would help not just people in America but other countries as well because everyone would be helping in maintaining immigrant ratios. Single mothers with k...

Image Credit: https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/restorative-practices-schools-work-they-can-work-better   Thesis : While it can be said that restorative justice initiatives have helped many students of color and teachers find a better way of communicating vs. school suspension, it can also be stated that these programs allow disruptive students to keep being a disturbance and let even more students fall behind. A potential solution lies in giving children three strikes before taking action.  First, considering my opponent's arguments that restorative justice programs have decreased the need for suspensions and detentions, they also allow students to be heard more and seen. In her article, "Rethinking School Discipline," Rachel Cohen writes that "Every teacher at Hampstead Hill is required to lead three class-wide circles per week. These don't take very long, perhaps 10 to 12 minutes, but the idea is to regularly create the space for students ...

image credit:  https://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/political-economy-tackling-climate-change   Thesis:  Measures of sustainability directed at reducing climate change need to be addressed on a large scale because the effort of a few enthusiastic individuals is not enough; however, methods used to decrease our carbon footprint need to be practical. First, effective measures of sustainability must happen on a large scale. Individual efforts such as reducing plastic bag usage, reducing car and plane mileage, and using solar panels are only helpful if more than half the population do them. Environmental activist Bill McKibben claims that enormous scale efforts would be more effective because "Movements are what make 5-10 percent of people and make them decisive - because in a world where apathy rules, 5-10 percent is an enormous number." However, whatever measures are put into place need to be practical and immediately beneficial for the average individual, or else the eco...

image from:  https://spectrum.ieee.org/autonomous-cars-teach-themselves-to-drive-better-than-humans Intro: As more and more companies produce their own self-driving cars, questions arise regarding how they will influence society. They include: Where will these cars be parked, and how much space will they take up on the road?  How will they be fueled, and who will pay for it? How will we handle the ethical situations if these cars cause accidents? What will be the consequences of lost jobs and income for those who drive for a living? ...and many more. Robin Chase and Drew Hendricks, who have authored articles about this, believe that self-driving cars are an inevitable part of society's evolution. We should embrace this change and take advantage of the opportunity to improve transportation for everyone.  Thesis: The arrival of self-driving cars can improve transportation in three ways: they are more cost-effective, more space-efficient, and safer.  First, self-driving...

        image credit: https://techbuzzireland.com/2022/02/03/57-of-people-in-ireland-struggle-to-tell-difference-between-real-news-and-fake-news/   Thesis: News media corporations should be regulated on their content because it is deliberately misleading, causes mass hysteria, and pollutes the internet.     First, the regulation of news media corporations should be implemented because many news articles deliberately spread misinformation. In a desperate attempt to get the browser's attention, they use headlines and hype-words to sensationalize their content. David Mikkelson, the founder of the anti-misinformation website Snopes.com, says that we are living in a "bad news phenomenon" which "encompasses many forms of shoddy, unresearched, error-filled, and deliberately misleading reporting that do a disservice to everyone" (Kiely/Robertson). Allowing misleading information is unethical and sets a bad example for Americans and the rest of the wo...

image credit:  https://money.cnn.com/2017/03/09/news/economy/soda-tax-uk-sugar-revenue/index.html Thesis : A sugar tax implemented in the U.S. would be beneficial because both the American people and the large corporations must be held accountable for the unethical consumption of sugar, which is burdening our healthcare system.  First, a sugar tax would be beneficial because the companies which produce sugary foods and drinks should be held responsible. For example, many food labels are not entirely transparent about how much sugar is in the food item. Sarah Wilson claims, "More than 80% of products in supermarkets contain (mostly) hidden, added sugar." Another example is that big companies target poor areas of the country with advertising for cheap, unhealthy foods. Profiting off the ignorance of the disadvantaged is unethical. For this reason, these companies should be taxed so that they have to change their marketing or their products. . Image Credit: https://money.cnn.com...