I need to get 10 adult (college age and older) and 10 students (high school and middle school) to answer 10 agree/disagree and WHY you voted that way. PLEASE HELP me!! This is our first grade in this class and I would love to make a great grade!!! (please include your state and if you are a student or adult) 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US. 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional. 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. 9. Abortions should be made illegal. 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. Thanks so much to everyone that takes the time to do this!!!! you are helping me sooo much.
I'm an adult but I frequently act like a child. In which category would you place me? This will affect my answers.
Yea I figured in here it would interesting that is why I wanted to do this on big soccer all sorts of anwsers
Adult from Boston, MA. 26 years old 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US. Yes, granted that they are a legal citizen, everyone should have the opportunity to be educated. 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional. No - direct violation of the first amendment 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. No - that's ridiculous. 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. Yes - you should pay based on what you make. 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. Yes - if you can vote, you should be able to drink, although i fear many 18 year olds aren't responsible enough to drink. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. No - although i am pro death penalty, rape can be too tricky. what about date rape or what if they're both drunk and later the girl regrets and says she was drunk, legally that is still rape if the person is intoxicated. 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." No - I don't have a good reason for this, I just think it's political correctness gone wild. Do we have to take In God we Trust of our quarters to? 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. Yes - they still should have the right to vote, just as they have a right to appeal etc. You aren't totally stripped of all rights if you're a felon. 9. Abortions should be made illegal. No - What if someone is raped and gets pregnant? Shouldn't they have a choice as to whether to keep an unwanted child? 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. No - Unless its a private school where they can make their own rules, I don't think you can force someone to dress how you want them to.
28 year old manchild from Florida : 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US. - Yes. Education is key to improving one's place in life, if you will. The more educated you are, the more likely you are to get a well-paying job, meaning you are less likely to become dependent on drugs, commit crimes etc. 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional. No. First Amendment 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. No. No person's freedoms are absolute. 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. Confusing question. Do you mean they should pay a higher percentage of their own money in taxes, or that they should pay a higher percentage of the overall tax bill? 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. Yes. If you can die for your country, you should be allowed to drink in it. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. No. The death penalty should not be allowed. 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." Yes, or rather it should be changed back to what it originally said before "under God" was added in 1954. 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. Yes, once he has served his time. 9. Abortions should be made illegal. No. Because women will continue to have abortions regardless of their legality, therefore it's in society's best interest to make them legal. 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. No. I think a strict, enforced dress code is sufficient.
Agree, though I don't believe it should be mandatory. Disagree. Freedom of speech is a dead letter if it only protects popular speech. Disagree. That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard. Agree. 30% of a millionaire's income is a smaller burden on his lifestyle than 30% of the income of a guy working at McDonald's. Agree. I'd eliminate minimum drinking ages altogether. Bars and liquor stores should be free to establish their own minimum age policies. The staggering number of wrongfully convicted people released from Death Row in my state alone leads me to disagree. The death penalty is a hideous mess. Theoretically, I don't have a problem with it, but in practice, it's far too flawed to have a place in the American justice system. Agree, I guess, though I don't think it matters all that much, provided no one is compelled to recite the pledge. Not while he's in prison, but I don't like the idea of depriving people of a vote for life after they've done their time. Disagree. Individuals are better equipped to make moral choices than the legal system. Disagree, I guess. I don't see it doing much good, though I don't disagree with the idea that schools CAN require students to wear uniforms. I am of college age or above. (26 years old, from Illinois.) Hope this helps.
Adult, 30, Texas 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US. Yes. A country's prosperity and justice is directly proportional to the education level of it citizens. 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional. No. Violates the first amendment. 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. No. Filling out objective numerical values does not constitute expression. 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. Yes. It's the only way to pay for our current budget. If you want to cut taxes on the wealthy, first cut the budget. 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. Yes. 21 is an arbitrary limit and violates freedoms of 18-20 year-old. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. No. A state is infallible enough to possess the right to put it's citizens to death. 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." Yes. Separation of church and state. "under God" was added during the 1950's. 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. Yes. Universal suffrage is universal suffrage. 9. Abortions should be made illegal. No. 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. Yes. It promotes a disciplined environment.
I'm a freshman in college. Yes, altho vouchers should be given so that kids can go to public schools outside their area. No, but it should be defined as hate speech. This means that it can be regulated by state and local laws, and can be a mitigating circumstance in a trial of a person charged with a crime committed against a flag-burner (just as a black guy who gets called the n-word by a white guy and kicks the white guy's ass will likely be found not guilty in court). No No Yes, it should be lowered to 16 for wine and beer, 18 for shots, and no drinking age with parental consent (meaning a 12-year-old could order alcohol at a restaurant, as long as he's with his parents). Rape no, murder yes I'm undecided on this Depends on the felony Yes, unless the mother's life is at risk. Even from a strictly scientific standpoint, a fetus is a human life after the first trimester. No, but they should not be permitted to wear gang colors, etc. Alex Thanks so much to everyone that takes the time to do this!!!! you are helping me sooo much. [/B][/QUOTE]
I'm 31 yrs old, from NJ. 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US.Yes. 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional. No. 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. No. 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. Yes. 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. Yes - could be lower than 18. I wouldn't drop it entirely as there are some clear medical problems associated with giving alcohol to still-growing children. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. No. 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." Totally useless issue that's not worth getting into a fight over, but yeah sure, take it out. Or at least let people say "under Allah" or "under my personal understanding of full enlightenment". 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. While in jail? No. Once paroled? Yes. You've done your time, your punishment should be over. 9. Abortions should be made illegal. No. 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. No.
A more than worthy topic for my first post. Adult, 31, Illinois 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US. Yes 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional. No. 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. No. 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. Yes. 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. Yes. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. No. 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." Yes. 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. Yes. 9. Abortions should be made illegal. No. 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. No.
40 year old male from Maryland. Yes, absolutely. But no vouchers. No way. No, it does not. Yes. Yes. No. I don't care one way or the other. It's a silly debate. No. No way in hell. Overturn Roe v Wade and women will be dying in back alley abortions. No. But they should pull their pants up to their waists already. You're welcome.
22 year old male from Massachusetts. Graduated college in May, now I'm in school half-time and working full-time, so classify me how you want. 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US. [/QUOTE] Elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education should be available at no cost to any and all US citizens. I believe the current standards of education in this country should be extended to include tuition free education at state universities. 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional. [/QUOTE] That's a direct violation of Amendment I. If done in a form of symbolic political protest the burning of the flag is legal and should remain that way. 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. [/QUOTE] That's a bit silly isn't it? How does lying on an income tax form translate into "freedom of speech" anyway. 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. [/QUOTE] It's a question of burden, those in the lowest income brackets should be required to pay minimal income taxes, while the wealthy should allow for their wealth to be redistributed through government programs to those who are in need. 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. [/QUOTE] No, alcohol is a far more dangerous drug than many that are currently illicit. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. [/QUOTE] The VIIIth amendment specifically protects us from "cruel and unusual punisments". If death is not, by definition, cruel, I don't know what is. I believe the death penalty to be immoral in all cases. 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." [/QUOTE] As long as no person is required by law to recite said pledge I really don't care what it says. 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. [/QUOTE] Yes, unfortunately my state (one of the few where felons retained that right) took that right away from them just a couple years ago. 9. Abortions should be made illegal. [/QUOTE] I don't feel that I, nor my government, have the right to legislate what others do with their bodies. 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. [/QUOTE] As long as the school is public and government funded there is no right for the government to legislate a students dress. It's a first amendment issue, see the case of Anarchy girl v. West Virginia
57 year old female from California: 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US. Agree. It’s basic education that is necessary for any advancement in life. 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional. Disagree. Although I hate it, it is free expression and not a crime. 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. Disagree. We do not have freedom to break the law. This is a crime. 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. Disagree. Why should they be penalized because they’ve been blessed to make more money? 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. Agree. If kids this age can go to war, they should be able to drink. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. Disagree. I believe the death penalty should only be allowed in cases of murder where there is absolute proof of guilt. 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." Disagree. Our nation was founded on the principle that we are a nation under God. 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. Disagree. When a person commits a felony, he/she gives up the right to participate in the governing of the country until his/her penalty has been paid. 9. Abortions should be made illegal. Agree. A child is murdered every time an abortion is performed. 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. Disagree. Although it is a great idea, it should be a choice of each high school.
41 male Texas 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US. Yes. Everyone 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional. No. This is the type of activity the 1st ammendment protects. 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. No. It's something you do at your own risk. 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. When I didn't make money I felt they should. Now I'm not so sure. 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. Absolutely. If you're old enough to kill Iraqi's you're old enough for beer. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. It should be considered in all murder cases. Capital punishment is to political in it's current form. 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." No. Give it up. 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. No. 9. Abortions should be made illegal. Not completely. 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. No.
25 Male New York 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US. Yes. Without free education, the gap between the rich and poor will continue to widen. 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional. No. Like it or not, it's an expression that is protected by the First Amendment. 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. No. Well, you have the right to lie, but F.O.S. doesn't protect you from the consequence of the lie. 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. Yes, to the extent that it does not discourage economic activity. Low income people have to spend a higher percentage of their income on fixed-cost necessities so it evens out in the end. 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. Yes. If the law treats you as an adult and gives you adult responsilbilties then you should be able to enjoy adult priviledges. Toughen DWI laws instead. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. No. I don't have a problem with death penalty so much as I do with the application thereof. There has been too much human error, i.e. incompetent public defenders and income/race bias, that it's just too final a punishment with all the things that could go wrong. 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." Sure. It doesn't really matter to me, since I'm not a citizen and I'll never say it, but it should have never been added in the first place. 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. No. You break the law, you forfeit your rights as a citizen. 9. Abortions should be made illegal. No. A fetus is not considered a human being until it is born - therefore, it is still part of the woman's body, and should be up to the woman. 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. No. It's a pointless political ploy. Dress is a form of expression.
Adult Male 23 Pennsylvania 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US. Agree - If this doesn't happen, then in many cases your putting kids onto the streets who need school the most. 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional ugh. As much as I hate to say it, I disagree with that. The Constitution gives every citizen the right to free speech and and expression whats burning the flag other than a rather showy expression, even if it is one thats putting down America? 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. Disagree. Thats perjury. Your intentionally misrepresenting yourself to duck away from your duty to your government and country. And in a more practicle sense if you can lie on official tax forms then why wouldn't it be legal to lie under oath on the stand? 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. Disagree. You shouldn't be punished for doing well in life. Hey there are honest millionaires. And one of our basic tennants is that everybody equal, if thats so than why should one person have to pay more taxes than another? And if the rich are taxed more and then wouldn't they have a claim in that they should deserve more rights from the country, for making a greater sacrifice? 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. Agree. I personally think that if this happened, there would be less accidental deaths from Alcohol in College. Half the Reason drinking is "cool" is because its illigal for all those froshs and sohomores. They take it to extremes and they do it in out of the way places where they can't get help if they drink too much. Lower it to 18 and then freshman can drink in bars, where the likelyhook of them drinking so much they die is unlikely. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. Agree. First Murder. If a human being has maliciously killed another human, and the courts deem him a threat to do so again, then why should be allowed the chance to do so? I can not imagine Virginia and Maryland Sniper being allowed to live, and then him not wanting to kill again. Wtih Rape...this I kinda take personally. Everytime I think aboiut this I think of the Book/Movie A Time to Kil. What would I do if it was my little girl that hadbeen so violently raped? Ask any girl who has been raped and she'll tell you that thats the worst thing you can do to a girl. Its the same thing as murder...if a human being is allowed to cause sooo much pain to another human being...why should he be allowed to be a continued threat? 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." Agree - I think this comes under "freedom of religon". If a person doesn't believe in God why should he or she be forced to acknowledge Him? 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. Agree - people can reform I suppose. And felony can be many things. I don't see why their rights as a US citizen should be taken away for a single mistake. Especially if they prove to be reformed 9. Abortions should be made illegal. disagree. Would I ever encourage or advise abortion? Never. But I think a woman should allowed to chose what happens to her own body. This goes hand-in-hand with the rape thing. If a girl became pregnant from a violent rape, that child would be a living reminder of the girls worst moment in life.I think this is the hardest question to answer with no easy answer in either direction. 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. Disagree. One of the things that this country was built upon was individualism. You start with Uniforms, and it goes on from there until you live in a country where everything is regulated.
Male, Adult-College age and older, from Michigan Yes. No-first amendment protected No—that just makes you a freeloader. You want to protest income taxes then do so by moving to a country that doesn’t have them. Yes. Yes. But the driving age should be raised to 21 (kidding, I think). No. Yes—violation of Church/State separation. Yes. No. My official answer to this is no, but I don’t like the way this one is phrased. Maybe I want to say schools should be allowed to require students to wear uniforms, so long as a reasonable alternative is available. On second thought...no...YES...no, final answer is definitely no, I think. You’re welcome. Good luck with the class.
Adult male, Georgia Yes. Without it, most folks are sunk. No. It's somewhat offensive, but it's not a crime, nor should it be. No. Doing so should remain a crime, regardless of how many people do it. No. Yes. Or the age for military service/contractual responsibility/marriage/consent/work permit eligibility/etc. should be raised to 21. Either option works for me. No. Murder, maybe, but rape? Not until the court system can boast that every inmate actually committed the crime they were convicted of. Can you say "Scottsboro Boys"? No. Leave it in, and let kids recite it on their own, without any prompting from teachers, if they want to. The problem is not that the words are in the pledge, but that reciting the pledge is encouraged. Once his debt is paid, yes, but not while serving time. The keyword here is rehabilitation. Either we give these folks back their rights as citizens, or we lock 'em up and throw away the key. Either plan works for me. No. That road leads to the back alley. If the district pays for them, absolutely.
Adult male - 42. Hack soccer player - Chicago. 1. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a free public high school education in the US. Absolutely. Government should provide free schooling through high school to promote an educated populace. 2. Burning the American flag should be made unconstitutional. No. This is clearly symbolic speech and is a political statement that should be protected by the first amendment. 3. Freedom of speech includes the right to lie on your income tax form. No. The idea is as ridiculous as saying murdering someone is a form of free speech. Government by the people requires some minimal level of consensus and funding the government is the responsibility of all citizens. If you don't want to pay taxes, move to the Caymen Islands. 4. Wealthy people should pay a higher % of taxes than low-income people. Yes - a progressive tax system recognizes that people with more have an opportunity to accumulate even more wealth faster and evidences acompassionate spirit for less well-off citizens and residents. 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18. No. I'd say "yes" if drunk driving carried the societal stigma that it should ... but it is winked at in the US due to the fact that most of us drove drunk at one time or another and US lifestyles are on the whole very dependent on the car. 6. The death penalty should be allowed in any case involving murder or rape. No. We need to cut back death penalty cases, not increase them. It distracts the country from other crime-reduction policies not obsessed with punishment. 7. The pledge to the flag should be changed to take out the phrase "under God." Yes. It's a minor issue, of course, but this is not like putting a reference to God on money, to which this issue is frequently compared. The pledge is an individual statement that should not be coerced and the words within it should respect freedom of religion (and freedom not to believe in a god). 8. A convicted felon should be allowed to vote. No while incarcerated - yes after incarceration is completed. 9. Abortions should be made illegal. Generally, yes. Exceptions for rape and incest would be OK (though I would disagree personally). A pregnant woman also should be able to terminate a pregnancy that causes medical complications that are life-threatening or which are an immediate and serious threat to her physical health. 10. Students in high school should be required to wear a uniform. No. Except that gangs should be permitted to wear gang colors as an exercise of their Freedom of Speech ... just kidding. Thanks so much to everyone that takes the time to do this!!!! you are helping me sooo much. [/B][/QUOTE]