Should certain literature be censored from public school libraries because of the possibly detrimental messages that these works send to children? Is this a Freedom of Expression (First Amendment) issue? Are parents and teachers being unreasonable when they demand that works like Huckleberry Finn, Catcher in the Rye, and yes, Little Red Riding Hood be taken off the shelves?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Should employers have the right to require that their employees abide by certain dress/appearance codes (i.e. no body piercings, no tattoos, no facial hair or ponytails for men...)? Are such policies too restrictive and discriminating against people because of their personal choices about how to express themselves (First Amendment again!)? Or, because it is the employer's business, should he have the right to run it as he pleases?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What stories from your own life would be worth telling in a gripping novel? What events have been life-changing for you, and what have they taught you about yourself and the world around you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several questions are raised here:

1. How ethical is the death penalty, in general?

2. Is it ethical to execute a mentally retarded individual?

3. Should stem cells be used for scientific research?

4. Should we be concerned about our new abilities to conduct genetic research (the Human Genome Project)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How much protection should the environment be granted, even if protecting it will cause inconveniences and discomfort for human beings (i.e. higher gas/oil prices, fewer trees for forestry and building, less land for roads, schools, hospitals...)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How, if at all, can we define "family" in modern America? Is the idea of a "nuclear family" obsolete? Are single moms, divorced dads, homosexual parents, grandparents as moms and dads, live-in nannies all just part of the acceptable make up of familial units? Should we be worried about the way our perceptions of families have changed?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can one define "art"? Is it any form of self-expression? Can it be assessed based on some outside set of standards? If so, then who should decide what standards to use? If not, then isn't there a danger of allowing too much?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are too many parents relying on day care to raise their children? Is day care beneficial to the development of children or is it detrimental? How much of a role should government be playing in the funding of day care programs?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Should the government (state and/or federal) put restrictions on the use of cell phones in automobiles? Does their use pose a great enough risk to warrant a complete ban? Or should people have the right to use them despite the distractions they may cause, especially considering that there are probably several other events occurring while driving that are distracting--eating, applying make-up, reprimanding backseat children, shaving, reading the paper...?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Should the cloning of human beings be a legal--possibly even federally funded--enterprise in the United States? Would such scientific endeavors be overstepping any boundaries, playing God? Would the potential benefits outweigh the possible risks?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At what point should a parent be considered criminally negligent with regards to the supervision of a child. If a baby dies in a sweltering car after having been left there by a mother just wanting to spend a few minutes in a grocery store, should the mother be charged with murder? If a baby drowns in a bathtub while the father has stepped out of the room only long enough to pick up a telephone call, should he be charged with murder? How should the law draw the line between accident, stupidity, neglect, and malicious wrongdoing?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the nature of free will? Does it exist? If so, is it a gift or a curse? If not, then what  or whom are our actions determined by?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Should we be concerned about the declining modesty of young people? Is modesty even a virtue anymore, or has the trend to "show skin" simply been lumped into the commendable category of self-expression? Should parents be more restrictive on what they allow their children to wear?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is a parent's role? Should parents act more as their children's friend or dictator? Should they be subjecting their kids to uncomfortable interrogation and control because that type of parenting produces more responsible and respectful offspring?