WHAT IS THIS?
I present a trio of topics I'd like you guys to reply to to pick your brains a little and stimulate some (hopefully) intelligent, meaningful conversation or debate. Occasionally the topics I post will be US-centric, but I welcome opinions from those outside the states just as well--in fact, I'd encourage some outside perspective.
This thread may look similar if you participated in my original run that was based specifically on politics (you can find it
here in case you missed it).
HOW'S IT GONNA WORK?
I'll post 3 issues for your guys to discuss and voice an opinion on. Just make a post in this thread of your stances to be counted. If you wish to elaborate on what you believe and why you believe in it, I would appreciate it.
Questions in blue at the end of each subsection will be the ones I'm looking out for, so please make sure to at least touch upon them.
After I've received a decent number of responses on the current set of issues, I'll compile the results and toss in another rotation for you guys to give your two cents on. Sound fun?
ON THE SUBJECT OF: MEDICAL ISSUES
Today we'll be handling medical issues--that is, issues dealing with medicine or medical care.
LEGAL MARIJUANA
It's no secret of the effects of marijuana, but its medical utility has come under scrutiny as of late. Many researchers advocate for its apparent symptom-alleviating abilities in several types of afflictions, so much in fact that 23 states in the USA have permitted it for medical use. Looking beyond its medical applications, however, marijuana still remains a flashpoint of debate simply because it's a drug. Should it be open to the public? Would it be a slippery slope? Two sides duke it out:
PRO-LEGAL MARIJUANA PLANKS:- marijuana has express medical benefits
- marijuana is the least addictive drug available
- marijuana is less destructive than alcohol, yet alcohol remains legal
- as a recreational activity, getting stoned is among the least dangerous
ANTI-LEGAL MARIJUANA PLANKS:- legalizing one drug will lead down a slippery slope
- addiction to and abuse of marijuana is a real threat
- marijuana can be used as a gateway drug
- children and teens exposed to marijuana could have adverse effects
My questions to you, OT, are these:
Where do you stand on legal marijuana? Do you think marijuana should be made legal, or kept illegal? Do you think its medical benefits are credible? Should medical marijuana be legal, but recreational marijuana not?
ABORTION
You probably remember from my previous thread when I asked about this, but the issue is still as controversial as ever. Therefore, I've decided to reuse it. This particular issue ranks among the most hotly contested. Abortion is the intentional termination of human pregnancy, as opposed to instances like miscarriage where termination is unintentional. This issue is racked between those who believe abortion should not be permitted at all and those who believe abortion should be a choice to those affected. Unlike most other issues, the sides of abortion are not pro- and anti- but rather both pro-:
PRO-LIFE PLANKS:- a fetus is a human, therefore abortion is murder
- if the woman did not want a child, she should used a contraceptive, not opted for an abortion
- if the baby is not wanted/cannot be supported, adoption is favorable over abortion
- abortion operations can be potentially lethal
- taxpayers shouldn't be forced to pay for something they find morally disagreeable
- abortion deprives society of a potentially great mind
PRO-CHOICE PLANKS:- personhood does not begin until later in the pregnancy cycle, therefore abortion is not murder
- women subject to rape should not have to carry out their pregnancy
- banning legal abortion risks dangerous, illegal abortion operations
- if a debilitating illness is detected early, abortion means the child doesn't have to suffer
- women should have control over their own bodies; government shouldn't be able to decide for them
My questions to you, OT, are these:
Where do you stand on abortion? Are you pro-life or pro-choice? Do you support abortion in cases such as incest, rape, or other scenarios?
UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE
Universal healthcare in its modern, federally-subsidized form can be traced back to a 1944 speech when Franklin D. Roosevelt, then-President of the United States, advocated for a Second Bill of Rights wherein all Americans would have rights to employment, food, clothing, housing, leisure, and of course, healthcare. Although the United States is the modern innovator of universal healthcare, it does not have a universal healthcare system, unlike the numerous European and other countries abroad that do. As of recent crises involving health insurance and whatnot, the question has popped up again:
PRO-UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE PLANKS:- it's embarrassing for wealthy, first world countries to forgo a right to health
- would improve public health
- would benefit small businesses and workers alike
- would stop medical bankruptcies
- would reduce the cost of healthcare
ANTI-UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE PLANKS:- upstanding citizens should not have to pay for the medical expenses of others
- healthcare should not be a government concern, it should be personal
- would raise taxes
- would reduce the quality of treatment and create longer wait times
- rationing of medical services is extremely likely
My questions to you, OT, are these:
Where do you stand on universal healthcare? Are you pro-universal healthcare, or anti-universal healthcare? Do you believe there should be limitations on universal healthcare, even though that would compromise its very name?
