Backup

**DEBATE: Who is a Legal Person in Your American Society?** Context For much of the first quarter we have pondered the question: Who is a legal person in American society? Our inquiry began while researching “How 9/11 changed us?” Many of the research groups reported that over the last decade Americans traded some of their privacy rights to feel safer. This preference for greater national security is evident in omnipresent surveillance cameras, invasive airport security procedures, bag searches and restrictions at sport and entertainment venues, the new federal bureaucracy of Homeland Security, and the de facto profiling of persons of Middle Eastern descent.

Is this a normal response when we are afraid? Was our reaction to 9/11 consistent with how Americans have responded to insecurity in the past? To answer this question we studied past events, which raised the fear that another person or group of people might harm us. In addition to the facts of each event, researchers analyzed the prevailing debate and identified two opposing points of view. We then examined the legal rights involved in a minimum of 16 of these events. Concurrently, Mr. Peyton and Ms.Fehling exposed us to current controversies on rights ripped from the headlines

Now its time for you to transition from a student to an advocate and take a position on civil rights and liberties. In two or three years you will receive the privilege to vote. Have you thought about the kind of society that you want to live in? What liberties, rights and privileges do you as a citizen have a right to expect? What about documented foreigners? Undocumented immigrants? Minor children of undocumented immigrants? Corporations? The Unborn? Prisoners incarcerated for nonviolent crimes? Native Americans? Gay Persons? Terrorist suspects? Should preferences be offered to “Protected Classes”? Do persons have the right to decide when to Die? Who should control Reproductive Rights?

We challenge you to consider the lessons offered in history and the daily news to create a more perfect society than you live in today. What rights and privileges can Americans expect? What will you change? Who will you include or exclude? How will you answer the question: **Who is a legal person in your American society?**

**We will debate this issue on Thursday and Friday October 27th and 28th ** **To prepare for the Debate, you will complete the following tasks.**

Time Line Each student will give a one-minute speech in which he/she develops one side of the argument on an assigned current issue. The speech should be organized in an extended power paragraph and advance a compelling argument for one side of the controversy. Keep your audience in mind when selecting evidence that will be most persuasive to teenagers. Use rhetoric (employ language that evokes ethos and pathos) and logic (reason through the cause and effect relationship) to craft your argument.
 * TASK I: ONE MINUTE ARGUMENT: Your TICKET to participate in the GROUP activities.**

This is a **summative** assignment so showcase you best writing and research skills. Make sure that you introduce evidence by explaining the credibility of the source with an appositive phrase. Internally cite the source* and place the Works Cited immediately after the paragraph. The writing should be free of mechanic and surface errors. Post your extended power paragraph to the **Pro/Con Table** located on your topics' wiki page before class on Thursday, October 20th. To support your one-minute speech, prepare a 3 x 5 note card with a credibility statement for your source, your evidence, and keywords of your opening and closing sentences. PRACTICE in front of a mirror to gain confidence. Persuasive speakers speak to their audiences with expressive voices and engaging eye contact and body language. You may NOT cling to a podium and read your speech.
 * Please highlight the evidence sentence in yellow, black text. Click "T" on menu bar, select background, yellow ; text, black.


 * TOPICS for One Minute Debates: **The topics were drawn from current issues presented and discussed in class. We gave you the context for the issue and some arguments. Your task is to develop one side of the argument--your topic assignment. You may use outside research but start with the information that you have in your notebooks.

1. End of life decisions are a personal matter to be decided by the individual and his/her loved ones. Many of today's cancers result in a slow and painful deaths, these patients and their family sometimes want to quicken their death that is to come, this is assisted suicide. Dr. Jack Kevorkien assisted several suicides and even though the families were grateful for his actions he was jailed for 60 years(Messerli). Oregon and the UK have legalized assisted suicide. Assisted suicide can help the patient die with dignity, instead of being defeated from a disease they chose to take their life them self. In an article on BalancedPolitics.org Joe Messerli wrote, "Nowhere in the constitution doe it state or imply that the government has the right to keep a person from comitting suicide," the right to die should be a born right. "Assisted Suicide Controversy." // CQ Researcher //. N.p., 5 May 1995. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. < http://www.library.cqpress.com  >. Messerli, Joe. "Should an incurably-ill patient be able to commit physician-assisted suicide?" // Balanced Politics //. N.p., 27 July 2011. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. < http://www.balancedpolitics.org  >. || QUESTION 1: PRO-B  Patients who are incapacitated should be able to decide the course of their hospitalization and their death with the consent of their loved ones. People who are incapacitated are put on life support, before many hospice workers and doctors would make the decision to take the patients off life support single handedly and without the consent of the patient’s family, but now the argument is if the patients themselves should be able to make the decision, or if they’re incapable of doing so their families. In the case of Terri Schiavo, a women who remained hooked up to life support for 15 years before her hospice staff removed her feeding tube, Kenneth Jost, a CQResearcher team member, stated in his article  “Many advocates used the case to emphasize the need to write a “living will” and designate a “health-care proxy.”  After Terri Schiavo’s death many tried to emphasize the point of having a will or “health-care proxy” that includes what family members should do if the person does become incapacitated, having this gave the consent of the patient and their family members. Another idea suggested by Wesley J. Smith, an attorney, was to  “Amend the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA protects disabled people from discrimination But it does not apply explicitly in medical context where anti-disability bias can be deadly.”  A hospice worker and doctor could have their own bias towards the idea of who can end life support and this bias should be taken into account and changed. Overall, it’s the patients life that’s in stake therefore it should be their decision on how their life is ended. ||< Jost, Kenneth. "Right to Die." // CQResearcher //. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. ||
 * QUESTION 1: PRO-A

2. To insure fairness, and "level the playing field," racial preferences must be included in college admissions decisions. Getting into college is one of the most difficult things a young person has to accomplish. You must have good grades, and you have to convince the college admissions board that you have qualities and talents that will contribute to the University. According to Micheal Luo, a reporter for The New York Times, in states such as Mississippi, where "there are now more children of color... than white children", the black population contains "nearly a quarter [of children] growing up in poverty"; those impoverished children are "less likely to graduate from high school and go to college", and therefore need as much help to get into college as they can get. To give them the help they need, we have an obligation to include racial preferences in college admissions decisions. This doesn't mean that colleges should only accept minorities, only that we should make it easier for those less fortunate to get into college; this will help us because "Diversity in America's schools improves learning opprotunities beacuse students are exposed to a wider range of ideas and perspectives", which will help us to expand our knowledge of other cultures and have a more well-rounded world-view. || Racial preferences should not be considered in college admissions because minorities are as capable as majorities to get into college on their own, own and affirmative action merely shifts discrimination onto a new group. Many people of minorities, like the only black Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, believe affirmative action insinuates they need, "special treatment in order to succeed" which is clearly not the case. Thomas himself is an example of what someone of a minoriy can accomplish with out affirmative action assisting them. Not only are minorities disadvantaged, but white people applying for college won't be considered even if they're more eligible than someone of a minority, which means, as Ross Douthat, author of The Roots Of White Anxiety  explains,  "...affirmative action requires the very discrimination it is seeking to eliminate". It's simply illogical to argue that an equal rights based issue can be solved through double standards based on nothing but race. Education is the same for all who participate, and every person, regardless of appearance or backround, has the same potential to achieve, therefor admins should mirror that perspective. || <span style="background-color: #f8cc7c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">3. Overcrowded conditions in prisons are unacceptable and must be remedied. In today’s world there have been many crimes committed, leading into many inmates in jail. There has been an argument whether this crammed place, is considered cruel and unusual. In an article by Peter Katel, he states “I understand if you lock up a rapist, you prevent rapes…But locking up low-level drug dealers is different, he says, because the market for drugs is endless.” This I think is true. Even though the overcrowding of jails isn’t that big of a deal, Cops need to set their priorities. People who are doing drugs are not putting anyone else in danger except themselves. Drug dealers aren’t putting anyone in danger, because the person buying the drug is aware of the effects. In another article, Charles S. Clark states “In Georgia, some prison inmates are housed in trailers; in New Jersey many live in tents; and in North Carolina, hundreds of prisoners don't even remain in the state.” I think this is ridiculous, if your jail can’t keep up with the amount of inmates coming in, then you should let up on the arresting. I mean the US has the most people arrested in the world, more than Russia, more than the Middle East, and more than the UK. Though jails have too many inmates, I don’t think it’s the conditions that are wrong; I think it’s the rate of arrests. Clark, C. S. (1994, February 4). Prison overcrowding. //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">CQ Researcher //, //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">4 // , 97-120. Retrieved from [|http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/] Katel, P. (2011, March 11). Downsizing prisons. //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">CQ Researcher //, //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">21 // , 217-240. Retrieved from [|http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/] || <span style="background-color: #f8cc7c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">4. Citizens on the Terrorist Watch List are entitled to the same rights and protections as all citizens. <span style="background-color: #f8cc7c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">5. Minor children of illegal immigrants are entitled to the same rights and protections as all American citizens. <span style="font-family: Cambria,serif;"> I believe that illegal immigrants should not have the right to an education or job. I believe this because illegal immigrants are filling up the spaces that U.S. citizens deserve which explains the huge unemployment rate at 9.1%. According to Victor Davis Hanson from World Magazine “Illegal immigration may actually explain high unemployment by ensuring employers cheap labor that will not organize, can be paid in cash and often requires little government deductions and expense”. This is portraying that illegal immigrants should not be offered an opportunity for U.S. jobs because the citizens of the United States deserve them. For education there was a study in Alabama that “ officials have noticed that 5 percent of the state’s Hispanic children are absent from classrooms” (Griffee). This is saying that student are now leaving their schools because their families are worried that they are going to get in trouble by the law (which they should) from being illegal immigrants. This is why I believe that illegal immigrants should not have the right to their education or job. || <span style="background-color: #f8cc7c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">6. Undocumented workers are entitled to the same rights and protections as documented workers. Do you think working illegal immigrants should receive the same rights and protections as working legal citizens? If you answered no to this question, which I did at the start, I am going to try to convince you to think yes. First, according to Democratic Congressman Herman Badillo, illegal immigrants “are making real contributions to our country. Many of them pay taxes, and share in the responsibilities of citizenship” (Badillo). With nearly 3-4% of our countries population being illegal immigrants, that makes up a large workforce of people who deserve the same rights and protections as legal citizens. Next, Dr. Hans F. Sennholz who was chairman of the Department of Economics of Grove City College states that illegal immigrants do most of the jobs American people do not want to do, in the services of agriculture, commerce, and industry, illegal immigrants “services’ are useful and economical” (Sennholz). 8-10 million people who work hard for the little money they get should receive the proper rights and protections as any US citizen because of the contributions they give to our economy and unemployment rate. || QUESTION 6: PRO-B || <span style="background-color: #f8cc7c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">7. Marriage is a personal choice and cannot be denied for gay citizens. I believe that people of the same sex shouldn't be able to be legally married. The natural way is that a woman and a man should be together, it's been that way since the beginning of biblical times. Also as we saw in class this would lower the birth rate which endangers social security. In 1996 congress passed the Defensive Marriage Act (DOMA) which states that marriage is defined __**only**__ as the union of one man and one woman. This is important because this says the representation of the people is standing by my side. || <span style="background-color: #f8cc7c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">8. Gender preferences in the workplace are necessary to protect workers from discriminatory practices. <span style="background-color: #f8cc7c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">9. Heartbeat Legislation: A fetus is a person entitled to the rights and protection granted all citizens. 10. Persons with disabilities must receive accommodations to fully participate in American society <span style="background-color: #f8cc7c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">11. Native American customs and traditions supersede state and federal laws. CON-B CON-B: Lucas Sencio  Native Americans as well as many minorities want to have equals rights in the United States. Most of all minority groups were willing to give up anything for those rights, but not the Native Americans, they wanted to have the best of both worlds, meaning that they wanted to have equals rights but at the same time they still wanted to preserve their culture and traditions. Wanting to have the same rights as an American citizen means that you’re going to have to adopt new customs and traditions, “ rights are secured by Congress   ” sais George Ehrenhaft, one of the editors for Barron’s Booknotes, “  and are based on a certain nation’s customs, which gives Congress power to prohibit the giving of rights to a certain group   ” (Ehrenhaft). Joyce Milton, also an editor and writer for the Barron’s Booknotes, sated that “ people are two dimensional figures, making them subjective to changes and to adaptations   ” (Milton). Minorities that came to the United States have agreed to give up their traditions and customs if that meant that they’d have equal rights, there are no exceptions to this rule, meaning that if Indians are going to fight for equal rights, at one point they’ll have to introduce their community to new traditions and customs. || <span style="background-color: #f8cc7c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">12. Women should decide if and when they reproduce. Women have the right to decide if and when they reproduce. Woman have the right to reproduce because of both the 14th amendment and because it is an attack on the principle of equality for woman. In the 14th amendment, it is stated the right to personal autonomy, and that his or her personal life are none of the government’s business, and that right includes decisions about parenthood, including a woman’s right to decide whether to have her baby or get an abortion (Loy 1). Therefore if a woman or girl wants to have a baby, the government cannot get involved because it is her decision to do so whenever she wants. In 1973, a ruling called Roe vs. Wade occurred and because of Roe, a dramatic improvement in the lives and health of many woman nationwide happened, and they started to make their own decisions with their conscience or religious beliefs (The Rights To Choose: A Fundamental Liberty" 1). In conclusion because woman are more aware of what they will do with their lives and that they will do it in their own privacy and in this way, more lives will be saved and the stress of having a baby when being pregnant at a young age will decrease. Loy, Jim. "Right To Privacy." __JimLoy.__ Jim Loy. 19 October 2011 < [|http://www.jimloy.com/issues/privacy.htm] >. Hnesler, Brandon. "The Rights To Choose: A Fundamental Liberty." __ACLU__ . 19 October 2011 < [|http://www.aclufl.org/take_action/download_resources/info_papers/15.cfm] >. ||
 * < Smith, Wesley J. "Should Congress Make It Harder to Withdraw Food and Fluids  from Incapacitated Patients." Editorial. // CQResearcher // . N.p., n.d. Web. 19  Oct. 2011. ||   ||
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