1. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
This year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day many people around the country participated in a day of service, while others had celebrations or parades, and still others participated in protests or demonstrations on behalf of causes they believe Dr. King would support. What do you think is the most appropriate way to commemorate Dr. King’s life? Explain.
2. The Super Bowl
NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick sparked controversy when he kneeled during the National Anthem as a protest against racial injustice. Since 2017, he has not had an opportunity to play in the NFL, even though most people think he is still a very good player. Many observers have been critical of the NFL because they seem to have blackballed Kaepernick because of his political stance. There have been reports that a number of musical artists were invited to perform at this year’s Super Bowl, but turned down the invitation because of the league’s treatment of Kaepernick. Some artists, including Maroon 5 and Travis Scott, accepted the invitation to perform at the Super Bowl. They were then criticized for that decision. Are the critics right? Should these artists have also refused to perform at the Super Bowl? Is it fair to criticize them for their decision? Explain your position on this issue.
3. The Border Wall
The President has insisted that the US needs to build a wall along the border with Mexico in order to prevent undocumented immigrants from entering the US, and ensuring the security of the nation. His opponents argue that a wall is unnecessary and would be ineffective. They claim that, in reality, a wall would just be a monument to xenophobia and racism. Think about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What would he think about this issue? Write an essay exploring what you think Dr. King would say about the border wall. Explain.
4. Political Compromise
In a democracy like the United States, there are often major issues on which political leaders disagree. As a result, the opposing sides will often have to negotiate a compromise in order to move forward. But compromising is hard to do, and there are some issues on which one side may feel so strongly that they cannot compromise. We have seen this challenge recently with the disagreement between President Trump and the Democratic party leaders. The two sides could not come to an agreement to fully fund the federal government because the President wanted the Congress to provide $5.7 billion to build a wall along the US – Mexico border, and the Democrats oppose the wall. Let’s say there was a proposal to provide ½ of the money the president wanted for the wall. Given your position on this issue, would you have accepted this compromise? Is this one of those issues where you would refuse to compromise even if it meant keeping the government open? Explain your position.
5. Mass Incarceration
Over the last 30 years, the number of people incarcerated in the United States grew significantly. The United States has the highest number of people incarcerated in the world, and the highest rate of incarceration by far. The numbers are even more drastic when you look at African Americans. Currently, African Americans make up about 12% of the total US population, but comprise 33% of the prison population. African Americans are almost six times as likely to be incarcerated as whites. Some people argue that this mass incarceration African Americans is a product of discriminatory policies. They argue that there are systems in place (such as discriminatory criminal justice policies, discriminatory economic policies, and broad array of racist practices) that cause these results. Others say that is not the case. They argue that these rates are due to individual decisions, and are ultimately about personal responsibility. What do you think? Is the high rate of incarceration among African Americans due to systemic reasons (e.g., racism and the economy) or is it purely due to poor individual decisions? Explain your answer.
