Holiday Displays

The First Amendment of the Constitution prohibits any "law respecting an establishment of religion."  Should there be holiday displays on public property, and if so, what should a Constitutionally acceptable public holiday display include - a Christmas tree, a nativity scene, a menorah, a star and crescent, a Kwanzaa kinara, Diwali candles, symbols of the winter solstice?

Free Trade Agreements

Do free trade agreements benefit the nations which enter into them, and should there be free trade among all nations?

War on Drugs

United States Congressman Ron Paul has said, "You wanna get rid of drug crime in this country? Fine, let's just get rid of all the drug laws."  Should the "war on drugs," like Prohibition, be ended with legalization?

Targeting Killing of Anwar al-Awlaki

President Obama has authorized the targeted killing by the CIA of Anwar al-Awlaki, a Muslim cleric of Yemeni descent and operative of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.  Al-Awlaki purportedly inspired or had ties to September 11th hijackers, the Fort Hood Shooter, and the attempted Christmas Day bomber, Times Square bomber and recent cargo plane bombings.  Al-Awlaki is also an American citizen, born in New Mexico.  Is the authorized targeting killing by the United States of Al-Awlaki, an American citizen, without a criminal trial, appropriate?

Protests at Funerals

Are protests at private funerals protected free speech under the First Amendment, or can they be prohibited for inflicting emotional distress upon the deceased's family, particularly as a "captive audience"?

Is Secularism or Religion Dangerous?

In his recent visit to the United Kingdom, Pope Benedict XVI warned against "aggressive forms of secularism."  Scientist Richard Dawkins has repeatedly labelled religion "dangerous." Is secularism or religion dangerous?

Overpopulation and China's "One-Child Policy"

Does overpopulation threaten future generations, and do strategies such as China's "one-child policy" offer a reasonable solution?

Would Moving the "Ground Zero Mosque" Threaten National Security?

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder of the proposed Park 51 Islamic community center, the "ground zero mosque," has stated that moving it would threaten national security because "the headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is under attack."  Would moving the center threaten national security?

The Iraq War

Major combat in the Iraq War is now ended.  Saddam Hussein was deposed and an Iraqi government was democratically elected.  The war resulted in over 4,700 Coalition casualties and an estimated 100,000 Iraqi civilian casualties, and the estimated cost of the war is one trillion dollars or more.  Was the Iraq War worth it?

Andy Warhol's Art

Andy Warhol said of himself, "If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, and there I am. There's nothing behind it."  Is there anything behind Andy Warhol's art?

Government Surveillance Cameras

Do government surveillance cameras enhance public security or invade the public's privacy?

U.N. Security Council Permanent Members

The permament members of the United Nations Security Council, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, France and China, are drawn from the victorious nations of World War II, and are the only nations to enjoy veto power over Security Council resolutions.  Is Security Council permanent membership fair?

China, Economic Superpower

China's economy is outpacing Japan's to become the world's second largest, and businessman Bernard Arnault has said "China is clearly going to be the number one economic power."  Will China surpass the United States to become the world's greatest economic superpower?

Birthers: Legitimate Concerns or Wackos?

“Birthers” question whether Barack Obama is a natural born citizen of the United States and is eligible to be President.  Do birthers have legitimate concerns or are they wackos?

Flag Burning: Free Speech or a Crime?

Should flag burning be treated as free speech or a crime?

Will America Continue Buying from BP?

BP is reporting record losses, although the Gulf of Mexico spill finally appears to be contained and BP has vowed to "make it right."  Will the American public continue buying from BP?

State Immigration Laws

A United States district judge recently blocked enforcement of much of Arizona's immigration law, SB 1070, ruling that the federal government has the exclusive authority to regulate immigration.  Should border states, such as Arizona, have the authority to pass their own laws to deal with illegal immigration?

School Prayer

In the United States, in 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that public school sponsored prayer violates the “separation of church and state.”  Should this decision be reconsidered, and should public school prayer be permitted?

Who Defines Marriage?

A United States federal court recently ruled that defining marriage was an issue for the states, and not the Federal Government, and found that a federal definition of marriage as a union exclusively between one man and one woman was unconstitutional.  Is defining marriage a states' rights issue?
Gill v. Office of Personnel Management

A Mosque at Ground Zero?

Construction of a 13-story mosque and Islamic community center by a Muslim outreach group, the Cordoba Initiative, is planned 600 feet from Ground Zero in New York City.  Is a mosque in the vicinity of Ground Zero inappropriate?

Should Roman Polanski be Extradited?

Roman Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles in 1977, but fled to Europe before sentencing.  Despite being arrested and detained in Switzerland, the Swiss government recently refused extradiction to the United States.  Should Roman Polanski be extradited to the United Sates for sentencing and to possibly face charges for fleeing?

Is the Cold War Over?

In recent years, the United States supported Georgia in its armed conflict with Russia, Russia objected to a U.S. missile defense system in Eastern Europe, and the U.S. and Russia just completed a spy swap.  Is the Cold War really over?

Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy theories abound, including that the United States government orchestrated 9/11, the Apollo 11 moon landing was faked, UFOs and aliens are hidden in Area 51, the U.S. government assassinated JFK, and others.  Are there credible conspiracy theories?

President Barack Obama's Job Approval Rating

Since his inauguration, Barack Obama’s job approval rating has steadily declined, and now consistently lingers below fifty percent.  Why has Barack Obama’s popularity declined?
Gallup poll

Offshore Drilling or Foreign Oil?

Does offshore drilling or dependence on foreign oil pose a greater threat to the United States?

Evolution

In a 2009 Gallup poll taken on the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, only 39% of those polled believed in the theory of evolution.  Why do so few people be in evolution?  
Gallup poll

Plural Marriage / Polygamy

Polygamy has existed for thousands of years, and according to Christianity, Judaism and Islam, even Abraham and David had multiple wives.  Should plural marriage be legal?

Is Fox News "Fair and Balanced"?

Is Fox News, as their slogan represents, a “fair and balanced” news organization?

Animal Experimentation

Is animal experimentation in science, medicine and education, and for product and drug testing, ethical?

World Opinion of the United States

Today, does the world generally view the United States favorably or unfavorably, and why?

Abortion Ultrasound

In the United States, several states have passed laws which require women seeking abortions to undergo an ultrasound and be offered the opportunity to view, and even be presented with, the ultrasound image.  Are such laws just, and are they a good idea?

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Should the United States military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy be repealed, and should openly gay men and lesbians be permitted to serve in the armed forces?

Lawsuit against the Pope

In a Catholic Church clergy sex abuse case filed in Kentucky, Pope Benedict XVI was personally named as a defendant.  Should the Kentucky case against the Pope be dismissed?

Responsibility in Reducing Global Warming

In any international effort to reduce global warming, should highly developed nations, such as the United States, be held to higher standards than less developed nations in reducing industrial emissions believed to contribute to such warming?

Jackson Pollock's Drip Technique Paintings

In the 1940s and 50s, Jackson Pollock pushed the boundaries of painting by dripping paint on a canvas instead of applying it with a brush.  Are Jackson Pollock’s drip technique paintings truly art?

In God We Trust

Does the phrase "In God We Trust" on United States currency violate the First Amendment's separation between church and state?

Mission to Mars

A manned mission to Mars would cost many billions of dollars.  With poverty and hunger here on Earth, is the cost of such a mission justified?

Congress' Approval Rating

According to a recent Gallup poll, the United States Congress has only a 16 percent approval rating.  Why is Congress so unpopular?

Cloning

Mice, sheep, cats, dogs and horses have all been successfully cloned, and undoubtedly, human beings can be too.  Is cloning ethical?

Arizona's Immigration Law

A law in Arizona recently passed requiring immigrants to carry their alien registration documents, requiring police to question suspected illegal immigrants, and making illegal immigration a crime.  Is this new law wise and just?

Shroud of Turin: Proof and Faith

Are efforts to verify that the Shroud of Turin is genuine incompatible with having faith?

Tax Fairness

According to 2006 IRS statistics, the top 5% of federal personal income tax filers in the United States paid over 60% of personal income taxes, and the top 25% paid over 85% of personal income taxes.  Is this proportion fair, or should the top tiers pay more or less?   Congressional Press Release

Has Technology Become Dangerous?

Albert Einstein said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”  Has technology become dangerous to humankind and our planet?

Medical Marijuana

Marijuana reportedly has a wide range of medicinal purposes, from relieving nausea, vomiting and pain, to treatment of various conditions such as glaucoma and Chrohn's disease.  Should marijuana be more widely legalized for medical purposes?

Liberals and Conservatives

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, 'anyone under thirty who is not a liberal has no heart, and anyone over thirty who is not a conservative has no brain."  Is Churchill's observation fair?

Scientology: Religion, Cult or Business?

In the United States in 1993, the Church of Scientology was granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service, thereby achieving legal recognition as a religious denomination.  Is Scientology a religion, or is it a cult or a business?

Who is Most Angry?

Today, what segment of society is most angry, and is that anger justified?

Is Global Warming a Serious Threat?

Speaking on the issue of global warming, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has said, "the danger posed by war to all humanity — and to our planet — is at least matched by climate change"  Is global warming a serious threat to our planet and to humanity?

Is Health Care a Right?

Is access to health care a right, which must be guaranteed by the government?

Has the World Become Complacent about Terrorism?

In the years since the attacks of September 11, 2001, has the world become complacent about terrorism?