American Idol "2007"

With 3 singers left in the competition, who do you think will win the competion?

expression of free speech

Select a topic below to defend (not guilty) on the basis of expression of "Freedom of Speech"

A. Ken Corley, mayor of Brazoria, Texas, "wants offensive use of the 'n-word'"to be punishable by a fine of up to $500 in his town.

B. A lawsuit was filed against a video company by relatives of three men shot to death by a teenager who has since been sentenced to death. It claims the murders mimicked video violence in "Grand Theft Auto."

C. Donald Trump is being fined $1,250 a day because the town of Palm Beach, Florida says the 42 foot United States flag he is flying on his property is against City Code.

D. Public school districts prohibited students wearing clothes that reveal too much of the body, contains racially insensitive symbols, promotes alcohol or tobacco, or suggests violence.

I Swear on the Bible?

From George Washington to the present, every President has been sworn into office by placing his hand on the Bible and then taking the oath.
Potential wintesses place their hand on a Bible and then take the oath to tell the "Truth and nothing but the Truth"

a. Why should this precedent (practice) be continued?
b. What would happen if a person does not believe in the Bible, should they swear on something else?
c. What if the person believes in another religion, should another holy book be used?

Magic pill

If you could take a pill that would change you, which would it be and why?

a. make you handsome or beautiful ex. (Miss USA, Miss Teen, Miss Universe)
b. make you famous
c. stronger
d. rich
e. extremely smart
f. President of the U.S.

No cross on Christmas decorations allowed!

Recently an elementary teacher gave each student a Christmas tree ornament (ball) to take home and decorate. The students decorated the ornament and then brought back to school to hang on the class Christmas tree. All the students were allowed to hang their decorated ball on the tree except one child. The teacher told her she could not hang her ball cause it had a cross on it.

What do you want to say about this?

Transplant ethics

There are more than 53,000 people in the United States waiting for organ transplants. There are approximately 20,000 organ transplants performed each year in the United States. The average cost of an organ transplant is $120,000.
Select a topic below
a. Explain why or why not transplants should happen at all?
b. Who should get a transplant?
c. Should a young person receive a transplant before an older person?

Is there a Santa Clause?

Why or why not is it appropriate to lie to children about Santa Clause?

What do you expect ......?

• A radical Islamic person expects to receive 72 virgins when he gives up his life in the name of Alah
• The native American expected he was going to the happy hunting ground when he died.
• Some people don't expect anything after they die.
• Christian expects to go to heaven.

What do you expect (select one below to discuss)

a. heaven to be like?

b. if you have another view after life?

Bus accident / no seatbelts

If its mandatory for all passengers in a car/truck to be seatbelted then why are seatbelts on a school bus mandatory? Today another bus accident happened and six students died.
Why or why not makes seat belts mandatory?

School to fingerprint each child

A plan to fingerprint students is meant to speed up the cafeteria lines. The scan will call up the student's name and student ID, teacher's name and how much the student owes.

What do you think of fingerprinting students for lunch? and why?

It's a great idea

It makes me nervous

I don't see a problem

To see Saw III or not !

Saw III movie This movie shows the decapitating of heads, cutting off body parts, and obviously a lot of guts. This movie in the first week was the highest making movie for the week.

a. Why would you want to see a movie like Saw III?
b. Why would you not want to see a movie like Saw III?
c. What does the popularity of movies like Saw I, II, III prove about our culture?

Lonely Hearts, maybe?

Select a scenario below and discuss one of them. (keep responses clean)

(14 to 18 year olds)
a. Why would a young lady stick with a young man when she knows that he drinks alcohol and (or) occassionaly smokes pot?
b. Why would a young lady stick with a young man that continually scares her cause of his tirad tantrums?
c. Why would a young lady stick with a young man that is way below her academically? (ex. she is college material and he might not even graduate)
d. Why would a young lady go out with a young man that has a reputation to see how far he can get with her?
e. Why would a young lady that professes to be Christian go out with a young man who is obviously not a Christian?
f. Or if you are a young man select a senario above and reverse the rolls and then leave your opinion.

No cell phones at school

The principal is going to make a proposal,the school board to not allow students to have cell phones at school.
Make a confincing argument that cell phones be allowed.

Should teachers carry guns?

In the wake of school shootings in Wisconsin, Colorado and Pennsylvania during the last two weeks, a state legislator says he plans to introduce legislation that would allow teachers, principals, administrators and other school personnel to carry concealed weapons.

Do you agree that teachers, principals, administrators should be allowed to carry concealed weapons?

Madagascar Beetle

The adult Madagascar Beetles may measure up to four-inches long and one-inch wide, and weigh up to almost one ounce. They are a dark chocolate brown with dark orange markings on their abdomens.
Recently the Six Flags amusement parks across the country are offering anyone that eats a Madagascar Beetle can go to the front of the line instead of waiting in line for a popular ride. Waiting line sometimes last up to 1 1/2 hours.

So would you eat this bug to go to the front of the line?

The animal rights groups are protesting this promotion. Cruelty to animals. Do you agree that this promotion should be stopped? Why or why not.

Sound of Music

1. What kind of music do you like?
2. Why do you like that kind of music?
3. Who is who is your favorite singer?

"The Pope must die!"

"Threats of an attack on Vatican"
BY PAUL H.B. SHINDAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Priest shows bullets following an attack in the West Bank. A radical Muslim group threatened a suicide attack on the Vatican yesterday even as the Holy See said Pope Benedict regretted that some Muslims were offended by his comments about the role of violence in the spread of Islam.

"Iraqis burn an effigy of Pope Benedict XVI "during a demonstration, in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city,Monday. The demonstration was against his speech last week in Germany

"Violent protests erupt as Islamic world condemns pontiff's comments ...."

"Two West Bank Christian churches were hit by firebombs....."

Muslim activists burn an effigy of Pope Benedict XVI during a protest in Srinagar, India.


These are several headlines recently showing Islamic reaction to Pope Benedict XVI quote about the Islamic religion.

What impression from these pictures and headlines do you have about the Islamic religion?

Welcome back Canada!

I'm Rick McCaw the teacher down here in Texas that keeps putting questions up for my students and any one else to post an opinion on.

Just wanted you guys up there to know that I appreciate you looking at Second Opinion and posting what you have to say. Last year we had a small feud going on. Quite often the opinions were attacking the messenger instead of recognizing that differences of opinion does exist. Especially from another country. Nasya you are definitely welcome to post your difference of opinions.

My students have not started posting yet. We've started out the year writing (keeping) a journal with all these questions and their responses. On Friday we have "Open Forum" where we debate these topics. In another week or so I will turn them loose to post their opinions.

Like Naysa now in the 9th grade some of my last year students continue to post opinions. Like Resas-Pieces.

After you type a response to the question select "other". Then type in a username, then publish.

Have a good year and keep in touch.

What is stupid?

What is stupid?

Would you tell?

A friend confided in you that he / she had broken a serious school rule. If found out the student would be suspended. The office later asked if you knew any information about the incident. Whould you tell the office and why?

The Twin Towers

It has been 5 years since tourists flew airplanes into the Twin Towers. You guys would have been in the 3rd grade. What do you remember about that day? What were your feelings? Were you scared? Did you have any clue what was going on.

Or write about what your feelings are now. Should we be making such a big deal with ceremonies of the event? Should their be films of the event? Etc.
(This was posted by resas-pieces).

Dress Codes

Select one below to comment on

A. Should a school impose dress codes on their students? For example boys hair length, tattoos,
girls short lengths and mid-riff showing)

B. Why or why not have students wear standard uniforms?

C. Why should cheerleaders, twirlers be allowed to wear outfits to classes that would not pass
school dress code?

Steve Irwin (Crocodile Hunter)

Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) was recently killed while filming for the Discovery Channel. Some people are wanting the TV show the film of his death. You are the person to make that decision on showing it or not. What is your decision and why?

Twenty-First Century Crusades?

The Crusades were a series of wars fought by Christians to control the Holy Land. The Holy Land included Jerusalem and the other places were Jesus had lived and taught. The most immediate cause for the Crusades was Muslim incursions into previously Christian lands. The crusades were mainly directed toward Jerusalem and the Christian shrine of the Holy Sepulcher. The earliest Crusade battle between Christians and the Islam religion began in the year 1025. Thats nearly 1000 years ago.

Select a question below to answer
a. Do you think the Crusades are repeating itself?
b. What similarities are there in today's conflicts with the Crusades over the past 1000 years?

When you post an answer use facts to back up your position. Key word to use is 21st Century Crusades.

Death of a President

A documentary movie has been made called the "Death of a President". The president in the movie is George W. Bush.

What do you think?

"Do not be deceived......"

A quote: "Do not be deceived, bad company destroys good morals."

What is this quote saying and do you agree with it.

What is important?

What is important to you? (for example church, friends, family, TV, music, pet)

List your top 3 and express why one you chose is the most important.

QTIP!

Hello I'm back after a couple of months off. The last post was back in May. But the posting of opinions as gone on all Summer. The purpose of this web site is for you to express your opinion. Not everyone is going to agree with your opinion, especially if you do not explain why that's your opinion. So I encourage you to take 3 to 5 sentences to support your opinion. I've enjoyed reading every post especially some of you that want to debate another opinion that you disagree with. But some postings have been used to attack the person that does not agree with you. Try to follow this advice in the future if you are going to post. QTIP Quit taking it Personal! You convince a person by debating, presenting better facts. You don't by attacking the other person.

These postings are read all over the country. It makes it a lot easier to read and to take a person seriously if your words are spelt correctly.

If you were President

If You Were President... What would you do to keep immigrants from entering U.S. illegally? And what would you do about the illegal immigrants already in our country?

Passing the grade!

• Should passing an end of course test be required to receive credit on a course that you have attended all year.
• or should having a 70 average or better be enough to pass the course
• or do you have a better idea on what should be considered passing the course?

National Anthem in Spanish?

Should we make the National Anthem in Spanish as well as English?

How far should PDA (public display of affection) go?

1. Should boy girl couples be able to show affection at school and if so how far should it be allowed to go?

American Idol

After a week off due to spring break lets start back with a no brainer of a question. You can click on the title to go to web site.

a. -Will a man or a woman win the American Idol contest this year?
b.- Who will get keicked off the show this week? man or woman
c.- Who is your favorite singer?

When is it white man's day?

Amendment 14 basically says that all men are equal regardless of race.

"This topic is at the request of my students".

Last week in class I was reviewing the signficance of the date March 2 in Texas History. For you that are reading this and do not know its the date of Texas declaring its Independence from Mexico. A student who often interjects a view that is interially different asked if this was the white mans day? You know like the black man as a day to celebrate. June 19th

The students wanted to express their Second Opinion on when do the white people have their day to celebrate? Whites are left out on Juneteenth, NAACP image awards, Congress black caucus , Black History month , Martin Luther King holiday , Black Entertainment TV channel , Black Caucus Awards (for literature) .

Need a Second Opinion on: select a topic
1. Is it wrong for one group of the American public to have segregated (separate) special events or organizations?
2. If the white man wants to have an (separate) only white man/women allowed then its called being prejudice. You must give the black the same (equal) opportunity. How is this right that one group can be segregated but the other can not?
3. What would happen if we had a (separate)White Person Image awards, White History Month, White Entertainment Channel, Confederate History Month , etc.
4. Are we actually being Separate but Equal?

Violation of Amendment 1?

Recently a picture similar to this one was taken out of a school on the grounds that it violates Amendment #1. The caption of this painting is George Washington Praying at Valley Forge

Select a question to express your Second Opinion

a- How do you see that this picture violates the first amendment?
b- Why should this picture be allowed in a school?
c- Why should a history teacher use this picture in his classroom?
d- Why is it offensive to an athiest student if this picture is allowed to be on display in a history classroom?

All about me

Write a paragraph about yourself.
-Do not use your name or any names of your family or friends.
-Do not describe your looks. Not what you want to be.
-Do not give any clues: like your email address, household address, phone numbers
-This paragraph is about you right now. Might consider this more a self evaluation of yourself. This paragraph is not for anyone reading your post to figure "Who you are".

Not fair??

Two teachers teach the same subject. In comparing the teachers style of teaching one seems to be a lot harder. Students with harder teacher feels this difference is not fair. For some students it makes staying eligible for athletics harder. Students concerned with class rankings also call unfair.

- What is good or bad about this senario?
- Which teacher would you want and why?
- How could this situation be made more fair?

Police may be watching you in your home!

Amendment 4. --Protection against unreasonable searches by law enforcement officers.

Houston's police chief on Wednesday proposed placing surveillance cameras in apartment complexes, downtown streets, shopping malls and even private homes to fight crime during a shortage of police officers.
Houston is facing a severe police shortage because of too many retirements and too few recruits, and the city has absorbed 150,000 hurricane evacuees who are filling apartment complexes in crime-ridden neighborhoods.

"I know a lot of people are concerned ..., but my response to that is, if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?" - Police Chief Harold Hurtt.

I need a "Second Opinion" on one of the following questions

a- Why do you think this is a violation of Amendment 4?
b- Why do you think it's best to sacrifice privacy for protection?
c- What part of this plan is acceptable to you?
d- Do you think the "temporary" relocation of New Orleans's citizen's has affected crime in the cities where they were relocated? (Might need to research this for facts)