Offending officers

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This post is still part of the December/January batch.

Is it ever legitimate to resist a police officer who is trying to arrest you?  Is putting more policemen in areas which are said to have more crime a good way of cutting crime rates, or is it discriminating against minorities and the poor?  Do governments or individuals in the US or Slovakia have a tendency to condemn the poor when they commit crimes like shoplifting or loitering or public drunkeness, and to turn a blind eye to white collar crime like embezzlement and tax fraud?  What can we do to help policemen do a better job and to prevent them from harrassing people and overreacting when putting someone under arrest?

Nazis made noble in the name of nationalism

Unfortunately, the link to this article now only leads to a stub unless you pay a subscription.  I have replaced it with the post above instead.   Sorry about that...

Get your mansion off our nature

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Is growth ruining towns like Johannesburg and Bratislava?  Should anything be done to keep new housing developments in check?  Do people who live in a country have the right to access its land and natural beauties, or does economic growth demand that we often give this privilege to the rich?

Killing to show that killing is wrong?

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Please do not add another comment to this article, unless you are responding to another person's comment.

Is it possible (or even desirable) to forgive those who commit horrible crimes against us and those we love?  What do you think of this writer’s arguments against the death penalty?  Are you glad there is no death penalty in Slovakia, or would you like to see it reinstated?

Some vermin in your vermicelli?

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Are you aware of the environmental costs of eating meat?  Is eating insects a good alternative (rather than, say, becoming a vegetarian)?  How easy is it to change people’s eating habits and what techniques do you think would work?  Would you like to try eating insects?  Will eating insects eventually catch on?

Does inequality start with the family?

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Is one of the functions of families to raise children to become good citizens?  What do you think of trying to give children equal chances?  Are families a hindrance in helping disadvantaged children have a chance?  If so, what should be done about it? 

The groans of the godless

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Do you think that atheists are a group which often face unfair discrimination in the US (and in Slovakia)? Should religious people be more tolerant of atheists and vice-versa?  Is the more outspoken atheism promoted by people like Dawkins a good or bad trend?  How can  we create healthy dialogues between religious and non-religious people?

Does greed make the world go round?

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Is capitalism based on greed as some people say?  Are people naturally selfish and competitive?  If so, what about the studies mentioned in this article?  Do you notice any flaws?  If the system that we have now is making some people very rich while others starve, what can be done about it, if anything?

The blue fairy book and the pink fairy book

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This is the last article you can comment on for December/January.

I need to make one thing clear here.  Make sure you do not use “fairy tale” in the way that Slovaks commonly do to refer to any stories or television programs meant for children.  In English, the phrase only refers to those (usually traditional) stories with princesses, magic and the like…

Is the trend of making toys (such as Legos) and books (such as the Rainbow Magic series) appeal to only one gender a bad one, even if it encourages children to read and learn?  What are the positive and negative aspects of traditional fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast?  Should we try to come up with new ones as this writer suggests?

I shall never be able to wash this carrot juice off my hands and my heart

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This is a two-page article, so make sure you read both of them.

Is capitalism ruining our relationship to what we eat, as Marder contends?  Are plants “intelligent”?  Do they have “souls”?  Is how one eats more important than what one eats?  How can we eat ethically?  How can we eat with respect? 

Losers are horses too…

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There is apparently a debate going on in Australia about horse racing regulations.  What do you think of the sport?  Is it a noble tradition that helps to create a bond between horse and jockey, or is it cruelty to animals and an encouragement to gamble?  Is part of the problem that the focus is on money and winning, rather than on the horses themselves?  When are second-best and also-ran good enough?

No controversy in the classroom please

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How much should teachers avoid controversial topics?  Should teachers be able to express their opinions in the classroom, or to make them public through something like Twitter?  Should the money that students and investors pay to support the school have an influence on what is taught and how it is taught?  If money’s influence on education is negative, what can be done to minimize it?

Lawns full of bloody body parts

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Is there too much gore and horror in Halloween?  Would you decorate your house and lawn like this?  Would you prefer a grisly costume to a white sheet with two holes?  What attracts people (especially young people perhaps) to disgusting images of death and disfiguration? 

What do you think of celebrating a British/American holiday like Halloween in Slovakia?  Is it taking over All Saint’s Day?

How much do you love me?

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This is an article close to my heart since it is about a Slovak/American couple.  What do you think about America’s policy that a pair must prove their love for each other in order to immigrate?  What do you think about this couple's response?  Could the machine that they have invented work, or is it impossible to quantify love?   Are long distance relationships sustainable?  How much can Skype help?

Is Twitter killing journalism?

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There have been a lot of debates in Slovakia lately about who owns the news media.  Does ownership affect the quality and objectivity of reporting?  Are the internet and social media helping to dumb down journalism?   How can newspapers survive in this new environment?  Is in-depth investigative journalism on its way out because it is too expensive?  Is this type of journalism important to our society?  Is it personally important to you?

But if everyone got a one…

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What is the purpose of grades?  What do you think causes grade inflation and how can it be solved?  Should we abolish grades altogether?

Evil is live backwards

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Should people be allowed to own guns in order to protect themselves and their property?  Or does more guns simply mean more innocent people dead?  Is part of the problem our conception of evil or our fear of it?   Where does this idea/fear come from?  Movies and television?  Religion? 

This writer is obviously for gun control.  Can you find any holes in his arguments?

Me? A Feminist? NOOOO!

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Do you consider yourself a feminist?  Can men be feminists too?  If the word has got a bad reputation, why do you think this is true?  Do you admire Emma Watson for speaking up about it?  If these are the false definitions of feminism, what is your definition?

Going up in smoke

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Why do you think people are afraid to talk about death?  Should people talk about it more openly?  Would you rather be cremated than buried?   How does your idea of your funeral differ from Caitlin’s?   What do you think would be the advantages and disadvantages of having a job like hers?

A flood of apples and pears

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Will sanctions against Russia help to change Putin’s course of action in Ukraine?  Do sanctions tend to hurt innocent people such as small business owners and farmers more than the politicians that they target?  Is Russia’s ban on Western agricultural goods an understandable response to the sanctions he is facing?  What do you think about the EU’s reaction to this situation?

An anti-English Englishman

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Do you have as negative a view of English culture as this man?  As a citizen of a country which has been rated as the least patriotic in Europe, can you understand what it feels like not to be proud of your national identity?  Do you consider yourself a typical Slovak?  Would you like it better if you were considered Czechoslovak (or European? or an Earthling?) than Slovak?  Is it good to be strongly critical of your own culture, or should you try to look more on the bright side?

Watch out for cars!

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How safe do you feel as a pedestrian or cyclist in Bratislava?  Would the changes made in Sweden and in my home state (Minnesota) work here?   How can cities encourage more people to walk or bicycle?

Kicking God out of school?

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Should religious schools receive funding from the state like secular schools?  Would parents be wise to send their children to schools of a different religion to broaden their horizons?  Should every student have to learn about religion?  What should the content of religious instruction classes look like?  Should there be more education about Christianity in Christian countries for example? What do you think about Slovakia’s solutions to these problems as compared to South Africa’s?

A turn of the wheel and a roll of the dice

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Is gambling a good way to generate money for state projects and charities, or is it just taxes with another name, or even stealing?  Does it prey on people’s addictions?  How does it affect tourism and a town or city’s reputation?  Would Bratislava be a better place with fewer casinos, or are they an important part of the economy? 

Yum. I shouldn’t be doing this. Yum.

 This is the last article you can comment on for this month.

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Does feeling guilty about what you eat lead to better eating habits or just make you feel bad?  Is this more of a problem with women than with men? Is food guilt as common in Slovakia as it seems to be in New Zealand?