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?