Get your mansion off our nature

link

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?

link

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?

link

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?

link

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

link

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?

link

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

link

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

link

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…

link

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

link

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

link

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?

link

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?

link

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…

link

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

link

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?