COLLAPSE
1. campus speech codes: https://www.aclu.org/hate-speech-campus
Explain the position the ACLU adopts regarding campus speech codes. Defending all speech creates a serious tension with protecting 14th Amendment rights. How does the ACLU attempt to “draw the line”, where one person’s rights ends and another begins? Do you agree with their position or do you think that some things “just don’t need to be said”?
2. Hate crime/terrorism: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/orlando-nightclub-massacre/orlando-massacre-terrorism-hate-crime-collide-n590646
Recent events like bombing in Orlando have caused much discussion about the use of the word “terrorism” to describe just a crime. What’s the issue? Why not use “terrorism” for any violent public act committed against strangers? Why are some pushing to use the term more broadly? Why are some resisting?
3. Hate crime: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/22/the-story-of-a-hate-crime
The most common question after a hate crime is, “How could someone do such a thing?” How we, as a society, answer such questions will strongly affect how we attempt to eliminate such crimes. What answer does this author give to explain the hate crime against three Muslim students in Chapel Hill? Is this answer adequate–will it direct social resources properly so that we can eliminate such actions?
4. Regulating porn: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/04/22/anti-porn-advocates-are-changing-the-game-and-it-starts-with-utah-declaring-it-a-public-health-crisis/
Here we go again: attempts to legally regulate porn have been going on in this country for many decades, since about the 1940s. How is this recent attempt in Utah different? What do you think–are these legislators on to something important, or is this the same old thing, the idea that nakedness is dirty?
5. Public nudity: http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/wtf-why-is-public-nudity-legal-in-vermont-but-public-disrobing-isnt/Content?oid=2804753
States have radically different laws regarding public nudity (this is a local issue, not a federal issue). What exactly, is the problem? Why is nakedness wrong? What cases should be punished and why? As you think about these issues, keep in mind: age of offender (should it be criminal for a toddler to be naked? Yes, it is in Arkansas.), sex of offender, body parts in question, and degree of nakedness (no clothes, sheer clothes, damaged clothes…). How serious a crime is this–a misdemeanor, like jay walking, or a sex crime, like public “flashing”?
—–the discussion you need to replay to.
OLLAPSE
Bombing of the gay nightclub in Orlando raised some question on safety of Americans and LGBT community.This situation further raised a lot questions since president Obama linked the attack to terrorism. Stating the bombing as a terrorism attack raised confusions led to assessment on the impacts triggered when the term terrorism is mentioned in any strange attack. using the term terrorism to describe violent attack is discouraged as it may trigger skepticism on the security of the country. Using the terms may lead to hate crimes especially if the term was used to describe a different attack. some people are using the term to criticize the government investment in security. those discouraging usage of the term terrorism, resist using the term in order to prevent occurrence of crime related to terrorism.