Hi, I’m relatively new to posting on these boards, although I’ve been lurking for quite awhile. Since all of you folks seem to be relatively smart, I’d like your suggestions for a topic to use on a paper I have to write this week. There are no guidelines other than it has to be some sort of controversial issue because I have to defend one side or the other of the issue. Thanks, I look forward to what I’m sure will be many great ideas.
Welcome aboard redstarcabe. Glad to have you.
Controversial topics? Should Australia become a republic? Is compulsory voting a more democratic process? (a veritable mindfield there especially with civil rights on compulsory etc but very interesting esp when you get an Aussie and an american discussing it).
There’s some starter material…
next
Welcome.
Controversy?
Abortion.
Prayer in schools.
Gun control.
Legalization of drugs.
Affirmative Action.
Homosexual marriage.
The electoral college.
School vouchers.
Censorship.
Capital punishment.
Mandatory helmet/seatbelt laws.
Tax reform.
Creationism vs. evolution…
…The list goes on and on. The trouble is picking one that you’re not sick of debating. Personally, I think that we should use taxpayer’s money to pay drug-crazed homosexual flag-burning felons to come into citizens’ homes to confiscate their guns and teach Satanism to their children. But that’s just my opinion. Some folks may disagree.
Peace,
TN*hippie
Welcome!
I would stay away from the mainstream ones: abortion, homosexuality, etc… Teachers and Profs get tired of reading 20 papers on the death penalty. I would pick something that is close to you and that interests you. I note in your profile that you list U.S. history, biking, graphic novels, and computers as areas of interest. Maybe you should do a topic related to one of those areas.
Maybe something computer/internet related as TN*hippie said, maybe censorship.
Personally, I always found it interesting to find a topic that the teacher/prof didn’t like or was a vocal opponent too, and write a paper about the exact opposite of what they believed. But that’s my twisted sense of humor.
Tony
I HAVE to ask for your permission to use that in a sig. Very good! 
Permission granted.
But are you fer it or agin it? 
Peace,
TN*hippie
thanks, guys. I was thinking I wanted to stay away from the often used topics, but will probably end up using one. However, dpr got me interested with should Australia become a republic. I’m probably hijacking my own topic by asking this, but I know nothing about Australian goverment. What is Australia’s current system, and is there anywhere on the web I could find out more about this. Do you think it should be a republic dpr?
Try the site for the Australian Government, then try looking around in Google a while. Oz is about as close as you can get to being a republic, anyway, without actually snubbing the Queen.
It’s a bit difficult to describe concisely redstarcabe, although I’ll provide more info if you’d really like. Essentially, Australia has a government basically similiar to most democracies. It differs in the exact implementation (has a few solid strnegths because of it and one or two flaws) but essentially the main difference is our duly-elected boss is called a Prime Minister instead of a President.
**Technically ** Australia is a monarchy answering to the Queen of England. I say and emphasise technically because that’s all it is. **In practice **it’s anything but that. We operate as an independant country in everything but the fine print (and it’s fine print very, very few outside of our country are even aware of let alone read).
Legally, our laws are ratified by the Queen (and suffered no doubt). The reality however is that it’s a blind rubber stamp - in fact new laws and the like are reported and announced before the ink has been wet properly such is the commonly accepted practice.
So in summation, Australia is in effect already a republic. Certainly the vast majority of the world see us as that. However we have some people here who feel the country is seen as an english lapdog (despite having no proof of this). They talk about building our own national identity and strengthening ties with other countries once we escape the yoke of England’s monarchy.
But let’s face facts. Australians already HAVE an extremely strong sense of identity (and are seen as a distinct and independant nation by the entire world - how many of you reading this knew we weren’t?). And as for strengthening ties with other nations? Well changing the fine print ISN’T going to alter trade relations in anyway. The current tarrifs and agreements are based on business sense and financial dealings, not over the origins of the country.
My opinion? I don’t believe it will make a difference either way. It won’t affect the country directly.
Well, actually that’s not true. To change to a republic would cost the taxpayers billions of dollars. Even the most conservative estimate 've seen has it at $600 million but that’s probably far too little. Most of that to the lawyers and politicians. And at the end of the day what have we changed? Perhaps we’ve made a few people with chips on their shoulders happy but we’ve spent billions on a change that has no real impact on us citizens.
So why should we? Especially in hard financial times. Surely it would be irresponsible of any political party to pursue such a wasteful policy. Oh wait, we’re talking about something that has media value and airplay. And politicians. Common sense has no place here.