Obesity topics –
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Should high school students be allowed access to candy and soft drink machines during
the school day?
Should the federal government be allowed to dictate what students are served for
lunch?
Should school cafeterias be required to serve food students like and will eat?
Should high school students be allowed to bring in outside food for lunch – birthday
cakes, McDonald’s, etc?
Should high school students be allowed to leave campus for lunch?
Should companies pay their employees to lose weight?
Are weight-loss treatments harmful?
Are we taking it too far by blaming fast food restaurants for obesity?
Does fast food cause obesity?
Should fast food restaurants be held financially liable for serving unhealthy food that
leads to obesity?
Should thin people have to pay Medicare and other health costs for the health problems
of obese people?
Should obese people have higher insurance premiums?
Is obesity a disease?
Does the body image projected by the media lead to disordered eating?
Does video gaming increase the risk of obesity?
Does athletics in schools decrease risks of obesity in children?
Should fast food advertising be banned from television?
Are fast foods and snack foods responsible for obesity in America’s youth?
Should schools implement policies to combat obesity in students?
Does playing football encourage obesity?
Is the obesity epidemic a myth?
Do school lunches cause obesity?
Are lawsuits against fast food restaurants an effective way to combat obesity?
Is television to blame for obesity?
Is obesity society’s problem?
Should taxes be placed on junk food to encourage people to eat healthier?
Is being overweight a health risk?
Does cosmetic surgery improve self esteem?
Should teenagers get cosmetic surgery?
Should pro-anorexia web sites be removed?
Do images in the media negatively impact teens?
Does the beauty industry promote unrealistic beauty standards?
Should extremely thin models be banned from fashion shows?
Is cosmetic surgery a form of self-mutilation?
Does dieting lead to eating disorders?
Government topics –
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Should parents and other interested citizens censor textbooks and other literature for
children in schools?
Should the United States have mandatory military conscription (the draft)?
Should laws regarding minimum wage (or the forty-hour work week) be revised?
Should the government provide child day care centers at a more affordable cost for
working parents?
Should homosexuals be permitted to serve in the military?
Should English be declared the official language of the United States?
Should illegal immigrants be given citizenship if they meet certain criteria?
Should parents be deported if they have American-born children?
Should the federal government provide health care for all citizens who cannot afford
their own?
Should convicted felons have the right to vote?
Should convicted felons be deprived of the right to vote and to serve on juries even
though they have completed their sentences?
Should public transportation be available throughout the US to alleviate traffic
congestion and save energy?
Should “gas-guzzling” vehicles be banned in the US?
Should both legal and illegal immigration be curbed to preserve America’s resources?
Is the US in decline?
Are biofuels practical?
Is an immigrant workforce good for America?
Do genetically modified crops benefit the world more than organic ones do?
Are genetically modified crops dangerous?
Is global warming caused by human actions?
Is global warming a hoax?
Is the aging population of the US a serious problem?
Is interracial marriage an indicator of racial assimilation in the US?
Has legalized abortion harmed women?
Is overpopulation a serious problem?
Should families be limited to no more than 2 children?
Is bilingual education detrimental to the US?
Should illegal immigrants be granted amnesty?
Is tropical deforestation a threat to the health of the world?
Should the US increase its military presence in the Middle East?
Should the Department of Homeland Security be abolished?
Does capitalism cause global financial crises?
Is government intervention in healthcare immoral and impractical?
Should entitlements and social welfare programs be eliminated from the federal budget?
Should the United States withdraw from the United Nations?
Education topics –
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Should comprehensive sex education be taught in school?
Should school teachers have the right to strike?
Should academic freedom for teachers and students be limited by law?
Should creationism or intelligent design be taught as scientific theories in school?
Should controversial speakers (on whatever subject) be allowed on college campuses?
Should students who have taken and successfully passed classes be required to take an
exit exam (TAKS) before receiving a diploma?
Should students be required to attend school past the age of sixteen?
Should bilingual education be offered in public schools?
Should school programs stress the acceptance of homosexuality?
Should exams be outlawed in favor of another form of assessment?
Should children be required to say the Pledge of Allegiance in schools?
Are Americans “illiterate?”
Should students on college campuses be allowed to carry concealed firearms?
Is standardized state or national testing (such as the TAKS) helping American schools?
Is the current system of public school funding--primarily through property taxes--unfair?
Should tracking be used in determining courses for public school children?
Should magnet and charter schools be discouraged?
Should the system of busing students to school be amended?
Should local school districts be redrawn to create schools that are more equal?
Should federal school vouchers be used at religious schools?
Do teachers in classrooms of thirty or forty children accomplish their intended tasks as
educators?
Some standardized tests scores factor in to how much money a school will receive in the
next fiscal year. Is this an ethical way to demand accountability from a school, or does
this further punish lower-performing schools?
Are the arts necessary in the public-school system?
Do children learn better in single sex schools?
Should students that plagiarize essays or other work be subjected to expulsion from
school?
Is public education failing?
Do competitive salaries improve education?
Is sex education the key to curbing teen sex?
Does abstinence-only sex education fail teens?
Should birth control be given to students without parent consent?
Do anti-drug campaigns work?
Should schools foster exercise and health?
Do bilingual programs work?
Has Title IX improved school sports programs?
Has the No Child Left Behind program improved student achievement?
Religion topics –
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Should mandatory (or voluntary) prayer be permitted in public schools?
What place should "creationism" have in the public education system?
Is the US following the lead of much of western Europe in becoming a secularized
society in which religion holds less influence?
Is there one true religion?
Should public schools offer courses with religious content?
Should creation science or intelligent design theories be offered in science classes?
Should school boards permit religious groups on school grounds during school hours?
Should prayer be a part of school functions?
Should religious phrases be removed from American money?
Should government provide faith-based organizations with funds to help the needy?
Should faith-based organizations be given tax exempt status by the government, even if
the organization does not provide any concrete services for the needy--food, shelter,
etc?
Is the government justified in denying the Wiccan religion tax-exempt status because it
fails to meet one of the government regulations in defining a religion--that of
congregating at a regularly scheduled time and place?
Are public school Winter Holidays still generally organized around Christian holidays
rather than those of any other religions? Argue for or against a change in policy.
Should the Wiccan religion be recognized as a religion by the government?
Are religion and politics separate in America?
Does religion’s role in gay marriage violate separation of church and state?
Does atheism teach morality and ethics?
Should the Ten Commandments be posted in public places?
Should there be prayer and Bible study in public schools?
Is religious objection to gays a hate crime?
Does Islamic law violate human rights?
Does religion harm America?
Is capital punishment immoral?
Are Islam and democracy incompatible?
Is Islam a threat to the west?
Is political opposition to stem cell research based in religion?
Does Islam promote suicide terrorists?
Does Islam oppress women?
Is radical Islam a harmful force in America?
Does Islam condone honor killings?
Are “new religious movements” (NRM) cults?
Should polygamists be prosecuted?
Law topics –
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Should the state or federal government put laws into place to prevent bullying?
Should pornography be restricted by law?
Should newspaper reporters be required to reveal their sources?
Should law or custom regarding American funeral practices be revised?
Should the United States have mandatory military conscription (the draft)?
Should donors or their families be compensated for organ donations?
Should genetic engineering be controlled by law?
Should divorce laws be changed in ways that will be more equitable or just for all the
parties?
Should sex and violence on television or in the movies be restricted?
Should imports of foreign cars or other foreign products be limited or restricted by law?
Should smoking in public places be restricted by the legal process?
Should surrogate motherhood be either banned or regulated be law?
Should adoption records be open rather than sealed?
Should unapproved drugs be made available as a last resort to patients with conditions
for which conventional treatments are known to be ineffective?
Should tobacco companies be held responsible for smoking-related illnesses and
deaths?
Should bartenders be held responsible for the behavior of their patrons?
Is rehabilitation of felony offenders possible? Desirable?
Should juvenile offenders be tried and punished as adults?
Should "victimless crimes" such as prostitution and other sexual activity between
consenting adults be free from governmental interference?
To what extent should advertising aimed at children be regulated by law?
Should the courts require that contracts and other legal documents be written in
nontechnical language so that clients can understand the documents?
Does random drug testing violate student rights?
Should teenage fathers be held legally responsible for their children?
Should gun show loopholes be closed?
Should gun control laws be strengthened?
Are enhanced interrogation methods justified?
Technology topics –
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What is the impact of automation on American culture and lifestyles?
Will genetically altered animals benefit humankind?
Is DNA fingerprinting reliable?
Does using cell phones change teenagers socially?
Are teens smarter (or more socialized) because of the Internet?
Should the federal government be allowed to regulate information on the internet?
Should the internet and social networking sites be regulated to prevent stalking and the
invasion of privacy?
Should those who use the internet to bully others be liable for damages?
Should the cloning of human beings be permitted?
Should embryonic stem cell research be funded with tax dollars?
Should students be allowed to use their smart phones in class?
Should teachers have web pages for students to access to keep up with work,
assignments, etc.?
Should texting while driving be banned?
Should cell phone use while driving be banned?
Should DISD provide all middle and high school students with laptops?
Should DISD purchase online textbooks so that students do not have to carry around
those heavy books and so that the loss of textbooks is curtailed?
Should students who use the internet to plagiarize materials be expelled from school?
Are social networking sites good for our society?
Gender Identification –
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What impact on the family (or the workplace) have changes in gender roles had?
Does Islamic fundamentalism repress women?
Recently, a 17-year-old boy was sentenced to 10 years in prison for having consensual
oral sex with a 15-year-old girl. Are statutory rape laws patronizing to girls and
discriminatory to boys?
Has Title IX helped women’s sports? Has it harmed men’s sports?
Women still earn only 75 cents for every $1 a man earns. Should women be paid the
same as a man for the same job?
Should women be priests, pastors, ministers, and rabbis?
Does society today still discriminate against working mothers who wish to have flexible
work schedules?
Does America’s unrealistic ideal of the American woman lead to eating disorders?
Are women less intelligent than men?
Should the man be the breadwinner (work) and the woman stay home and keep house?
Should women be allowed in military combat?
Is healthcare for women and children underfunded?
Should insurance companies which cover the cost of Viagra prescriptions also be
required to cover birth control and regular examinations for women?
Are homosexual characters and topics appropriate for prime-time television?
In what ways does gender play a difference in student success and teacher attention in
the classroom?
Should the Equal Rights Amendment be revived and made part of the Constitution?
Should the Family and Medical Leave Act be extended beyond 12 weeks?
Should homosexual marriage be permitted in Texas?
Should homosexual couples in Texas be legally allowed to adopt?
Is makeup addiction another symptom of adverse reactions on women's self-esteem by
the advertising industry?
Does the advertising industry create loss of self-esteem in American women today?
Should the government regulate the modeling industry to cut down on the emphasis on
thinness?
Is sexual orientation determined at birth?
Is therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation unethical?
Money topics –
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Have the large salaries of professional athletes had a negative impact on the athletes
and the sports?
Do oil companies make big bucks while the rest of us pay over $3 a gallon?
Should college athletes be paid?
There’s a minimum wage, but should there also be a maximum wage/salary a person
can earn?
Do Americans work too hard?
Does working more actually reduce productivity? Is a 40-hour work week too much?
Should there be a mandatory cap on the number of hours a person can work?
Should there be changes in employment laws to give Americans more relaxation time?
Does overseas oil dependency influence our economy/ international policies?
Should the NFL owners lock out the players over salary issues?
Should the federal and state governments have to have balanced budgets each year
which would prevent deficit spending?
Should federal and state governments have to have audits on their budgets each year?
Privacy topics –
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Does society have an obligation to protect privacy as a basic individual right?
To what extent does the private life of a public figure affect his or her ability to serve the
public interest?
Should the government be allowed to wire tap without permission?
Should medical information should be confidential?
Does the public have a right to know about a public figure’s private life?
Do the Patriot Acts 1 & 2 infringe on the right to privacy?
Should the government have the right to access the library records of its citizens?
Should employers be able to request Facebook access to their employees’ accounts?
Should schools be able to search the backpacks, purses, and lockers of students?
Justice topics –
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What restrictions should be placed on polygraph testing (or drug testing or personality
testing such as Meyers-Brigg Type Indicator) either for the criminal justice system or for
the workplace?
How should colleges manage their athletic programs in relation to their academic goals?
Do certain children's toys create social or emotional or other problems?
Does the American system of justice need reform to ensure that criminals are properly
punished?
Are sentences for crimes affected by the race of the offender?
Should certain non-violent crimes be punishable by fines rather than jail time?
Are state-mandated "three-strikes" policies unfair?
Should children who commit certain crimes be treated as adults?
Are exile programs (where a criminal is sent to prison in a distant state) fair?
Are certain kinds of capital punishment cruel and unusual?
Should capital punishment be abolished because of racial disparities?
Should capital punishment be abolished because of the chance of executing an innocent
person?
Should prison be punitive in nature?
Now that genetic/DNA evidence is admissable in court, should controversial closed
cases be re-opened?
If someone has already been executed, should his or her case be re-opened under
certain circumstances?
Should some kind of reparation be made to the families of the wrongfully accused who
have been executed?
Should there be a limit to the number of death row appeals that can be made?
Is the death penalty is ethical?
Is the death penalty fairly administered?
Should the death penalty be abolished?
Violence –
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Should child molesters be chemically or physically castrated?
Is spanking a form of child abuse?
Is violence in the workplace a serious problem?
Does violence in the media cause violence in society?
Is domestic violence against men a problem?
Does violence on television (movies, video games) promote violent behavior in users?
Is ear piercing of children of a certain age child abuse?
Are school campuses safe?
Should prisoners have to serve mandatory minimum sentences before being released
from prison?
Are serial killers a serious threat to the safety of the nation?
Are the police too aggressive when making arrests?
Should American troops be held legally responsible for acts of violence during war?
Competition –
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Do "beauty" contests (Mr. America, Miss America, etc.) serve any purpose in society?
Have the large salaries of professional athletes had a negative impact on the athletes or
the sports?
Is competition necessary for the survival of sports?
Can competitive sports be unhealthy?
Should college athletic programs be reformed?
Has athletes' greed marred professional sports?
Should steroids be banned from sports?
Does the emphasis on winning at any cost lead athletes to cheat?
Does getting into the right college lead students to cheat?
Intolerance topics –
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Are American Indians being treated fairly in the 21st century?
What should be done to protect the rights of minorities (of all kinds) in America in the
1990s?
Are illegal immigrants harming America?
Should America admit all immigrants?
Is affirmative action unnecessary and divisive? (Also Interracial America, Work; TS: Legal
Issues, Moral Issues, Political Issues; CC: Minorities)
Have middle-class blacks overcome discrimination?
Is Hispanic poverty caused by racism?
Are Asian Americans a "model minority"?
Can racial balance in business, education, or military be achieved without policies that
promote Affirmative Action?
Do certain television programs perpetuate racial or ethnic stereotypes?
Terrorism topics –
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Do the media encourage terrorism?
Do the Islamic nations have a reason to hate the US?
Does U.S. policy in the war on terror actually spread terrorism rather than contain it?
Can terrorism ever be justified?
Should the American military assassinate Osama Bin Laden?
Do the World Trade Center and Pentagon bombings cause Americans to feel less safe?
Is the war on terrorism successful?
Should America withdraw its troops from Afghanistan (Iraq)?
Should terrorists be tried in military courts?
Should the American military indefinitely detain prisoners of war?
Should student visas and work visas be more tightly administrated to prevent terrorists
from entering the country?
Should women wearing burkas (burqas) be exempted from the searches American
citizens receive when trying to board airplanes?
Should America’s iconic Barbie doll be dressed in a burka (burqa) for sale in the US?
Should captured and convicted terrorists be given the death penalty?
Is it appropriate to build a Muslim community center near the World Trade Center site?
Identity topics –
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Should identity theft be considered a felony?
Should companies that release personal identity information to other groups be held
liable when identity theft occurs?
Should uniforms be worn in all public schools?
The US military branches require all recruits to wear exactly the same clothes with the
same haircuts. Should the military lessen these restrictions?
Should personal identity be emphasized in the US military?
Ethics topics –
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Is breaking the law for a cause justifiable?
To what extent does the private life of a public figure affect his or her ability to serve the
public interest?
Should shoe companies be able to give away free shoes and equipment to high school
athletes?
Is it unethical for U.S. companies that move factories to undeveloped nations to pay
cheap wages, or are companies doing those workers a favor?
Does the media, both print and broadcast, report fairly?
Does the media, both print and broadcast, ever cross the line between reporting the
news and creating the news?
Is downloading of media (music, videos, software) infringing on the rights of media
producers and causing economic hardships on media creators?
Should media producers prosecute students and individuals that they suspect of
downloading copyrighted materials?
Does profit motive in media corporations influence what and how information is
broadcast?
Do ethical considerations or conflicts of interest exist for a corporate media news
channel?
Do certain media outlets contribute to sensationalism in news reporting?
Should journalists reveal the names of victims of sex crimes?
Should the media be responsible for providing healthy and realistic role models?
Should sex and violence be censored on TV?
What is the media's role in self esteem?
Is the Internet a good source for news?
Should the US provide aid and money to countries which have suffered a severe natural
catastrophe even if the country is one that is hostile to the US and its policies?
Should doctors be required to be part of a physician-assisted suicide?
Hysteria topics –
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Did the World Trade Center and Pentagon bombings create mass hysteria in the US?
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Should the media continue to show events over and over that would create a feeling of hysteria
in the nation?
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Considering the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries, is America conducting a “witch hunt”
for terrorists?
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In the 1950s Joseph McCarthy and his Committee on Un-American Affairs conducted hearings
which labeled many Americans as communists and destroyed their lives. Is the US once again in
the throes of such an episode of mass hysteria concerning terrorists?
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During the Presidential campaign of 2008, a feeling of hysteria swept the country concerning
Barack Obama. Did this hysteria lead to the election of a person lacking the necessary skills to
run the country?
Should our borders be completely open to the flow of illegal immigrants even though the most
recent statistics show that terrorists now choose the southern border as a point of entry?
Reputation topics –
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Do cell phones with cameras destroy people’s reputations?
Should bloggers be held legally liable for destroying a person’s reputation?
Is a good reputation essential for success in business?
Hypocrisy topics –
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Is the Catholic Church hypocritical in its treatment of homosexuals?
Is the US Government hypocritical in its treatment of illegal immigrants?
Is the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of the military hypocritical?
Are politicians more likely to be hypocritical?
Are organized religions hypocritical?
Revenge topics –
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Are terrorist attacks revenge for perceived wrongs done by the American military?
Should the death penalty be enforced to soothe feelings of revenge in victim’s families?
Guilt topics –
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Should the US pay reparation to Native Americans who lost their lands to white settlers,
or to African Americans whose ancestors were slaves?
Should Americans feel guilty for the crimes committed by their ancestors?
Should murderers be allowed to plead guilty by reason of insanity?
Should people found guilty by reason of insanity be required to go to jail when they are
deemed “cured” by the treatment facility they are sent to?
Should parents be held responsible when their children (minors) are found guilty of
committing a crime?
Should television commercials (Feed the Children, etc.) which play upon feelings of guilt
be banished?
Does white guilt turn the development disparities between Israel and its neighbors into
a case of Western bigotry, despite the fact that Islamic extremism is the most explicit
and dangerous expression of human bigotry since the Nazi era?
Environment topics –
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Is animal experimentation justified?
Is eating meat detrimental?
Is hunting animals morally acceptable?
Do zoos preserve endangered species?
Is the Endangered Species Act effective?
Are wetland regulations fair to property owners?
Should the international ban on ivory be lifted?
Is global warming a serious threat?
Is rapid introduction of electric cars a good strategy for reducing air pollution?
Is America's drinking water safe?
Is nuclear power a viable energy source?
Is the EPA effective?
Should it be illegal to use animals for sports and entertainment?
Is global warming a hoax?
Is human activity (burning rain forests, burning fossil fuels, etc.) a substantial cause of
global climate change?
Freedom topics –
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Does the security of our country outweigh the loss of personal freedoms?
Torture topics –
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Should the US military torture its political or terrorist prisoners?
Are prisoners in US prisons tortured?
Alienation topics –
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Do feelings of alienation play a key role in developing a student into a school shooter?
Does bullying lead a student into suicide?
Should bullies be held criminally responsible for their actions?
Corruption topics –
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Should the US intervene militarily along the US/Mexican border to stop the drug cartels?
Does the high emphasis placed on passing the TAKS test lead to corruption among
school officials?
Should students have more involvement in the spending of school budgets?
Society topics –
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To what extent should individuals have the protection of the law and the assistance of
the medical establishment in terminating their own lives?
Should a rating system be required for song lyrics?
Should prisons rehabilitate?
Do prisons create a criminal personality?
Should the U.S. lower the drinking age to 18?
Will building more prisons solve prison overcrowding?
Can sexual orientation be changed?
Should society sanction gay partnerships?
Should there be a constitutional amendment that allows gays and lesbians to legally
marry?
International issues topics –
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Is colonialism responsible for Africa's problems?
Should the United States force democracy upon other nations?
Does United States foreign aid harm other nations and/or the U.S.?
Should a permanent UN military force be established?
Should China be condemned as a violator of human rights?
Will European unification strengthen Europe?
Is German unification harmful?
Did the Persian Gulf War (War in Iraq, War in Afghanistan) weaken the U.S.?
Is U.S. military intervention in other countries justifiable?
Does the threat of terrorism warrant the suspension or curtailment of civil liberties?
Should the United States support the expansion of NATO to include the Baltic states?
Is shuttle diplomacy a better alternative to gunboat diplomacy in the modern world?
Does the United States have a right to preemptively protect itself from terrorist attacks
by attacking nations accused of sponsoring terrorism?
Should the United States change its policies on educating foreign nationals and issuing
student visas?
Mob mentality –
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Are laws against hate crimes enforced enough?
Should crimes committed by mobs be investigated more thoroughly?
Should video surveillance equipment be placed on all streets and sidewalks to deter
crime?
Does alcohol abuse lead to mob mentality?