Issue of the day
Issue: Should 18 year olds be permitted to play the slot machines at Ohio
casinos?
Review both sides of the issue and write a paragraph demonstrating what side
you agree with and why.
Arguments For:
1. You can buy lottery tickets at age 18, what is the difference? Isn’t it
gambling?
2. At age 18 you can vote and serve your country, why not gamble on
slot machines?
3. It would bring more money into the State of Ohio when we really
need it.
Arguments against:
1. Gambling is addictive and like other addictions it can be worse if the habit
begins young.
2. The Ohio Council of Churches are against it for moral and religious
reasons.
3. One newspaper editorial stated that 18 year olds are not mature enough to
gamble.
Issue of the Day
Should protesters be banned from protesting at funerals?
Summary
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, are threatening to
picket the funerals of Saturday's shooting victims in Arizona. Members of this
church (made up primarily of one family) picket the funerals of soldiers killed in
Afghanistan and Iraq to make the point that these deaths are punishment for the
country accepting Gay Rights.
Disclaimer: This church does not represent other Christian churches.
Arguments for the Picketing:
1. This is a first amendment issue. The members of the church have the
right to protest.
Arguments against the Picketing:
2. This is a private funeral. If the family does not want the protesters
there, they should not be allowed there.
Issue of the Day
Minimum Wage
President Obama has proposed raising the minimum wage and
recently some fast food workers have protested asking for a $15.00
per hour wage. They are advocating for what they call a fair wage.
Review the facts and the arguments below and determine what you
think about this issue.
Facts:

The Federal Minimum Wage is $7.85 per hour.

The Ohio minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
Exceptions:
“Employers” who gross under $288,000.00 shall pay their
employees no less than the current federal minimum wage rate.
Arguments for increasing minimum wage:
1. Those working minimum wage deserve a living wage not just a
minimum wage.
2. The minimum wage does not keep up with real inflation.
Arguments against increasing the minimum wage:
1. An increase in the minimum wage will likely result in higher
prices.
2. Most people making minimum wage are entry level workers and
not head of households.
Issue of the Day
Should video game maker Electronic Arts be required to pay a football fan for
using his likeness on Madden 2009?
Issue details:
Electronic Art’s 2009 version of the Madden football video game includes shots of
the crowd. When the Cleveland Browns are shown an image of Brown’s Fan John
“Big Dawg” Thompson is clearly shown. He is not being paid for the use of his
likeness. Football players are paid through the NLF Player’s Association (their
union). He has filed a lawsuit to be paid $25,000.00 by Electronic Arts.
Arguments for:
1. The players are paid for the use of their likeness, if a fan is featured in the
game, they should be paid as well.
Arguments against:
1. This is frivolous (someone just trying to make money) lawsuit and they
should all be thrown out. Mr. Thompson has no argument here.