“If he should be whipped for stealing an apple, what should be done to us for our sins?”
Leo Tolstoy, Where Love Is, God Is
Stimulating debates were once a regular feature of American life, whether it be academia, high school political science classrooms, or the op-ed page of newspapers. Free debate is a cornerstone of freedom. Without it there is no freedom. It also makes life interesting. Only a demented fascist wants a world of miserable sameness.
Fascists do not allow debate about any tenet they hold dear. They believe silencing dissenters is victory. They fear giving the “other side” a voice is somehow validating the opposition by default. Thus, we are tribalized into groups fitted with intellectual straightjackets and left incurious, fearful, and easily propagandized.
Do not be afraid of provocative questions. Here are some meaty topics for debate, which are sure to provide meaningful discussions if you allow it…
- Is there a basic human right to freedom of speech beyond that specified in the United States Constitution? If so, what is meant by freedom of speech?
- Do you agree freedom of speech means defending speech you don’t like and from people you might loathe?
- What rights would you defend with your life if necessary?
- What is the risk of a completely disarmed American public?
- What responsibilities come with rights?
- Is the death penalty a morally appropriate punishment for some crimes? If so, what crimes?
- Does agreeing the death penalty is a morally appropriate punishment for some crimes mean a society should implement the death penalty?
- Some people repeat the mantra, “I follow the science” and do so unquestioningly. If science proved slavery is the best economic system, should we reintroduce it? What if a similar proof were made for communism? What if human sacrifice were proven to eliminate natural disasters?
- Should people who support land acknowledgements be forced to give up their property to American Indians? Should everyone go back to their ancestral “places of origin”?
- Should “opt in” (with an easy “opt out” option if desired later) be required for any business that collects and shares personal data?
- Are boilerplate terms and conditions fair? Can someone truly give informed consent to these?
- Is it fair to allow the tax benefit given to carried interest?
- Should elected officials be held to all laws they require the unelected to follow?
- If trans-identifying males are kept out of women’s sports and spaces, are there reasonable substitutes or accommodations?
- Does abortion devalue human life? If so, what is meant by “devalue”?
- Are there reasonable restrictions on abortion?
- Should sex-selection abortion be allowed? (This abortion largely targets females.)
- What if it were proven there are differences in average IQ between different races of humans? (There are different levels of intelligence among people of the same race, so what does this mean in that context?)
- What if another habitable planet is found, but inhabited by a technologically primitive alien species? What if this planet is needed for humans to survive?
- If the word nigger is spoken into a phone during a private conversation or typed on a private computer, should the authorities be notified and the person subject to arrest, prosecution, and punishment?
- Should a school or employer have the authority to punish you for something unrelated to school or work that is done or said on your own time?
- What is meant by the concepts of duty and honor.
- What should be the age of consent?
- How would things have been different for Germany during WWII if the Nazis had not persecuted the Jews?
- Should foreigners be allowed to purchase property in the United States if their country doesn’t reciprocate?
- What should be the “targeted” inflation rate?
- Was it a mistake to allow the creation of Israel in 1948?
- Is Islam compatible with what were once considered Western freedoms?
- Is every billionaire an example of the “failure” of an economic system?
Enjoy. Mull over. Discuss. Don’t be afraid.
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