Socratic Seminar

1. Evaluate your performance during seminar today. How did you prepare for seminar? What points did you make today and how did other's respond? What inhibited you from talking? What do you need to do better?

Today I felt like I did good on the Socratic Seminar, I tried my best to talk but sometimes I got interrupted. I just felt that sometimes there was really nothing to talk about. I prepared for the seminar by reading the New York Times article. Next time we have a seminar I will try to talk more, but will also try to raise some questions.

2. Which of the author's arguments do you agree with and why? Which arguments do you disagree with and why?

At first I was for 16 year olds to be able to vote, but then Zac Wendroff said that 16 year olds do not know anything about the real world, because they don't pay for their own house or go to College.

3. What was the most interesting idea someone raised today in the conversation and what are your thoughts surrounding that particular issue.

Aaron raised the topic of the Civics test that 16 year olds could take if they wanted to vote, but i found out it would be hard to make good questions and the original questions in the Citizenship test don't make sense for the Voting.

Youth Vote 2008

I enjoyed the article as well, it seems that Barack Obama does have a way with words, I was impressed with his speeches it moved me. The Youth Coalition supporting Obama is no surprise. I am not constituent but but everyone in the youth group has suffrage, they will help decide the next president of America. I would like to see a Democrat win, we need someone more liberal and progressive. Obama started his journey in Iowa, there was caucuses on people about to turn 18 allowed to vote. The first in the nation, Obama gained more popularity and now he has a a chance to be incumbent as the President of the United States. Such things such as bringing the troops home or vetoing laws will fall on him.

http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1708570,00.html#

Reflective Blog on Debate

We had a our very own GOP in our class on Monday, but I'm still confused on a few issues. My class was on the Republican side and we had to research a candidate. Mine was Mitt Romney, I researched his views on Stem Cell Research. I also researched the views of the other candidates, so we knew what to use against them. Mitt Romney's views on Stem Cell Research is that if he becomes president he would fund Stem Cell Research, but he would not allow scientists to retrieve stem cell from adult, frozen, or dead embryos. It differs from my view because I agree with all different types of stem cells. John McCain allows all types of stem cells, while Mike Huckabee, does not want stem cells at all. I find it weird that Mitt Romney doesn't want stem cells from dead, frozen, or adult embryos, because his wife has multiple sclerosis, which could be solved with stem cells from dead, frozen, or adult embryos.
I have a few questions on this subject, for example, how long will this process take to allow stem cells to be used. I wonder how much Romney would fund companies to continue research on stem cells. I also wonder why Romney doesn't want frozen, adult, or dead embryos to be used, when his wife needs them. Romney keeps saying it's against god's will to use stem cells, where does it say that? Where does god say that using people body parts to save others, people donate blood and kidneys to save other people's lives.