Teen Eagles

Phyllis' Weekly Challenge: The Feminist Left Goes Global on Our Money

By Glyn Wright on August 19, 2010 1:33 PM | No TrackBacks

Use Phyllis Schlafly's most recent column to discuss the following questions. You may view the column at www.eagleforum.org.

1. What is feminism?

2. How does Eagle Forum view feminism? How do you view the concept?

3. Is there a problem with broad definitions such as "psychological harm," "intimidation at work," and "psychological violence"?

4. How might these definitions be distorted?

5. How might you combat harmful feminist dogma?

6. What are the implications of the President's desire to make everything a global issue?

7. Phyllis states, "Feminist orthodoxy teaches that there are no innate differences between males and females with one exception. Men are naturally batterers and women are naturally victims." Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

8. How do you define Sharia law? What are your views on the principles?

9. Why do you think the current administration chooses to ignore the matter?

10. Do you think the bills are truly about conveying "equal rights" to women? Or, do they actually put blame on men and cost the taxpayers money?

Phyllis' Weekly Challenge: Un-American American History Courses

By Glyn Wright on August 13, 2010 5:47 PM | No TrackBacks

Use Phyllis' weekly column to discuss the following questions:

1. What are your views on curriculum that discusses other nationalities and cultures in the classroom?

2. How can teachers promote American nationalism to their students while still educating them on other nationalities and cultures?

3. Should teachers be held accountable for what they teach, day in and day out, in the classroom? How should this accountability be executed?

4. What are the disadvantages to teaching these courses?

5. How can the courses be taught in a way that is advantageous to American sovereignty?

6. How, as students, can you promote American nationalism to your peers?

7. If the history of America is to be accurately preserved, our textbooks must reflect truth. What other un-truths do you see being taught in schools?

8. Why do people, specifically in academia, refuse to speak of Jesus and Christianity while openly teaching of Muhammed, Islam, etc.?

9. How can parents become actively involved in school courses?

10. What are ways you can become active with your state Board of Education?

Phyllis's Weekly Challenge: Obama Takes Illinois Mistakes Nationwide

By Blake Bachman on July 23, 2010 4:15 PM | No TrackBacks

1. How will the current out-of-control spending affect your future?

2. Why is the word "unsustainable" becoming more common? What does this word

imply?

3. How might Illinois demonstrate an example after which Americans fear our

government will follow?

4. What is the relationship between spending and taxes, and how should this affect our

view of government-implemented programs?

5. What are some of the new taxes that will be raised as a result of our

current administrations' policies, and how will these impact Americans?

6. What are some of the immediate consequences of the impending tax hikes in our

work force today, especially among employers and upper-level Americans?

7. Does the Constitution limit the power of Congress to spend? If so, in what ways?

8. How can citizens affect the decisions on the Federal budget?

9. How do we prompt our legislators to run our government as we do our households?

10. What are some immediate actions that the Federal government can take to curb the

debt and tax crises? What are some actions we can take as citizens?

Challenge Questions:

1. Look up some of the things on which our national budget is being spent. What solutions
would you propose to curb spending?

2. Research the Alternate Minimum Tax, and post an informative article to your social
networking site. Why is the Alternate Minimum Tax so devastating?

3. Look up an article on the debt crisis in Greece. What situations led to the crisis? How
might it have been averted? Post the article to your social networking site.

Bonus Questions:

1. Think about the levels of government, from federal to the individual. Where does ultimate
responsibility for government truly lie? What happens when we abandon this responsibility?

2. Higher taxes always have secondary repercussions, even on those who do not see their
taxes raised. How is this so? And what are the consequences on the American public as a
whole?

Phyllis's Weekly Challenge: A Good Father's Day Gift

By Erin Grant on June 26, 2010 9:02 AM | No TrackBacks

1. Is there a way for the government to hold accountable the hands to which taxpayer money is given?

2. Women are most often characterized as the victim, and men as the abusers. What has caused this stereotype? What are some of the immediate results?

3. Do you think there is a way to change the way society views the victim and the abuser in relation to their gender?

4. How would you define "domestic violence?"

5. Should the police officers be legally bound to take someone into custody each time they answer a call for help from an "abuser"?

6. What are some of the immediate consequences of the VAWA as it currently stands?

7. Do you think the VAWA should be reformed?

8. If so, how would you reform the Act?

9. Do you think women are oppressed by the "patriarchy?"

10. How do you respond to people who make this assertion?

Challenge Questions:

1. What are "civil rights?" Where does the Constitution specifically address these?

2. Research the VAWA and the history of Feminism and how each of these movements have changed gender perceptions in society. Post an article on your social networking site.

Bonus Questions:

1. Why do you think God created differences between men and women? What do you think are some of the roles intended for each?

2. Why do you think movements have arisen to eliminate the perception of gender differences? What have been the results of these movements?

Phyllis' Weekly Challenge: Social Issues vs. Fiscal Issues

By Erin Grant on June 18, 2010 3:54 PM | No TrackBacks

1. Generally, in what ways are social issues and fiscal issues linked?

2. As stated in the column, what is America's greatest social (and fiscal) issue? Why?

3. What steps would the ten-point agenda created by Usher and McManus take to preserve marriage in society?

4. How might waiting periods for both marriage and divorce impact the impoverished marriage situation in our culture?

5. Under what conditions would divorce be considered acceptable, as proposed by the ten-point agenda? Why?

6. What has been a major cause for skyrocketing rate of cohabitating couples in the past fifty years? What has our current administration done to either halt or encourage the trend?

7. How might welfare and child-support policies provide incentives for non-marriage families?

8. What has been the major cause of growth in the welfare state, and why might this be?

9. What other social problems tend to stem from the breakdown of marriage? What fiscal problems?

10. How might our federal policies shift from a welfare state to promoting a more marriage-friendly agenda?

Bonus:

Why would the the ten-point agenda call for the church (instead of the government) to take the lead in promoting marriage? Do you think the agenda has a good balance of government vs. the church promoting marriage?

Challenge question:

1. Research some of the effects of the welfare state upon society, and post an article on a social network.

2. Why might marriage, and not governmental support, be "one of the best routes out of poverty?"

3. How might the Constitution deal with the issue of welfare? See Article I, Section VIII. Was government intended to be a philanthropic entity?

Homeschoolers Learn How to Lobby

By Erin Grant on June 18, 2010 9:58 AM | No TrackBacks

One of the projects in which some homeschoolers participate is going to lobby at their state capitol so they can learn first-hand how our government functions. For several years, I have known about active homeschooling groups that do this in Missouri and in Utah. Let me tell you about the experience of a group of 14-to-18-year-old Minnesota homeschool students. Each year, they choose a public policy topic to research, discuss, and draft mock legislative resolutions. This year they selected the health care bill which was then making its way through Congress.

As soon as the health care bill passed, the kids got excited about the content of the bill, the way it was passed, and the back room deals. The student leader, 18-year-old Fletcher Warren, gave a radio interview saying, "we decided that we should do what we could." We wrote out a 3-page resolution detailing our concerns, such as the law's unconstitutionality and violation of the commerce clause. The resolution calls on Minnesota's governor, attorney general, and state legislature to seek an injunction that would relieve the state of having to comply with newly enacted national healthcare legislation. The 32 homeschoolers then gathered at the St. Paul, Minnesota statehouse to hand-deliver letters and copies of the signed resolution to Minnesota legislators. The students were able to meet with four representatives and two senators, all of whom were cordial to their young constituents.

Fletcher Warren, who served as chairman of the homeschoolers' health care committee, was pleased with the way legislators received the students and message. He described the experience of lobbying at the state capitol as "overwhelmingly positive." The students then expanded their efforts beyond the state legislature and spoke to several of their Congressmen. The students' lobbying trip turned out to be a good lesson in how government operates and how citizens can participate.

You can listen to this and other commentaries by Phyllis Schlafly at www.eagleforum.org/radio.

Phyllis' Weekly Challenge:Obama STARTS to Disarm America

By Glyn Wright on May 29, 2010 5:59 PM | No TrackBacks

Use Phyllis' article, Obama STARTS to Disarm America, to discuss the following questions.

1. Why do countries develop nuclear weapons?

2. According to the U.S. Constitution, what responsibility is explicitly given to the federal government that justifies developing and maintaining nuclear warheads?

3. Why would Russia prefer that the United States destroy some of its nuclear warheads (disarmament)? What advantage does Russia have in setting the limit of nuclear warheads higher than the number it currently has?

4. What is the logic behind "equal ceilings" limit on how many nuclear warheads a country can own?

5. What kind of example does President Obama hope to set by reducing the number of nuclear warheads to equal the amount owned by Russia? Why might other countries (especially smaller countries) be disinclined to follow our example?

6. Do you think that other countries decide how many nuclear warheads to build based upon the number of nuclear weapons in the United States? Is a "world without nuclear weapons," as Obama envisions, possible?

7. How would the New START Treaty affect the United States militarily in respect to other nations?

8. What were the international effects of the United States' and Russia's post-Cold War nuclear reductions? Did they accomplish their objective through this reduction?

9. How does the New START treaty apply to those nations whose possession of nuclear arms could threaten other nations? (For example, rogue nations or terrorists.)

10. According to Article 2, Section II of the Constitution, what checks and balances are placed upon the creation of treaties?

Bonus questions:

Is there ever a time when legal control of nuclear arms or weapons is the best strategy? Are they effective?

Research articles on Russia's nuclear arms positions during the Cold War and today, comparing them to the United States' during that same time period. Look for direct quotes, government statements and policies, etc. Compare objectives.

Challenge:

Find an online news article discussing the STARTS treaty. Post your comments on the topic to the online news site.

Join the Teen Eagles Fan Page. Post a comment explaining how you would vote on the START Treaty if you were a U.S. Senator.

Phyllis' Weekly Challenge: How Republicans Can Blow the Coming Election

By Glyn Wright on May 20, 2010 3:10 PM | No TrackBacks

Use Phyllis' column, How Republicans Can Blow the Coming Election to answer the following questions.

1. What are some of the arguments for and against allowing Mexican truck drivers on U.S. highways?

2. How could allowing Mexican truck drivers on U.S. highways affect our concept of borders?

3. How might American drivers be affected by the presence of Mexican trucks? (See also http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70054&news_category_id=3 )

4. The NAFTA superhighway is part of a project started by a Spanish company, Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, S.A., which has bought the right to operate a tollroad through Texas and collect tolls for the next 50 years (the Trans-Texas Corridor). Is there a connection between allowing Mexican Truck drivers into the U.S. and building a highway that connects Mexico, the U.S., and Canada?

(http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2006/aug06/06-08-23.html)

5. What would be the positive and/or negative economic effects of building a superhighway?

6. What would be the positive and negative affects of a superhighway on American national sovereignty? Knowing these affects, is a superhighway something we should continue to consider?

7. Building new highways requires the taking land from private property owners. Does the U.S. Consitution give government the authority to take private property? Under what conditions? (See Amendment V). What is the term used to describe this government action?

8. Who should decide what is a "just" amount of compensation?

9. What ethical issues might eminent domain bring when considering the taking of private property to build a superhighway for the purpose of moving goods from southern Mexico up through Canada?

10. Why do you think that Phyllis Schlafly suggests that Republicans take a hard stance against allowing Mexican trucks and building a superhighway? How does eminent domain relate to allowing or banning Mexican truck drivers on U.S. highways?

Challenge:

1. Find one related article concerning this discussion and post to your social profile(s).

2. Look up the 2005 Kelo Case concerning eminent domain. Discuss it with your family. How did the Kelo ruling change the way local governments can use eminent domain? What do you think were the original intentions Amendment V?

Bonus:

When is eminent domain reasonable?

Phyllis' Weekly Challenge: Obama Steers the Court Far Left

By Glyn Wright on May 12, 2010 8:37 PM | No TrackBacks

Read Phyllis Schlafly's colum, Obama Steers the Court Far Left and discuss the following questions.

1. What qualifications does the U.S. Constitution give for appointing judges to the Supreme Court? See Article III.

2. Phyllis Schlafly defines a "supremacist" as "one who believes in or advocates the supremacy of a particular group--judges--over the lawful wishes of the people." (The Supremacists, x). Are there signs that Ms. Kagan would advocate a particular interest? Which ones?

Link to book: http://www.eagleforum.org/groups/index.html#supremacists

3. Does it matter if someone has no experience as a judge to sit on the highest court that reviews the decisions of other judges? What might be the results of confirming an inexperienced judge?

4. Should Ms. Kagan's age be a factor in the nomination process?

5. Some see Ms. Kagan's nomination as not worth fighting against because she would replace Justice Stevens, who has a record of giving liberal rulings. In other words, the "balance" of the court would not change because Ms. Kagan is likely to vote like Justice Stevens has in the past. Could Ms. Kagan's confirmation fundamentally change the direction of our nation? Why or why not?

6. What are the repercussions for confirming a person with a known anti-military bias?

7. Do you think it is important to have at least one judge on the court with military experience? Why?

8. Beyond political beliefs, does one's personal life choices and decisions affect how he or she views, interprets, and judges the world around them? How?

9. What are the implications of confirming a person who chooses to participate in sexually immoral acts like a homosexual relationship?

10. Justice Kennedy pointed to foreign laws for reasons to overturn Texas sodomy laws in Lawrence v. Texas (2003). [link:http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/02-102.ZO.html] Are there any implications that Ms. Kagan would look for foreign laws to justify possible biases she has?

11. Do you support the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court of the United States? Why or why not?

Challenge:

1. Sign the Students for Life petition opposing Elena Kagan: www.iopposekagan.

2. Post the link to the petition along with Phyllis' column to your social networking profile

Kentucky Supreme Court Justice, in the 1993 state case of Kentucky v. Wasson: "It is foolish and fruitless to ignore morality in our society and in our governmental function. Every political decision of consequence reflects a moral judgment."

Phyllis' Weekly Challenge: Why Tea Partiers say Throw the Bums Out

By Glyn Wright on May 7, 2010 2:42 PM | No TrackBacks

Use Phyllis' Column: Why Tea Partiers Say Throw the Bums Out to discuss the following questions.

1. What is your initial reaction to Puerto Rico becoming a state?

2. Have you discussed this issue in your school classroom? What is the response from your peers?

3. What are some reasons why Puerto Rico consistently votes against statehood?

4. What reasons are giving for grantingranting Puerto Rico statehood? What are reasons against granting Puerto Rico statehood?

5. Should Americans speak and understand a common language? Why or why not?

6. Why would Puerto Rican officials support Puerto Rico jjoining the Union?

7. Discuss the economic results of admitting Puerto Rico to the Union.

8. What reasons might Puerto Rican members of Congress not support H.R. 2499?

9. Why might democrats overwhelmingly approve of making Puerto Rico a state?

10. Discuss American sovereignty. What does this phrase mean to you?

Action:

H.R. 2499 passed the U.S. House. It will now go to the Senate for a vote. Contact your Senators to share your view on this bill.

Post a legislative alert on one of the social networks you below to about HR 2499.