INew Jersey Capitol Forum
Class Statements 2007
Bergenfield High School - Bergenfield
Class: US II Honors / A.P.
Teacher: Mr. Kozay / Mr. Alvarez
1) What specific issues did you class discuss?
Terrorism Disease Human Rights
Environment Trade Spreading Democracy
Nuclear Weapons Immigration
2) Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they?
Terrorism
Environment
3) Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, Which ones?
Spreading Democracy
Human Rights
4) Class Statement
As a class, we discussed the problems of terrorism, global environment, nuclear weapons, international trade, and immigration. We feel that international cooperation is the basis for solving these problems and guaranteeing a better future. The world needs to work together to solve these issues. One country cannot successfully take this burden on themselves.
We concluded that some of these issues are more pertinent than others. We feel that terrorism and the global environment are the most important issues the world faces today. Unfortunately, terrorism is a major problem that affects not only the United States, but the rest of the world. The United States cannot take on terrorism alone as is evident with the war in Iraq. The financial and military burden is too great for one country to handle alone. Therefore, we believe the United States has to work with other countries through the United Nations to make the world a safer place. All members of the United Nations should contribute money and resources to this effort. We must all work to protect human rights in other countries and assist those that are falling behind globalization.
Furthermore, we feel that the world needs to work together to save our environment. Global warming has had a major impact on the environment. The polar ice caps are melting and causing disturbances in the climate. The world is also consuming too much bad energy. By working with the United Nations, we can find alternate energy sources and reduce depletion of the ozone layer. Through this policy of international cooperation, the world can work together to build stronger relationships and solve the problems we face today.
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Bishop Ahr H.S.
Class: U.S. History 2
Teacher: Joseph Wagner
What specific international issues did your class discuss?
Terrorism: What are the real and perceived threats? How do we best allocate and execute our counter-terrorism strategies? Who should be our partners?
Global Environment: What is the impact of the actions we take, within our borders, on the global environment? Are all international agreements and protocols created equal?
Nuclear Weapons: Is the Cold War doctrine of “Mutually Assured Destruction” still valid? Do we have the moral or legal right to tell other sovereign nations what weapons they may or may not possess?
International Trade: Are trade deficits necessarily bad for our country? What should be our role in enforcing appropriate workplace rules with our trade partners?
Immigration: What are the social, economic and security consequences of our current immigration policy? In what ways, if any, should they be changed?
Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they?
Yes. Nuclear Weapons, Terrorism and Global Environment.
Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones?
Yes. International Trade and Immigration.
Class Statement
While we agree that a return to isolationist policies is neither practical nor possible,
there is some potential benefit to the United States, and the global community, in
our occasionally assuming a supporting role. There are certainly some issues and
circumstances in which other countries may be more effective in taking the lead role.
We believe this would help to rehabilitate our somewhat tarnished international image,
as well as demonstrating our commitment to, and understanding of, the global nature of our existence.
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Butler High School - Butler
Class : Advanced Placement United States History I
Teacher: Mrs. D. Hoeflinger
What specific international issues did your class discuss?
The class discussed environmental issues in particular global warning. They also talked about immigration policy and its’ impact on both the United States and the world. The primary discussion centered around U.S. involvement around the world.
Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they?
The class agreed that the U.S. needs to lead in the areas of environment and immigration. They really felt strongly that the war in Iraq must be addressed in the coming months.
Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones?
The class felt that most of the issues were very important but they really felt that until the war in Iraq is settled, the other issues will continue to take a back seat.
Class statement
During our study of the 20th century, we saw that foreign policy of the United States was affected for many years by decisions we made. These decisions had repercussions in all facets of American society. In light of this fact, we felt that serious consideration and study should occur before the United States commits itself to action in world affairs. We should avoid snap decisions if at all possible.
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Elizabeth High School - Upper Academy
Class: Elective in Criminal Justice
Teacher: Mrs. C. Eisenberg
What specific international issues did your class discuss?
Terrorism
Global Environment
Nuclear Weapons
International Trade
Immigration
Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they?
Global Environment
International Trade
Terrorism
Nuclear Weapons
Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones?
Immigration
Class Statement
All of the Global Issues we discussed were important in their own right and all of the issues showed that international cooperation is needed for progress to be made and that it is impossible for one nation to solve the world’s problems. Another interesting facet of our examining these topics was that many of these topics were inter-twined.
The importance of the environment was made even more pressing to us by recent newspaper articles discussing the catastrophic losses of honeybees in New Jersey and 26 other states. This is bound to negatively impact agriculture in our country. Prices will rise in this country and this seemingly local problem could have global implications if pollution creates similar problems throughout the world.
Other pressing issues to be solved are international trade, terrorism, and nuclear weapons, which in some ways are interrelated. Class members had conflicting viewpoints regarding the issues and some lively and informative discussions ensued. Immigration an important issue in its own right seemed of lesser importance when compared with the other issues.
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Governor Livingston High School – Berkeley Heights
Team 1
Teacher – Ron Nash
In our view of the current situation, the economy is the most important issue that the government has to face. The other issues are all important; however, the economy should come first.
Capitalism has effected our economy by allowing American business to become “cut-throat”, and to try to make the maximum profit. Even though capitalism is a huge part of the American economy, the government should try to protect the average American worker. Therefore, there should be regulations to stop the rapid outsourcing to other countries, such as India, and help protect our values instead of big businesses. Hopefully, the government will use heavy taxes to discourage American companies from outsourcing. This will strengthen the American economy, and decrease the gap between the rich and the poor.
Immigration provides the less fortunate with the chance to live in a land of opportunity, gives refugees an asylum, and overall has helped boost the economy; however, some restrictions must be made within the policies of immigration. The government should reduce the number of immigrants by setting a specific number limit on those admitted into the country, including refugees. In extreme cases, refugees who are experiencing extreme oppression could immigrate, but would not apply to the number restriction. If an immigrant would like to enter the country, but the maximum number of immigrants for that year has been reached, he or she could be admitted based on a policy of “admitting talent”, where immigrants who promise to fulfill their desired task in America, whether it be receive an education or to work to make money, but then promise to return to their country to help make their country better. The immigrants who enter this country must promise after they complete their tasks to return to their countries with the skills America has given them the ability to learn, and to use these skills to help make their countries better nations. Also, the government should commit the resources necessary to take control of our borders and increase security. America should welcome immigrants but under these restrictions listed above in order to preserve America’s reputation of openness, but still protect the American people with stricter border security. By improving the regulations of the immigration system, hopefully, America will be able to decrease the risk of terrorism.
Terrorism affects Americans all over so it is important for America to fight it and its perpetrators. We need to learn to fight the leaders of this modern day fear rather than terrorism itself. Events like 9/11 have shaped our views on terrorism and led us to the controversial present day war. An important aspect of terrorism is the threat of nuclear weapons.
Since 1945, nuclear weapons have been stockpiling and threatening the safety of the world. America has to rise up and confront all the leaders of the nations on this topic. America has to set the example by limiting its stockpile of nuclear weapons to a reasonable amount like five hundred weapons for example. All of the other nations should follow in the process. By limiting all of the nations’ nuclear weapons to one small amount, all of the nations would be put on an equal level and yet some nations can still feel safe with their nuclear power. Eventually, all nuclear weapons should be eliminated but this will take complete trust between all of the nations. However, America should lead the other nations in the process of creating a safer world by limiting the number of weapons that are stockpiled.
The environment is being destroyed by deforestation. The deforestation of forests is causing problems such as global warming. Trees convert carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into oxygen and carbonic acid. Also, deforestation is contributing to the extinction of animals by killing their homes. Global warming is becoming an issue because the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is not being converted into oxygen, therefore depleting the ozone layer. Therefore, the government should start to regulate the amount of deforestation. Also, the use of alternative resources would make a huge difference in the state of our environment. The technology is there for replacing gasoline in cars; however, it is not profitable to certain businesses. It would not only help our environment but make our economy more self-sufficient.
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Governor Livingston High School – Berkeley Heights
Team 2
Teacher – Ron Nash
CLASS STATEMENT
The purpose of the American government, as with any government, is the protection of its specific constituency. A government is founded, endorsed, and perpetuated by the efforts and wills of those under its direct and consenting citizenry. As such, the primary and overriding long-term goal of any government, particularly democracies such as our own, should be the protection of the well-being of that population, all other global goals being secondary. Such is the nature of the social contract that is government. Therefore, our duty, and our goal as a nation and a group of people is to support our fellow Americans and their immediate interests. Ideology is a luxury of the secure, just as political evangelism only coincides with domestic stability and growth. All possible alternate courses of action proceed only when the status of the domestic center is satisfactorily acceptable. To treat the situation alternatively is a disservice to the American people, putting the lie to that much lauded, worshipped phrase, “American democracy”.
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Passaic Valley Regional High School - Little Falls
Class: American Governmen
Teacher: Kathleen Menake
What specific international issues did your class discuss?
We discussed the global issues of terrorism, global environment, nuclear weapons, international trade, and immigration. We also spent time debating the four “futures” for America’s role in today’s changing world. Specifically, we have discussed all current events in the last seven months, including the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Kyoto Treaty and new approaches to using fuel in America. We also discussed the rights of immigrants in America and elsewhere, the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the possibility of using nuclear energy as a resource. Finally, we spent a good amount of time on the topic of citizenship and what it details, especially for a young person in America today.
Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they?
We agreed that the global issues of terrorism, global environment, nuclear weapons, international trade, and immigration are difficult to scale in importance. Hence, we feel that all five issues have great importance and are interconnected, both at the national level and on the international scene.
Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones?
Please see #2.
Class Statement
We believe that young people need to be rational, humane and educated participating citizens in the world. We must understand relationships and responsibilities to people, to institutions and to the environment. We believe that young people with the skills for productive problem solving and decision making, as well as making thoughtful value judgments, will promote global citizenship. Citizenship participation in government was essential in forming this nation’s democratic character, and it is vital in sustaining it. Discussion of the five topics of terrorism, the environment, nuclear weapons, international trade, and immigration, are vital to the rational process and to the resolution of social issues, as it enables students to locate information, assess material, draw conclusions, and read and think critically. It promotes a rational adherence to a set of values based upon the worth of human beings and emphasizes the examination of value and value conflicts. This dialogue also provides students with a pluralistic and multicultural focus, consistently emphasizing the dignity, value and contribution of different societies. Through a vital global perspective, young people see human relationships as the universal fiber of society and develop the skills and values needed to govern those relationships. The refinement of these skills is aimed at preparing students to become effective and responsible contributors to problem solving and decision making processes at individual, community, state, national, and international levels.
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Ridgewood High School - Ridgewood
Class: US Government and Politics AP
Teacher: Mr. John K. Domville
Our class discussions were based on:
Terrorism
Nuclear Proliferation
Global Warming
International Trade
Immigration
We did not seek to make these concerns discreet, but continuous; we chose to unite them on a single multicolored palette of interests. Terrorism can be easily related to Immigration and Nuclear Proliferation, while Global Warming can be easily influenced by International Trade, et cetera. Each issue is just one facet on the gem of human relations. To claim one facet important and another not so would be denying the validity of all.
At this time, prudence compels us to favor certain issues over others. While Global Warming is a grave predicament-if it truly is occurring-it must however be superseded by concern for immediate human welfare. Nonetheless, Global Warming could trump all three following issues if completely verified.
Therefore, the closely tied issues of Terrorism, Nuclear Proliferation, and International trade must take precedence. The first two issues largely have a negative impact on humanity; the last is ambivalent to the human condition. Immigration, though important, is rendered less so by the urgency of the others.
As a class, we see no contradiction in progressively contributing to and dealing with the state of each of the five issues. Steps can be taken to preserve the gift of life by crushing Terrorism, strengthening Trade situations, and ending Nuclear Proliferation; while steps can also be taken to ensure a greater quality of life for future generations by fairly ending our contribution to the Greenhouse effect and offering an Immigration policy that is tailored to the needs of the times.
We, as individuals from a similar socioeconomic demarcation have a certain degree of bias. We as a class have sought to reduce this bias by approaching the Nation’s pressing needs holistically. Nations, like human life, are not eternal. As our nation enjoys its place as the foremost superpower we wield an incredible responsibility. This benign position may be lost in the future, and one day we will be judged according to our contribution to the human narrative.
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Trenton Central High School - Main Campus (Chambers St.)
Class: World History
Teacher: Mr. Freimark
What specific international issues did your class discuss?
Pollution and global warming - plastics and trash bags
Terrorism - symbols of society, religious and political extremism
Nuclear Proliferation - how these weapons are tied into terrorism.
Immigration - visas and green cards process screened more carefully
Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they?
As a class, we came to the conclusion that many of the issues are interconnected. One theme that kept recurring was the concern about how we in America are dependent on gas, which contributes to pollution and also fuels terrorism worldwide.
Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones?
Many agreed that global issues of trade are not as high on our agenda as the others.
Class Statement
The United Nations can be useful in helping to solve the problems of pollution and immigration as they relate to terrorism in the world.
Although the United Nations has a limited budget, more countries should contribute their fair share.
Through the United Nations and a combine of scientists in the international community, new technology should be developed that will make it attractive for the underdeveloped countries, like China and India, to buy this new technology and decrease their dependency on coal and oil. The new technology would take oil out of the equation and defuse the financing of much of worldwide terrorism.
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Union Catholic High School - Scotch Plains
Teacher: Marla James
What specific international issues did your class discuss?
Weapons proliferation, Immigration, Global Economic Conditions, Global Trade, Civil Rights, Poverty, Terrorism, the Environment
Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they?
Our class has agreed that the issues requiring the most urgent attention are the proliferation of weapons, the strain on US resources while trying to solve other countries problems, and finally, the loss of American lives at the hands of terrorists.
Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones?
We agreed that all of the issues are important; however, some are more immediate and need to take priority over others.
Class statement:
Of all of the issues discussed by our class, the possibility of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons falling into the hands of terrorists poses the greatest concern to America and its allies. When there is a surplus of weapons in the world, some of which have gone under the radar of regulation, people of every nation are in danger. The United States should work with the United Nations and other international organizations to downsize weapons arsenals and to sanction those who participate in proliferation; controlling weapons is a primary way to promote a safer world. As a superpower, The United States also has a responsibility to set an example of how weapons should be used and managed and should position itself as a role model in achieving non-proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.
The continued status of the United States as a leader in global affairs comes at a price. The drain on our resources in trying to solve the problems of other countries is also a major concern. Although our role as a superpower necessitates outreach in terms of dollars and manpower, the United States must not overlook making our problems here at home our first priority. We must meet the needs of our citizens and strengthen our country from within if we are to be able to help other nations in need.
Finally, meeting the needs of Americans and being a global superpower requires a delicate balance of priorities and resources. If we lessen our participation in foreign affairs and decrease the strength of our military and weapons arsenals, we risk becoming more vulnerable to terrorists. We’ve already become a target for hostility and the possibility of future attacks as resentment toward our country continues to increase among our enemies and in areas where poverty and despair create breeding grounds for discontent. In order to prevent another 9/11, we must take the necessary precautions to increase our homeland security. In addition to securing our borders and infrastructure, we need to work in conjunction with other nations, instead of unilaterally, to promote global security. With careful consideration to these and other precautions, we can become a nation that works together against terrorism not only to protect our homeland but also those sharing similar values in the broader international community.