Rhode Island Capitol Forum

Class Statements 2009

 

School: East Greenwhich High School

Class: World Civilization H

Teacher: Mr. Perrin

What specific international issues did your class discuss? Our class discussed issues pertaining to topics of concern; terrorism, nuclear proliferation, the global economy, environmental awareness, and immigration to the United States.

Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they? Overall, we agreed that the most important issue is the global economy. This is because most other issues stem from this central foundation. In addition, the American economy heavily affects and supports the global economy, demonstrating the strong ties the United States has with the rest of the world.

Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones? We agree that some issues are more important than others and are more eminent threats. For example, nuclear proliferation carries the threat of ending many innocent lives, while immigration does not carry the risk of death.

Class Statement: In today's modern society there are diverse beliefs which lead to challenges in creating peace among nations. Therefore, mutual cooperation is needed to accomplish worldwide goals. In today's global economy, every nation is interconnected and reliant upon one another. To advance as a nation, we need to strengthen relationships that will benefit our economic standards. In addition, we should work with other nations to make sure terrorism is prevented, alternate resources are utilized, the production of nuclear weapons is discontinued, the global economy is strengthened through worldwide efforts, and that our national border security is heightened.

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School: Shea Senior High School (Pawtucket)

Class: Public Administration

Teacher: Mr. Kostka/Mr. Hopkins

What specific international issues did your class discuss?

• Immigration
• Terrorism
• Nuclear weapons
• Trade
• World economy

Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they? Nuclear proliferation; perviusly worked in conjunctino with "Hiroshima Peace Project"

Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones? Appears that immigration, due to economic downturn, is becoming less of an issue for Americans. Witness decrease in border crossing captures.

Class Statement: Our Public Administration class has determined that international issues - besides terrorism - need to receive increased attention by the United States. The current economic crisis reflects the international nature of America's concerns. We as a nation need to focus more people and resources on international issues.

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School: La Salle Academy (Providence)

Class: United States History - Grade 11

Teacher: Mrs. Cameron

What specific international issues did your class discuss? We discussed all the topics that will be presented at the forum: nuclear weapons, the environment, immigration, terrorism, and trade.

Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they? The class voted and agreed that the most important was trade, and the second most important was terrorism. The students believe that trade affects them the most. It affects what they buy today, their parents' jobs and their own future job prospects

Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones? Unanimously, our class thinks that immigration is the least important of these issues. They think the issue has been overblown in the media, and they think with all the economic, environmental, and world issues going on, that this is far less important.

Class Statement: Our class had a good discussion on all of this year's topics. Though we are studying the past, we often bring current events into our class and especially try to make the connections from the past to today. Just today we were discussing George Washington's Farewell Address and his warning about future world entanglements and alliances. Our class believes that the same problems recur throughout history, and George Washington was a smart man to see this way back then. Our class is definitely interested in global problems and solutions, which is why we think terrorism and trade are important and immigration not as much. These global problems affect as right here at home, trade affecting our economy and terrorism our security and freedom that we are used to. Discussing these problems, looking at all sides, and coming up with reasonable solutions is not only sensible, it is also what Barack Obama is trying so hard to do. As we have watched the election and inauguration right in this class, taking his spirit of cooperation seems like a great thing to do.

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School: Providence International Studies Academy

Class: How the World Works - Sections 1-4

Teacher: Marty Sprague

Section Statements

• A major issue for the United States is that terrorism is making the U.S. worried. Because of the act of 9-11, the U.S. is more afraid of WMD than ever before. We have to find a way to protect ourselves instead of worrying about other countries.
• Deterrence is a process where we attack before an attack is made on us, but deterrence is imperfect because it is guided by imperfect humans who make mistakes. Deterrence must be abrogated (abolished) and a new way to tackle nuclear threats must be found.
• In regards to immigration, the U.S. government should support the citizens first. When the citizens' needs are taken care of, then help, under certain conditions, should be given to immigrants, legal and illegal.
• The U.S. trade policy can be both rewarding and also could lead the United States to chaos. Because of the current economic crisis, if we incorporate other international issues with our trade policy, we will not be focused on what is important for trade policy.
• The world environmental crisis threatens the very existence of humanity. For the health of our planet, the U.S. needs to use nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, and solar power, which are cleaner sources of energy.

The above are statements from each class section participating in the Capitol Forum. The representatives coming to the forum have brought them together in the following statement.

School Statement: The United States shares a similar opinion on two major policies with the international community. These are the use of alternative energy sources and the use of deterrence to counter the threat of nuclear war. The United States should concentrate more of its attention on our nations' problems with terrorism, economic recovery, and immigration, thus stabilizing our society and economy. The U.S. will then be in a better position to help the global community.

--Respectfully submitted by the Capitol Forum Representatives for Providence Academy of International Studies

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School: Scituate High School

Class: U.S. History II

Teacher: Mr. Ballou

What specific international issues did your class discuss? We discussed which values are most important to us personally and to Americans in general. We looked at the United States’ policies in the areas of global warming, immigration, nuclear weapons development, and terrorism. Another issue that has been discussed many times throughout the school year is the war in Iraq and what should be done about the situation in the Middle East.

Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they? As a class we agreed that the issue of cooperation is key. We also felt that there needs to be a balance between the need for security and the very important concepts of human rights and justice. We look forward to further exploring this “balance.”

Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones? We agreed that when ranking international issues of importance the issue of immigration does not emerge at the top of the list.

Class Statement: The times we live in necessitate immediate global action. The United Nations, while well meaning and somewhat effective, cannot be the only body which governs globally. New steps must be taken to create global policy on the environment, trade, and nuclear proliferation to avoid further international conflicts. The current economic crisis only strengthens this argument.

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School: South Kingstown High School

Class: A Period AP US History

Teacher: Mr. Taber

What specific international issues did your class discuss? Climate change, illegal immigration, nuclear proliferation/ non-proliferation treaty, free trade vs. fair trade, the War on Terror.

Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they? Climate change concerned us the most.

Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones? Some students rated nuclear proliferation least concerning because of "mutually assured destruction."

Class Statement: We decided that the United States must take responsibility as a world power and reach out globally. While we must focus on internal stabilization, we must also lead by example. Stimulating the global economy, while decreasing our carbon footprint, should be our first step towards creating global security. This would allow us to reach out into the surrounding societies and gain partnership with other essential world powers.

Considering the issue of nuclear proliferation we believe that the United States should attempt to limit the spread of nuclear power with the cooperation of other world powers. This decision would basically follow the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty that was put in place by the United Nations. Additionally, we believe that the United States government should also ally with other world powers in order to fight the War on Terror. By creating an international effort for the War on Terror the United States may be less susceptible to attack. Surrounding the issue of environmental protection, we believe that it is extremely important to set an example for the rest of the world. As a leading world power we will work to meet new "green" standards set by the United Nations (Kyoto). Initially, reducing our carbon emissions may be a costly endeavor. However, in the long run it will decrease our dependence on other oil rich countries and stimulate economic growth. We have decided to support the concept of free trade while decreasing outsourcing. However, we would consider introducing policies to protect workers rights internationally. The building of a wall between the United States and Mexico does not support the idea of reaching out productively into the rest of the world. We plan to ally with other countries in order to solve their current situations and decrease emigration. Furthermore, in lieu of building a physical wall, we will place regulations on immigration in order to ensure that each new arrival contributes positively to the United States.

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School: South Kingstown High School

Class: B Period AP US History

Teacher: Mr. Taber

What specific international issues did your class discuss? Climate change, illegal immigration, nuclear proliferation/ non-proliferation treaty, free trade vs. fair trade, the War on Terror

Are there issues that you agreed are important? If so, what are they? Climate change concerned us the most.

Did you agree that some issues are less important? If so, which ones? Discussion of illegal immigration, while deemed important, generated less concern.

Class Statement We, the students of Mr. Taber's B period AP US History class, believe that the best path for U.S. foreign policy is to help build a more cooperative world. The United States should share leadership with other nations in order to create new eco-friendly technologies. The United States should also continue its free trade policies while enforcing restrictions, such as those that protect the environment and the people at risk of being abused by corporations. We support the opening of the U.S. borders with a policy of filtration that will ensure economic opportunity for Americans as well as make it easier for immigrants to legally enter the United States. The U.S. should also stop impressing democracy on other countries but remain supportive of the citizens of a country in which the leader does not act in the interests of the people. Along with other nations we should reduce our nuclear arsenal while encouraging other nations to do the same.

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School: Toll Gate High School (Warwick)

Class: Global Studies Honors

Teacher: Mr. Alan Webber

Class Statement: Those who do not understand their opponents’ arguments do not truly understand their own.

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