More Troops to Afghanistan?

As the war in Afghanistan continues to drag on many Americans and Europeans are becoming frustrated by the death tolls of coalition and NATO forces. Moreover, many of the funds that the United States and European Union have sent to the Afghan government are not achieving the desired goal : A strong and internally stable and self-sufficient government.

Initially, the United States began sending troops and funds to Afghanistan to a) eliminate the power of the Taliban and Al Queda, b) help rebuild the infrastructure of Afghanistan, and c) help train Afghan forces to combat the threat of the Taliban and Al Queda. After 830 US deaths and over 150 coalition deaths many are starting to worry that Afghanistan may turn into another unending quagmire that requires the presence of US and Coalition forces for an indefinite amount of time. Please read the TIME Magazine article (link below) and answer the following question in two paragraphs.

Should the United States continue to send billions of US dollars and over 100,000 US troops to Afghanistan?

Points to consider:

- What would the ramifications be of an immediate withdrawal of US forces?

-What would the consequences of a strong Taliban be?

- Is this OUR problem or the Afghan people's problem?

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1924405-1,00.html

The Right to Die?

Does the Constitution provide US citizens the right to die? A recent Montana Supreme Court case has brought the controversial issue of physician assisted suicide into the national spotlight again. Currently, Oregon and Washington State allow physician assisted suicide (via statewide referendum) and Montana would be the third state in the the Union to allow terminally ill patients to die with the help of a doctor.

Opponents of euthanasia argue that physicians would be placed in an extremely compromising legal position. Doctors who help terminally ill patients commit suicide could not only violate their Hippocratic oath but also place themselves in a position of possible legal ramifications. Moreover, opponents also argue, from a moral and religious perspective, that the decision to die is not ours. According to this stance, only God has the power to decide when, where, and how we die.

Supports of the Right to Die issue argue that our bodies are our own personal property. Since the Fourth Amendment provides all citizens with a reasonable expectation of privacy, does this right to privacy extend to the decision to take our own lives if we're terminally ill?

What do you think? Should terminally ill citizens be able to take their own lives with the assistance of a physician? OR Is this going too far? Is it not our decision when we die? Please respond to this very difficult issue.