Menu Item 7 Reflective Essay

Bryan Murr

Debate.org is a website in which a person can post a

controversial question or topic and then others can openly state
whether or not they disagree. For example, do you think the United
States should start a war with Iraq? would be the question posted,
and then individuals could vote yes or no and state why they
believe this. I used this website for one of my menu items in order to
get a general consensus on what everyday people think about whether
or not the government should help homeless people. Seventy-eight
percent of the people who were a part of this debate said, yes, the
government should help the homeless, while only twenty-two percent
said the government should not help.
A majority of the people who said that the government should
help used reasons such as .. is the governments on shame because it
reflects the societies flaws.. , If the government can help other
countries then it should be able to help our own citizens and it is
important to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Those who said
the government should not help the homeless responded with answers
such as, .. it is not the governments responsibility, those people
should be able to take care of themselves. , the government should
promote charity, but they should not take our tax money and give it
away., and There are so many so-called 'homeless' people to whom if
support systems were taken; would suddenly become 'capable'..

In conclusion, there are many good reasons as to why the

government should help homeless, but there are also many reasons
why they shouldnt. I will use this debate to help me decide which side
of the argument I am on. This is also very helpful for me to come up
with reasons as to why I believe what I believe.