Argumentation is a craft that requires detailed research, persuasive language, and clarity. These 8th grade opinion editorials demonstrate these components in action.
"Secularism in the United States"
by Sophia Staphos
Secular politics is the separation of religious worship and law. Through this definition, it poses the question: Is the United States secular?
Our founding fathers made a point to include the First Amendment, and Congress made no laws regarding an established religion or prohibiting its free exercise. As seen in recent years and elections, this idea of secularism has been violated. In America, the use or reference of any religious text or quotes should not be deemed permissible in the law or in politics.
As found in the 2020 census, there are 19 different varieties of religious beliefs. More than 331 million people partake in this census. Of this amount, 23% claimed they were unaffiliated, 7% were Protestant, 14% were Mainline Protestant, 14% were Evangelical Protestant, and 12% were Catholic. These percentages make up 72% of the population. The other 28% of the population are of other religions such as Muslim, Jewish, Orthodox Christian, Buddhist, and several others. The majority of laws with religious origin are based on the Evangelical Protestant religion. This religion was once prominent, but over the years there have been fewer followers. Therefore, the use and/or reference to a religious text or belief from this religion cannot be justified due to the majority of the population not following this religion.
Using data from the census, the conclusion of a secular government is proven to be more efficient and fair. In a book review about the United States government and the influence of religion, Johann N. Neem analyzes the book titled This Earthly Frame by Nathan Sehat. After reading, Neem wrote, “ This is what it looks like to live in a multicultural society, something that the left had long long sought and now the right demands. We are becoming a confederation of racial/ethnic/religious tribes living together under a common legal framework, united by a state (and really a Court) but not nationality.” Living in a society with several different cultures and religions, the law should not be based on one, as it does not represent the population as a whole.
A prime example of religion being influential in law is Roe v. Wade. This court case is about the right to terminate a pregnancy. A decision for this case was found in 1973 stating that women have the right to privacy and to terminate a pregnancy, but it was overturned in June of 2022. A reason for this overturned ruling is due to the Christian beliefs against abortion. According to the National Library of Medicine in an article titled, Roe v. Wade. Religious Liberty, “Thus, the US Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision presents the essence and the ultimate test of religious freedom. The very U.S. religions that have benefited most from religious tolerance fail to understand that disputes about life before birth are identical to disputes about life after death.” This overturning shows the massive effects and power that the shrinking Christian community has on politics.
The opposing side might claim that in the past religion has aided in the molding of society, and has given people the morals and principles they have today. For example in the article titled, “The Struggle to Make the United States Secular,” it references a quote from Ronald Reagan addressing the separation of church and state: “Ronald Reagan embraced this framework in 1980 when he argued that the First Amendment was not designed to protect people from religion but to protect religion from state tyranny.” Reagan references the framework of the removal of religion from law. He clearly conveys his interpretation of the First Amendment. The First Amendment was not made to deter people from religion, but to preserve and defend religions from harm.
Another claim made by the opposing side is that several other countries are not secular and include direct references to religious text in their law. This is true of countries such as Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Although this is a fact, in these countries the large majority of their citizens believe in the same religion. For example, in Saudi Arabia, 85-90% are Suni Muslim. This is far different from America, which has several different prominent religions.
To resolve this issue people should refrain from voting for candidates that do not believe in the separation of church and state. If citizens would refrain from doing so, there would be a decrease in the amount of laws passed that involve the influence of religion.
In conclusion, the separation of church and state is the only plausible response to the question, should the United States be secular? Since we are living in a society with different religions and with different cultures, laws should not be based on one singular religion. Going forward, as American citizens, we should only elect political leaders that believe in secularism in government.
"Should Homework Be Banned?"
by Mia Carleo
Have you ever had piles upon piles of homework waiting for you to finish by the end of the night? What about after-school sports, activities, and relationships that also need your commitment and time? Well, most students in high school and middle school are in the same boat as you.
Homework is indeed more harmful than helpful to students. Kids these days have many things to worry about and homework just adds to those worries. These stressors can cause physical and mental health problems in a young adult's life while also causing rifts in their relationships.
Hours of homework on top of after-school activities and sports leave no time for regular kid things. According to the article “The Pros and Cons of Homework” published by the University of the People in 2023, “School is already a full-time job for students, as they generally spend over 6 hours each day in class. Students also often have extracurricular activities such as sports, music, or art that are just as important as their traditional courses. Adding on extra hours to all of these demands is a lot for children to manage, and prevents students from having extra time to themselves for a variety of creative endeavors.” If homework is not banned, kids will continue to not have their own free time and hours for themselves to do what they want without being weighed down by the threat of due homework. They need time to be normal kids and live out their childhood before it's gone.
Homework is a primary cause of stress for most students. Stanford University conducted a study about stress due to homework. According to the article, “Stanford Research Shows Pitfalls of Homework” written by Cliffton B. Parker, when they surveyed a group of students, homework was a major headache for 56% of them. 43% stated that tests were the primary stressor and then 33% of the students said the pressure of getting good grades was their first worry. To further prove the position that homework should be banned, less than 1% of the students said that homework isn't a stress-causing thing. This could cause mental and physical health problems which would be because of the excess stress they are dealing with. School, friends, family, relationships, sports, and extracurricular activities are a lot of things to deal with and that can be exhausting for a young adult.
Parents are also noticing the pressure their kids are under and the “bonding” when they do homework together can cause a gap between the parent and child because of fighting. As stated in the article “Are You Down With or Done With Homework?” composed by Lory Hough, “Parents, in particular, have been saying that the amount of time children spend in school, especially with afterschool programs, combined with the amount of homework given — as early as kindergarten — is leaving students with little time to run around, eat dinner with their families, or even get enough sleep. Certainly, for some parents, homework is a way to stay connected to their children's learning. But for others, “Homework creates a tug-of-war between parents and children,” says Liz Goodenough, creator of a documentary called Where Do the Children Play? This quotation proves that kids are dealing with a ton of things. As early as five, kids have been handling school life, home life, and social life all at once. Even when you ask a parent for help with homework, this can cause fights and rifts in the relationship, which is just adding to the burden of everyday life.
Some may say that homework shouldn’t be banned because it can create bonds between the student and the parent. According to the University of the People, “Homework can be something that gets parents involved in their children’s lives if the environment is a healthy one. A parent helping their child with homework makes them take part in their academic success and allows the parent to keep up with what the child is doing in school. It can also be a chance to connect.” However, instead of creating connections, homework can cause rifts between the parent and child because of all kinds of things like stress, fighting, and an unhealthy home environment. As stated in the article The Pros and Cons of Homework, published by the University of the People, “While many people think homes are a beneficial environment for children to learn, not all homes provide a healthy environment, and there may be very little investment from parents. Some parents do not provide any kind of support or homework help, and even if they would like to, due to personal barriers, they sometimes cannot. Homework can create friction between children and their parents, which is one of the reasons why homework is bad.” This demonstrates that if homework continues to be assigned, kids can lose relationships with their parents, and it can cause an even bigger gap between them.
Instead of homework, teachers should utilize other techniques to help the students increase their understanding without assigning an excessive amount of homework. For example, educators can assign more classwork and group projects to help the comprehension of the curriculum, while the students are collaborating with their peers.
All in all, homework should be banned. This is important because it is detrimental to a student's well-being, it consumes a student's free time, and it can ruin relationships. Kids should advocate for themselves and start some kind of petition to stop homework and bring attention to the misery that comes with it.