Baltimore-based ethicist and philosophy professor Nina Guise-Gerrity ponders local goings-on and poses the questions that hit to the core and clarify--or muddy--the way of the world as seen from your backyard.
As just reported, last month saw 73,000 homes reclaimed by banks due to lapsed mortgages. If this were a singular event, then it would be a phenomenon. It is not. So, who will come to the rescue? According to the federal government, tax payers will. By securing loans through guaranteed tax revenues, the government is willing to back mortgage companies and banks that lend money to homeowners who cannot pay because of the recessive economy. If the extended loan cannot be repaid, the government would ensure mortgage companies and banks repayment with monies received from additionally taxing the public. On our behalf, the government has determined that the greater good of society is served when we help one another during a crisis. One must ask if the government has the right to force the general populous to bail out citizens who are unable to repay loans that either tough economic conditions or poor personal monetary judgment have left in a bind.
Maryland public schools are facing a shortage. Some schools are suffering from overcrowding, and so the solution is to temporarily build trailers, then new buildings following bond issues and voters’ acquiescence. Some... Read More Topics:
Taxes ,
Public Education ,
Solutions
The next elected president of the United States will be named either McCain or Obama. By the end of November, we will have voted one of these two gentlemen into office because of his foreign and national policies. We will... Read More Topics:
politics ,
First Lady ,
Out of Bounds ,
Scrutiny
Interestingly enough, presumed Republican presidential candidate John McCain continues to take a stance on the Iraqi War that is blatantly unpopular with most American voters. A growing majority of citizens believe that the war... Read More Topics:
McCain ,
Iraqi War ,
Popular Opinion
The price of oil imports continues to rise, and the costs are passed along to the consumer in the forms of rising food, clothing, and fuel expenses. The burden of the increase seems to be the sole responsibility of the American... Read More Topics:
Gas Prices ,
Moral Compass ,
Oil Imports ,
Profits
Tuesday’s primary in West Virginia scored a victory for Clinton and for racism.Eight out of ten voters voiced their opinions in exit polls and unashamedly admitted that they would never vote for a black man, whether he is qualified to be the Commander-in-... Read More Topics:
racism ,
democratic primary ,
Clinton ,
Obama ,
votes
Last Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate John McCain told an audience of several hundred listeners that the war in Iraq would end when the American people wanted it to. Could this be a true statement, or do... Read More Topics:
VIrtue ,
John McCain ,
politics ,
view ,
rhetoric ,
war ,
Iraq
The push for environmental awareness has been forefront in the media as of late. The need to lower our “carbon footprint” is headlining newspapers and magazines with the intent of influencing consumer choices. Whether these articles are... Read More Topics:
Vice President Dick Cheney ,
Ethics ,
VIrtue
Should households receive tax credits for taking conservation measure that lower electric bills, water usage, and meet state compliance measures to make their houses ‘greener’?... Read More