(토요모임) [14th December, Saturday Meeting Topic]

[리사홍]

Hello, everyone. Saturday, let's discuss about 
1) Min Sik's Law - whether if it's a proper law to proceed from the parliament or not

2) Is revenge justified or not (let's discuss about 9/11 terror attack)

I recommend you to read the articles first so that we can have better communication! 

p.s I will join you guys little late due to work, sorry about that but please! enjoy the conversation 

and let's show our respect to each other during the debate and make our meeting enjoyable)

A series of stars from TV personality Haha, singer Sunye (former Wonder Girls member) to singer Kahi (former After School member) are calling for public attention on "Min Sik's Law".

In the entertainment show ''Eye Contact'' (Channel A) broadcast on the evening of November 18, Kim Min Sik's parents appeared and shared his story. The broadcast has received great attention from the audience.

On September 11, Kim Min Sik was killed in a car accident in front of an elementary school in Asan City, Chungcheongnam Province. The car causing the accident was found to have failed to comply with the prescribed speed of 30km/h in front of the school, which is a child protection area. Even at the site of the accident, there were no traffic lights or speed cameras. This shocked the entire nation about traffic safety conditions in the "School Zone" - a child protection area, making Kim Min Sik's death more regretful.

Additional note: (여러분, Must READ )

Actually it turned out to be the driver complied with the prescribed speed limit of 30km/h.

The driver was driving with 23km/h and the boy suddenly burst into the car (driver wasn't able to see the boy coming out due to cars parked in the other side of the road)  

After the accident, the National Assembly proposed the "Min Sik's Law" after his name. It is a draft including the mandatory installation of speed cameras to control speeding, traffic lights in child protection area; imprisonment of over 3 years for causing fatal accidents. In order to do this, Kim Min Sik's parents attended the National Assembly meeting and called out in tears in hope that the accident that once happened to their son would not recur.

However, "Min Sik's Law" is currently pending to be settled by the National Assembly. It was not discussed at the relevant standing committee, and since the regular National Assembly meeting is expected to end on December 10, it cannot be ruled out that the discussion on this issue could be extended indefinitely if the time limit for the National Assembly meeting expires. In this regard, Kim Min Sik's parents are organizing a campaign to support "Min Sik's Law" through signature collection campaigns, including on the Blue House's petition website.

The MCs of ''Eye Contact'' including Lee Sang Min, Kang Ho Dong, and Haha could not hold back their tears to the story of Kim Min Sik's parents. In particular, ahead of the broadcast, Haha asked the audience to join the signing through his personal SNS, "Min Sik's parents will appear on the show. I am also the father of three children so I can feel their heart-wrenching sadness during the recording. Since Min Sik's parents considered tonight's broadcast as their only hope, I wanted to help them somehow." The male artist further shared, "Today is also Min Sik's birthday. We hope everyone will pay attention to 'Min Sik's Law' so that Min Sik's name will not go meaningless.''

On November 19 - just after the broadcast, on the personal SNS, Sunye also shared a post from the Blue House petition website on "Min Sik's Law" and urged fans to join her. In particular, the former idol suggested, "After being a mother, naturally, I began to pay attention to issues related to children. I believe that small help will create a great source of strength when being gathered. I participate in this campaign with the expectation that our country's child protection laws will gradually be improved. Hopefully, you all agree with me."

On the same day, Kahi also expressed her support for "Min Sik's law" through a post on her personal SNS account, "I feel guilty for not posting sooner. I think if I can gather the power of people, I have to try my best to help the campaign. Standing in the position of a parent raising children, my heart also felt uneasy. I will join you." she added, "I think it is the responsibility of adults to ensure the safety of our beloved children. Please join me."

The article on the public petition page shared and called for support by the stars is a post written by Kim Min Sik's biological father. Under the heading "I earnestly call on the government to pass the Act on the Children's Life Safety", the article is gathering the public's signatures in order to pass this law. Published on November 11 and by over 12 pm (KST) November 19, nearly 80,000 people signed. In the midst of the sad story, which has just been broadcast on "Eye Contact", and the stars' support for the bill, the public is devoting their attention to see whether the National Assembly will pass "Min Sik's Law".

1. Have you heard about the news?

2. What do you think about the accident? do you think it is reasonable being imprisoned

   over 3 years whom casued fatal accident in school zone?

3. Do you think it should be 100% driver's fault if accident happens in a school zone?

   why or why not?

4. What do you think about this accident? do you think by proceeding the Min Sik's law,

    potential accidents will be decreased?

5. First time when it was broadcasted, journalist described the driver as careless and reckless driver who did not follow the speed limit, however it turned out that was not the trtuth.

(The driver actually comply with the speed limit -> he was driving with 23km/h)

What is your opinion on news errors & omissions ?

6. Are you a careful driver or careless driver?

7. Have you been in a car accident? tell us what happened?

8. Have you seen drivers stop and wait when school bus is unloading and loading passengers in America? do you think Korea should do the same? why and why not?

School Zone Accidents

by Mike Rainwater

Students are beginning to return to the classroom across Arkansas and Tennesee, and that means more vehicles and pedestrians are on the road. The car accident lawyers at Rainwater, Holt & Sexton know that increased traffic can also increase the risk of collisions between vehicles and children. In fact, according to recent statistics, more than 100 schoolchildren are injured every single year in accidents that occurred inside of school zones. These accidents often involve motorists failing to recognize the child on the road and the majority of these accidents occur as children are getting on or off of school buses or crossing at intersections near the school. When drivers are speeding, driving recklessly, or driving distracted, serious and sometimes fatal school zone accidents can occur.

To combat the dangers of school zones, cities and counties have made school zone laws stricter. Speed limits through these areas during school hours is often restricted significantly to help drivers slow down and watch for children. Flashing lights or crossing guards are also used to get drivers to slow down and pay attention. Drivers who are caught speeding in school zones are also subjected to increased penalties and fines. These rules and regulations are there to protect children from deadly accidents and from sustaining serious injuries.

School Zone Accidents Statistics

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school zone accidents cause serious injury to many children and teenagers across the country. Here are some of the most notable statistics related to school zone accidents:

• Since 2013, the number of teens aged 12-19 killed in pedestrian accidents increased by 13%
• 1 in 4 high school students were observed to be distracted walkers
• 1 in 6 middle school students were observed to be distracted walkers
• 80% of all students were observed crossing the street in an unsafe manner
• 44% of students were wearing headphones while in school zones
• 31% of students were actively texting while in school zones
• Only 4 out of 10 school zones had posted speed limits of 20 mph
• Marked crosswalks were missing in 3 out of 10 school zones
• 1 in 3 drivers were observed to be driving distracted through school zones
• 1 in 4 child pedestrian fatalities occur during the hours right after school ends (3 PM to 7 PM)

Importance of School Zone Laws and Regulations

In Arkansas, a school zone is defined as beginning 300 feet before the school and continuing 300 feet beyond the school. The city should have clearly marked signs to start and finish school zones in the community. While not all school zones are required to have flashing lights, driving laws still apply. Arkansas law states that the speed limit in school zones during school hours and when children are present outside the building should be no more than 25 mph.

Arkansas also enacted a “Fewer Distractions Means Safer Driving Act

When driving near school buses, Arkansas law requires all drivers to stop and wait when a school bus is unloading and loading passengers. All drivers on both sides of the road are required to stop until the school bus is no longer displaying its alternating red warning lights.

There is another additional statute in the state pertaining to school zones known as Isaac’s law. This law states that a person commits negligent homicide if they knowingly and illegally pass a school bus that is actively unloading or loading children and they strike and kill a child in the process. This law was named after Isaac Brien who was killed in 2004 after leaving his school bus. This crime is a Class C felony in Arkansas.

What Can Be Done to Prevent School Zone Accidents?

In and around Fort Smith, Arkansas, the city’s Street and Traffic Control Department has been testing the 55 school zone signals throughout the area. According to KSFM 5 News, the tests insure the flashing lights on school zone traffic signs activate and flash before and after schools are in session.

These traffic signals serve as a warning to drivers to be extra vigilant of others in school zones. Other things you can do to help prevent accidents include:

• Slowing down- Reducing your speed can give you and others more time to react in the event an obstacle or person comes into the road. Always obey speed limit signs during school hours and when children are present. This alone can save a life.
• Eliminating distractions- Being able to focus and keep your eyes on the road can also help reduce the chances of being involved in a crash. Put your phone away and avoid any distractions that may take your eyes off of the task of driving. Instead, use Bluetooth devices or simply wait until you are out of the school zone before making any phone calls.
• Look twice in both directions– Whether your walking or driving, always take a moment to glance twice in each direction before entering traffic at an intersection. Be alert for small children walking or who may be riding their bikes.

The day that changed America

출처: debate champion3

It is often said that Americans learn geography by going to war.

Indeed, before September 11, 2001, very few Americans knew where Afghanistan was located.

That changed suddenly when, just before 9 a.m. Eastern time, two jets crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Another jet crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. A fourth jet crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers realized their jet was being hijacked to

attack their country. Nearly three thousand innocent people were killed.

Across the country,

Americans watched on their televisions as skycrapers burned and collapsed.

Schools and businesses moved televisions into common areas for everyone to see what was happening. Ordinary life stopped.  That evening, George W. Bush, then the president, spoke to the country.

He said that the attacks would not hurt the U.S.

The country would remain strong and would not stop. He also promised "to find those responsible and bring them to justice." America would take revenge.

At first, no one knew exactly whom to blame for the attacks, but soon government officials blamed Al Qaeda, a terrorist organization based in Afghanistan.

The organization was led by a man named Osama bin Laden, and he had led the attacks on U.S. sites in the past. Al Qadea had attempted to damage the World Trade Center previously in 1993, and they had successfully attacked U.S embassies and navy ships in Africa and the Middle East. Within a few days of these new attacks, the government of Afghanistan offered to give Osama bin Laden to the U.S if the U.S sould provide proof that if he was involved in the attacks. The U.S never gave Afghanistan any proof.

Less than a month later, at the beginning of October, the U.S and the U.K attacked Afghanistan. They dropped bombs on Al Qaeda sites as well as on sites belonging to the Afghan government. To many, these attacks were necessary to protect the U.S at the time, people were afraid that a similar devastating attack could happen at any moment. People thought that the only way to prevent such an attack was to destroy Al Qaeda.

Many other countries also seemed to be threatened. In 2006, the U.K arrested three young men ofor preparing a dangerous plot. The plot make bombs inside the bottles and explode them on flights over the Atlantic Ocean from the U.K to the U.S and Canada seemed to be led by Al Qaeda.

The Afghanistan was soon destroyed, and people believed that things might change. In just a few months, Al Qaeda might also be destroyed.

However, months soon became years, and Al Qaeda was still able to attack places around the world. Osama bin Laden appeared to be hiding in th mountains of Afghanistan or Pakistan, and the U.S military seemed unable to find him and kill him.

Inside Afghanistan, members of Al Qaeda were not the only ones being killed. According to the United Nations, almost nine thousand innocent Afghans were killed within ten years. As Americans watched more and more Afghan civilians die, they became impatient. As more U.S soliders died in Afghanistan or returned home with injuries, Americans wondered if the war really the rifgt action for the country.

In May of 2011, U.S soldiers found Osama bin Laden in a highly protected house in Pakistan. They flew there in very quiet helicopters and attacked the building. Within less than forty minutes, the soldiers had shot and killed him and were ready to fly back to their own military base.

Around the world, people felt relieved that Osama bin Laden had finally been found and could no longer direct attacks. However, the war in Afghanistan continued. The country was still not stable and lacked a working government.

September 11, 2001 will always be seen as an important day in U.S and probably world history. It marks the day in the U.S stopped feeling safe. It became clear that the U.S could be attacked on its own territory. It also became clear that the U.S could and would respond to those attacks in a brutal way.

https://www.debate.org/opinions/is-revenge-justified

참조하세요

9/11: The Day That Changed the World 

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that the U.S. conducted after 9/11 had serious consequences for

the rule of law in the world.

By César Chelala, September 11, 2019

Any anniversary of a major catastrophe brings back strong feelings and sad memories.

Such is the case of the 9/11 attacks on New York’s World Trade Center, a tragedy that had long-lasting effects. New York, and the world, has not been the same since the events of September 11, 2001.

The attacks on the Twin Towers produced the most concentrated response to an emergency in the history of the United States. It is estimated that at least 100 emergency units and dozens of private ambulances headed to the scene in Lower Manhattan to pick up the wounded and take them to nearby hospitals.

At the same time, more than 2,000 police officers searched the towers and rescued survivors. But the weight of the response fell to the New York Fire Department, whose response to the events was truly heroic.

The attacks on the Twin Towers led to a surge in national pride and public expressions of patriotism and a strong commitment to help those that survived and the families of those who were killed.

But there was also an increase of harassment incidents and hate crimes against South Asians, Middle Easterners — and those who just looked like them. Several Indian Sikhs were attacked and killed because they were erroneously believed to be Muslims.

Health effects

The attacks were particularly disturbing to children, who saw the images of destruction replayed relentlessly on television. For years after the attack, children suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

In addition, more than 2,500 contaminants, many of them dangerous carcinogens, were present in thousands of tons of toxic debris resulting from the collapse of the towers. It is estimated that over 18,000 people have become sick as a result of the toxic dust.

Economic consequences

There was a wide range of economic losses after the attacks. It is estimated that the city suffered economic losses estimated at more than $90 billion.

They were the consequence of lost productivity, wide-ranging insurance claims, loss of real estate and art objects as well as impaired tourism and trade, among many other effects.

Security and military actions

Security and protective services suffered significant changes due to the attacks. Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act which affected air travel and security policies, as well as guidelines to be followed before getting on board.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security required pilots to carry firearms on board, and pilots were obliged to undergo training to prevent other terror attacks.

The Patriot Act was also passed, which broadened the powers of law enforcement agencies for the purpose of identifying terrorist activities. The government was given wide powers to search people’s records.

Through the program called Total Information Awareness, special technology was developed to allow the collection and analysis of information about every individual in the United States, and to detect unusual behavior that could lead to terrorist attacks.

The international dimension

Using the attacks as an excuse, the United States conducted wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that would have serious consequences on the U.S. economy and the rule of law in the world.

Many people throughout the world believe that the United States squandered a wave of world goodwill resulting from the attacks.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have ravaged those countries and resulted in a permanent state of instability and destruction. Orzala Ashraf Nemat, an Afghan human rights activist, states:

The war — never the choice of the Afghan people — has done great harm to our people for all sorts of different local, national, regional and international reasons. Widespread corruption, the massive arming of militias, the fueling of war by neighboring countries, the civilian losses and night raids and deterioration of security have all undermined our children’s education, our women’s ability to work and our ability to provide basic social services to the neediest part of the population.

The lessons

One of the lessons to be drawn from that tragedy is that violence begets violence and intolerance breeds intolerance. Unless there is a new approach to preventing terrorist acts, we will continue to live under the threat of terror. Permanent confrontation is not the answer.

While it is easy to create enemies, it is much harder to understand the “other,” a necessary approach if we wish to eliminate conflict and honor the desire for peace and security of all people in the world.

    1. Do you think Al Qaeda deserved the revenge they got from the U.S? Why or why not?

2. How have the war between the U.S and Afghanistan hurt the U.S?

3. Do you think the attacks on Al Qaeda can prevent Al Qaeda from attacking the U.S

   and other countries? why or why not?

4. Why do you think the Afghan government never gave Osama bin Laden to the U.S

    government?

5. Is revenge justified? why or not?

6. Have you ever revenged anyone mistreated you? how was it? did it make you feel better? 

*참조하세요

https://www.debate.org/opinions/is-revenge-justified