2007 LD Resolutions

I love technology when it allows me to be lazy. Anyway, it seems to me that instead of waiting for an LD committee report at the SD Speech Convention, coaches can comment on and debate about the 2007-2008 resolutions here.

First, the rules have changed. In the past, we just checked 5 topics and mailed in the ballot. As in the past, there are 10 topics. The rest of the ballot is different. I think the following 4 points are key. (They may not be key to hedge, however.)

1. Indicate your first, second, and third choices for each time slot.
2. Repeating topics within a given time slot is not acceptable. However, a topic may be reselected for another time slot.
3. A minimum of five different topics must be listed on the entire ballot.
4. Fill in all blanks for your ballot to be valid.

This change probably means that South Dakota coaches should vote for the three best options in both November/Decemeber and January/February. We can put in whatever we want on the other options. Frankly, I think it's a bit risky for the NFL to allow people in states that don't compete during a particular resolution to vote those resolutions, but I probably am just a natural skeptic and conspiracy theorist.

I suggest that each coach rank the resolutions 1-10 and give some reasons for each ranking. I'll tabulate stuff before the convention and do another full post with the results.

Anyway, the topics are listed below. You can find the ballot here. The comments are now open.

List of topics:

A. Resolved: It is just for the United States to use military force to prevent the acquisition of nuclear weapons by nations that pose a military threat.

B. Resolved: Governments ought to make economic reparations for their country’s historical injustices.

C. Resolved: Limiting economic inequality ought to be a more important social goal than maximizing economic freedom.

D. Resolved: It is morally permissible to kill one innocent person to save the lives of more innocent people.

E. Resolved: In the United States, jury nullification is a legitimate check on government.

F. Resolved: Successor governments ought to pursue transitional justice through truth and reconciliation commissions rather than through criminal prosecution.

G. Resolved: International lenders ought to cancel the debt of highly indebted poor countries.

H. Resolved: In the United States, plea bargaining in exchange for testimony is unjust.

I. Resolved: Hate crime enhancements are unjust in the United States.

J. Resolved: Public health concerns justify government violation of pharmaceutical patents.