Articles written by Justin Barnes

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About me - Justin Barnes

I am a 27 year old male currently living in the greater Raleigh-Durham area. I graduated in 2003 from the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Physical Geography and received an M.S. in Environmental Policy from Michigan Tech University in 2006. I now work

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Relationships & Family > Grief & Loss Life support: Should the wishes of the family take precedence over the patient's right to relieve his own suffering?: 3 of 111
The wishes of a person's family should never trump a patient's right to choose whether or not they want to continue living. I have personal experience with this type of situation and as painful as it was for me to lose my mother, it was much more painful to watch her suffer the last month of her life with no hope for recovery... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Energy Issues Are wind farms good sources for environmentally safe energy?: 1 of 23
At present wind energy is the most available, technologically mature, and economically viable renewable energy resource we have. While the U.S. is one of the world leaders in wind generated electricity production, vast untapped potential still remains. Does wind energy have some limitations and drawbacks? Of course it does, b... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Energy Issues Choosing renewable energy sources for America: 1 of 20
The lead in to this subject is somewhat misleading because renewable energy sources are primarily dependent on local conditions. This is in contrast to fossil energy resources, most of which are extracted a long distance away from where they are ultimately used. Transportability goes a long way towards explaining why coal, oi... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political & Economic Theory Should the media have freedom of speech?: 12 of 103
Freedom of speech is the hallmark of what we as Americans consider a "free society". Without it, all of the other freedoms we possess or seem to possess would be worthless. The power of free speech is that it allows us broadcast our ideas, create groups of like minded people, and thereby stimulate positive changes in society.... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Should the US continue to detain suspected terrorists without charging them with specific crimes?: 2 of 15
Detaining prisoners without trial is quite simply, Un-American. I recently saw a news article where Dick Cheney contended that the Gitmo facility cannot be closed because if it were, the inmates there would have to be transported to other prisons within the continental U.S. In Cheney's words, being on U.S. soil would "give un... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Religion & Spirituality (Other) Should the Bible continue to be used for swearing-in ceremonies and in courtrooms?: 28 of 149
The Bible only has a much meaning as an individual chooses to give it. If a person perceives swearing on the Bible as a contract between themselves and God, then the Bible serves some purpose as an instrument of truth and honor. If not, then it might as well be a coloring book or a mystery novel. I think people should be able... More..
Autos > Fuel Economy Should governments give tax credits for alternative fuel vehicles?: 3 of 14
One of the primary purposes of government is to enhance societal well-being. In doing so, there is a long history of government technology support programs which are designed to bring about this greater good. You cannot iron out the kinks in any new technology without some practical experience, which of course is difficult to... More..
Arts & Humanities > 20th & 21st Century US History Judging Truman's decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan: 13 of 54
I think our perception of this event in American history is colored by the current perception of what war is supposed to be. These days, "civilian casualties" are something we try to avoid, to the extent that they can be avoided when you are dropping bombs on a city anyway. In other wars, this was not the case, in part becaus... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Analyzing the war on Iraq: Justified or not: 44 of 159
This is an interesting question because there are a lot of different facets to the issue, and it is made more complicated by our feelings about the current situation in Iraq and the fact that some of us believe we were misled about the reasons for going to war. Here is a look at what I see are the primary possible rationales ... More..
Education > Colleges & Universities (Other) Is professor bias a problem in our public colleges and universities?: 6 of 18
It is no secret that the general tendency of academia is towards a liberal point of view. I make no claims as to why this is true, but I have spent enough time on college campuses and in college classrooms to know that this "stereotype" has a pretty solid basis in reality. Professors also tend to be highly opinionated people.... More..