• OPEN DISCUSSION - For the first 30 minutes of the Thursday night forums we will have informal open discussion. This will allow for late arrivals, food & drink ordering, and new attendees to become acclimated.
• ANNOUNCEMENTS - Any events, news, or other items that you feel are of interest to the group can be announced at the start of Free Inquiry Forum.

TOPICS for Thursday (12/2/04) & Monday (12/6/04):

1. The US Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments over whether marijuana could be used as a medical treatement for those in acute pain. There are eleven states that currently allow medical marijuana use. Should marijuana be legal for medical purposes? Should governments legalize and tax marijuana? What other drugs, if any, do you feel should be legalized? Are the current tactics for winning the "war on drugs" ineffective?
2. Earlier this month, a Sarasota county judge ruled the city's “no-camping" law unconstitutional. According to the Sarasota Herald Tribune, police have arrested more than 500 people for breaking the law in the past two years. The "no-camping" law made it a misdemeanor to sleep without approval on public or private property after sunset under or on top of a sleeping bag, cardboard, newspapers or other material. Do you think that the "no-camping" law was unconstitutional? Is such a law effective in reducing crime and fear among residents?
3. Is Wal-Mart (and other large retailers) good for America? Is there a relationship between U.S. job losses and the American consumer's desire for bargains? How has Wal-Mart, and other retail giants, changed the American economy? Discuss the pros and cons of consumerism in general.

Quote of the week: "...the decisions [Wal-Mart] makes about where it's going to go around the world don't just affect the U.S. economy, but they affect the fate of countries that are exporting to the United States as well. Other countries really want Wal-Mart to be going to them, and so Wal-Mart is in a position to orchestrate what goes on in many different countries around the world…" [Gary Gereffi, Professor of Sociology at Duke University - Source]

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