• 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 (5/19/05) & Monday (5/23/05):
Moderator: Jack Bethune

1. The U.S. crime rate has fallen over the past decade, but the number of people in prison and jail is outpacing the number of inmates released. Adding about 900 inmates each week between mid-2003 and mid-2004, the U.S. now incarcerates 2.1 million people, or one in every 138 Americans. Get-tough policies enacted in the '80s and '90s, including mandatory drug sentences, ''three-strikes-and-you're-out'' laws for repeat offenders, and ''truth-in-sentencing'' laws that restrict early releases have resulted in higher incarceration rates in the U.S. than in any other country. Many are in prison for low-level drug convictions, 61% are minorities, and 12.6% of black males under 20 are imprisoned vs. 1.7% of whites. One study points to New York as a prime example of why states can’t simply incarcerate their way out of crime epidemics, concluding there is “no apparent relationship...between increased use of prisons and crime reductions.” Why are so many Americans in prison? Are changes needed in America's justice system? Are the costs of imprisoning huge populations of nonviolent offenders justified?
2. Connecticut approved a law granting same-sex couples many of the rights and privileges of married couples. The law defines marriage as between one man and one woman, but Catholics still strongly oppose the measure. Vermont allows civil unions, Massachusetts allows gay couples to marry, and California permits "domestic partnerships." None gives gays the full federal benefits and privileges of opposite-sex couples, exposing them to discrimination by other states and denying them 1138 federal rights associated with marriage. Should states and religious groups discriminate against gays and lesbians by defining marriage as only between man and woman? What rights and privileges should non-heterosexual couples enjoy in society?
3. Over 3,900 people died on motorcycles in the United States in 2004, up 7.3%, according to NHTSA. Fatalities climbed every year since 1997, up 85%. Over-40 riders account for 60% of the increase in motorcycle fatalities nationwide -- aging, affluent Baby Boomers reliving the "Easy Rider" dreams of their youth, and they don't like helmet laws. Florida repealed its mandatory helmet law in 2000, and today only DC and 20 states require them. Why the increase in motorcycle deaths? What can be done to correct this trend? And should states enact safety laws to lessen the social and economic impact of motorcycle fatalities?
4. OPEN DISCUSSION.

Quote of the week: "I believe strongly in the law that we have right now in California which respects domestic partnership rights and I think that that's a very good law. I believe in equal rights absolutely and in protecting that." [California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger]

Special note about next week's Free Inquiry Forum...

Next Thursday, May 26th, we'll discuss corporations in America, their legal status, their Constitutional rights as entities, and their social impact on the environment and the way we live. We'll specifically discuss The Corporation, a film we encourage you to view beforehand [ see reviews ]. Rentals are available at Blockbuster and Video Renaissance.

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