Public Affairs

Every year each county's Public Affairs team is asked to resolve a problem. This year's problem was to judge an imaginary bill being passed through Boys State's Legislature. This bill set out to monitor the communication between citizens during times of war. Citizens who would speak any words of displeasure would be put under investigation for terrorist activities. By doing this, the United States government would be able to better protect its citizens by sacrificing their personal rights.

To this situation the three people who were on Foreman County's team (Will Schmidt, Brad Topol, and Phillip Henry) had the following response.

 

We felt that the propositions of the America First Act were in direct violation of free speech set forth by the first amendment. Words of displeasure are not always words of dissent. Instead, we proposed that restrictions on mass purchases of fire arms and bomb-making materials should be put in place. Also, to prevent copycat criminals of 9/11, we proposed that commercial airliners be equipped with emergency radio controls based at ground stations. Finally, we sought long-term cultural understanding as a method to decrease the risk of terrorism. Disregarding domestic terrorists, which we hope to stop with consumer restrictions, foreign terrorists in our country are rooted in schism of the cultures. If we continue good foreign relations and aid, and educate Americans about the facts of Middle Eastern life and beliefs, the understanding should lower hostilities of both peoples. Foreman county did not believe that the almost totalitarian propositions of the America First Act were the appropriate course of action for a country based on "inalienable rights".