BeIR/webis-touche2020 huggingface dataset:
Proper flag retirement procedures should be legal

In Texas v. Johnson, the Supreme Court case of 1989, invalidated laws against flag burning in 48 of 50 states. Despite proposals since then for a flag burning ammendment, it has never been passed in the Senate. Therefore "but since flag burning has been criminalized in all forms" is an untrue statement. Texas v. Johnson protected flag burning, establishing that it is free speech. http://en.wikipedia.org... "After publicly burning an American flag as a means of political protest, Gregory Lee Johnson was convicted of desecrating a flag in violation of Texas law. This case presents the question whether his conviction is consistent with the First Amendment. We hold that it is not." -Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. http://www.bc.edu... I understand that you are not saying that the flag should be burned in protest. But if you choose to say "our country would not fade away" by burning the flag, you are free to do so. Thank you.
Proper flag retirement procedures should be legal

I know that on my profile I say flag burning should be illegal, so I think I must clarify my position on this subject. I was raised in the knowledge of the proper way to retire an aging flag (whether faded, ripped, or otherwise damaged). The process was done by first cutting each stripe from the flag, from bottom to top, and burning the stripes, stating which of the 13 colonies it represented, then taking the field of blue and burning it as well. It was a tradition started by our forefathers because, outside of a warzone, they believed that the flag we boasted was to show that our country would not fade away and that unity would continue. Today, I sit in a library that is desperately in need of a new flag, but since flag burning has been criminalized in all forms, the retirement of a flag has also been criminalized. We need to re-legalize the prober retirement of the American flag and replace the damaged or worn flags seen in most public government facilities with new flags that show that we are still proud to be Americans.
fortnite

Now this is a story all about how My life got flipped turned upside down And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air In West Philadelphia, born and raised On the playground is where I spent most of my days Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool And all shootin' some b-ball outside of the school When a couple of guys who were up to no good Started makin' trouble in my neighborhood I got in one little fight and my mom got scared And said "You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air" I begged and pleaded with her day after day But she packed my suitcase and sent me on my way She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket I put my Walkman on and said "I might as well kick it" First class, yo, this is bad Drinkin' orange juice out of a champagne glass Is this what the people of Bel-Air livin' like? Hmmm, this might be all right But wait, I hear they're prissy, bourgeois, and all that Is this the type of place that they just sent this cool cat? I don't think so, I'll see when I get there I hope they're prepared for the Prince of Bel-Air Well, uh, the plane landed and when I came out There was a dude looked like a cop standin' there with my name out I ain't tryin' to get arrested yet, I just got here I sprang with the quickness like lightning, disappeared I whistled for a cab and when it came near The license plate said 'Fresh' and it had dice in the mirror If anything I could say that this cab was rare But I thought "Nah, forget it, yo holmes, to Bel-Air!" I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8 And I yelled to the cabbie "Yo holmes, smell ya later" Looked at my kingdom, I was finally there To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel-Air
Girl's Generation

I accept.Girl's Generation is way better than Yousei Teikoku. Why you may ask? Well lets just run down some of their amazing achievements.They have released 8 music albums. Releasing top songs like MelOn and Into the World. (http://web.archive.org...) In 20011 thy sold over 11 million digital albums! (http://magazine.joins.com...)They also place 44th in the Korean Power Leaders List in 2011. (http://www.allkpop.com...) (http://en.wikipedia.org...'_Generation#cite_note-forbes11-3) They have out ranked all other female singers as they were ranked #1 for 4 years in a row a top the Leespiar Popularity Survey in Korea.(http://www.allkpop.com...) Warning first two links are in Korean.
The Apostle Thomas got a bum rap with the name "Doubting" Thomas

Ill keep this short since we're near the end Paragraph 3 Doubt vs Belief:" But what gets to easily ignored because of the name "Doubting" Thomas is that he believed" The phrase doubting Thomas doesnt refer to how Thomas constantly doubted the resurrection of Jesus, it refers to the time period of 1 week where Thomas flat out denied that he would not believe until he had fundamental proof from Jesus himself that he was alive. The name doubting Thomas refers to the week Thomas refused to believe, not the fact that he never did believe until the day he died. Thomas was the first person in recorded history to stubbornly deny something until he had fundamental proof, and his denial was over the resurrection of Jesus after Thomas received prior knowledge that Jesus would return after three days and after all the other disciples tried to convince him otherwise. It was that period of doubting Jesus that the DISCIPLE Thomas got his nickname, but who was it that gave it to him?" And therein lies the problem. Because somewhere in history somebody chose to focus on Thomas' doubt, and the nickname stuck. And because of this he has forever been remember predominantly for his doubt."So who did first use the word "doubting" against Thomas?John 20:26 "A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."http://www.biblegateway.com...So it wasnt just some random author or unknown historian who first used the phrase "doubting" towards Thomas, IT WAS JESUS HIMSELF! JESUS is the reason that Thomas is known for "doubting" JESUS first coined the term in the best selling book in the world, JESUS was the one who was behind Thomas getting his nickname, and if JESUS was wrong about labeling Thomas as "Doubting" Thomas............ Then I dont want to be right. "Few know that he is the only person to call Jesus "God" in the Gospels. Few know that he stood up and said he would die for Jesus when the other Disciples wouldn't. Few know that he traveled farther than any other Apostle to establish Christianity (India)"All this is true, I am certainly not denying that Thomas did not have his share of good deeds in the name of Jesus, but isnt it really ironic that and hypocritical of Thomas to preach the word of Jesus and preach of all his miracles and accomplishments thousands of miles away, but the one time Jesus performs a miracle that Thomas already knew was going to happen beforehand, the one miracle that all the other disciples told him had been done, Thomas stubbornly denied until he had proof?I find it a little hypocritical.....
The Apostle Thomas got a bum rap with the name "Doubting" Thomas

I accept this debate and will argue why The Apostle Thomas, one of the original 12 apostles of Jesus Christ, did not get a "bum rap" with the name "Doubting Thomas". Doubting Thomas got his name after he, who went all around the known world preaching Christianity his entire life, was the only apostle to DOUBT the Resurrection of Jesus ChristOther than that
Teen pregnancy,

I still believe that if someone makes a choice they are responsible, even if they are making that choice because someone is telling them its the only way. Unfortunately that's what every single person has to fight through at some point- We don't get to choose which parents we get or if we get any at all. We roll the dice and are born into 'our' family, and we can't change that. We can ignore it or embrace it but we are still stuck. You will either make good choices and go above and beyond to be a 'good' person, or a successful person, or whatever it is you want to do, or you will be crushed by your burden and give into those pressures. Are the cards stacked against your favor? sure sounds like it, but we don't get a free pass because we are mentally ill. The 'Mental Illness' argument. Can you cite a source for this? Or even give me the name of the disorder. I had a very hard time finding anything of substance related to this. If you are talking about 'the human condition' that doesn't count. Also, if there is something to this, I would like to bring up that an insane man who commits murder is still held responsible, he will simply serve his time in a psychiatric facility. Now I'm not saying teens who get pregnant are insane. What I mean is that if you have a mental illness, the state still holds you responsible, I see no reason why this would change for any other action- murder or otherwise. All in all, I don't believe 'mental illness' is a get out of jail(responsibility) free card. On the topic of the parent encouraging the teen to end bad relationships.... I think this is highly misplaced. In what world do teens listen to their parents about which friends they hang out with. Moreover, teens who respect their parents enough to avoid those relationships are probably not going to have them in the first place. I would like to remind you that the argument is not, "who do the people blame" but rather, "who is at fault". Also, birth control is not always going to work. The only way to avoid getting pregnant is to avoid having sex.
Teen pregnancy,

Awesome, this is my first as well. I understand what you're saying but children cant make big decisions like pregnancy on their own without guidance because their brains aren't fully developed. Majority of the girls today that are pregnant have some form of mental illness. For instance, when raped these girls are told "if you love me you will do this" Therefore the only way they know how to express their love is through sex. Realistically, 90 percent of teen pregnancies either didn't have parents around or were raped growing up. So like i said before, they had little to no guidance. Premise 2, good point. Having sex is a choice. But when you are mentally ill and never knew anything but doing what people told you to do to make them happy- what do you expect? If you sit down with your kids and explain the consequences of pregnancy and what they are capable of achieving and being in the future then why would they desire to run around and have sex? Sure you could blame this on the influence of friends as well. But if the parents were involved they would explain to their children that these people they are hanging around with are no good. When a teenager ends up pregnant who is the first person strangers look down upon? The parents. If you want to blame it on the teen having sex then so be it. But what could have helped avoid the entire situation? Birth control. Why do most teens not have birth control? Because their parents said no. So whose really in fault here?
Teen pregnancy,

First off, this is my first debate, so fair warning for any confusion on how this works. Looking forward to this! I will be arguing that it is not the parents fault, but the teen who is pregnant and the partner responsible for impregnating her. The basis of my argument will be that every person is responsible for their own actions no matter what circumstances pushed them to those actions. More specifically, someone who desires to 'rebel' against their parents for attention or give in to social pressures, are still doing it on their own action. Now to clarify, I agree that a parent can take action to reduce the likelihood of their child going out and having sex (unprotected/without understanding of consequences) , however I think someone who has parents lacking that virtue are also capable of saying 'no'. Premise 1, Someone who makes a choice is at fault for the outcome of events caused by that choice. Premise 2, Having sex is a choice. (outside of rape) Premise 3, The person who made the choice to have sex is at fault for the outcome. To disprove my theory you must find one of those to be untrue.
Teen pregnancy,

Teenage pregnancies are the parents fault. Most people consider teen pregnancy to be a tragedy, because a pregnant teenage girl inevitably feels lonely and condemned by the whole world. Actually, this poor girl had been lonely and had lacked mutual understanding with her parents long before she got pregnant. Teen pregnancy does cause problems, but the pregnancy itself is a consequence of problems a girl suffers from! The only way parents today believe the child needs to be taken care of is being able to provide for the child financially. The majority of parents today concentrate on the financial needs of the child, rather than the emotional and sex educational needs. Parents are constantly leaving their children at home with little to no supervision, setting them up for failure. Many parents today simply ignore their responsibility of educating the child sexually.
Nicki Minaj's butt is good and sexy

Following my proposal on http://www.debate.org... I propose debates that try to push the boundaries. Well. I like Nicki Minaj's butt, i find it sexy and good. I mean, just look at Anaconda, jeez, it's yummy. http://youtu.be... Plus Sir Mix a-Lot said Nicki's Anaconda is a better version of his "Baby got Back" because he was not allowed to get the good butts back then when done. Now Anaconda, as he said, has the good butts. You can see the interview here: http://youtu.be...
Nicki Minaj's butt is good and sexy

Nicki's butt, of course, is not an exclusively causal factor in individual's unhealthy choices, but it is a subtle influence. Simply because Nicki's butt is part of the problem and not the entire problem does not mean that we can dismiss its negative effects- we must instead discourage any such behavior as undesirable (and not good). The fact that some shampoos contain unhealthy chemicals is irrelevant to the point I make above. The comparison of Nicki Minaj to a psychopath is not a comparison of personal traits but as an example of how we must examine individuals according to their own merit rather than dismissing their responsibility because they are part of a larger group. I am sure that my opponent and I could have an entirely separate debate regarding whether ethics really is subjective, but to an extent some of the semantics are irrelevant to this topic, so I will let it go for this final round. Finally, my opponent seems to destroy his own values with his final paragraph, stating "one thing that is not beneficial is not accepting yourself" which is something that I entirely agree with. If we could learn to accept our physical appearances as they are and stop pouring money into the beauty industry and cosmetics, than the entire standard of living would improve (and we would be a less superficial society as a whole). Because of all these values that could be advanced by a cultural icon who advocated natural beauty and because of the alternative that we have- an icon that violates both my and my opponent's value of accepting ourselves and furthers the extravagance of American society, you must come to the conclusion that Nicki Minaj's butt is not good.
Nicki Minaj's butt is good and sexy

Nicki"s butt does not make people take unhealthy decisions: Many shampoos have unhealthy chemicals. http://storyofstuff.org... I doubt that comparing Nicki to a psychopath makes any point. Nicki is no psycho. So let"s keep talking about her butt as you said. Since we are talking about physical looks, I said diversity in the physical looks sense, not in natural diversity exclusively: Does this dress make me look fat? That"s what she said, looking at the reflection of her butt on the mirror. Having different images makes it harder for people to stick to one look. Which is benefitial because people have different body shapes. So even if some people are not happy with they"re bodies, Nicki"s butt offers a possibility for women with fat-butts to feel good about their colossal badonkadonks (Some of these butts are natural) Women are the ones taking the risk by emulating bodies they cannot acquire. The problem is that they don"t value themselves and their aspect. Even if someone had a natural body, still people would like to emulate it through plastic surgery or even worse: by making themselves anorexic so they can fit in these pants or to "look good" in that jacket. So what you say also happens natural bodies. But the problem actually is about women not being happy with their physique. Ethics are really subjective. We have objective benefits from teamwork and also those that ensure societal stability. I agree with that, but ethics is a very generic term. Now, one thing that is not beneficial is not accepting yourself. That does not mean sticking with what you have, it means to give value to your body. Nicki"s butt is artificial, yes. But it is not the real cause. Women"s insecurity is.
Nicki Minaj's butt is good and sexy

I. Nicki And The Value Of Natural Beauty 1. Shampoo serves a constructive purpose: sanitation and health. Body modification does not serve this constructive purpose. Therefore, the comparison of unnatural things like shampoo (which is constructive) to plastic surgery is invalid in this case. 2. Nicki does not need exclusivity in regards to her role model status. Although Charles Manson is not the only famous psychopath, he is nonetheless a psychopath and must be examined individually. This debate is, after all, exclusively about Nicki Minaj's butt. 3. Natural diversity is not a bad thing, and in the interest of equality and value neutrality it must be treated that way. However, when one goes to extremes that have potential negative risks simply for the sake of diversification, it loses its virtue. 4. This is exactly the problem. If women do desire to emulate celebrities as you claim, and in doing so they subjugate themselves to risks similar to the ones referenced in my first post, then there is a small but present causal link. II. The Extravagance Of Nicki's Butt Your initial point seems to be a red herring. Most of our behavior is indeed unethical and therefore not good. Just because Nicki's butt is not the most unethical thing accepted in society today does not absolve it from moral judgement. Were that the point of this debate, then my case would be hard fought. However, it is not. Nicki's butt is simply another example of the unethical extravagance that is so commonplace in society today. Additionally, the fact that Nicki's butt is capable of sitting down is not a benefit gained because of her body modification. In fact, I imagine it is much more difficult to sit now than it would have been before, with the butt that way naturally proportioned to her body. I imagine it would also be difficult to find a suitable public toilet, or to sit in a smart car (given that the seating enclosure is so small). Finally, and most importantly, my opponent claims (twice) that ethics are subjective. This is a dangerous assertion to make- especially when it goes unquantified as it does in this case. I think that my opponent must concede that at least some ethics are objective. Most notably, those that ensure societal stability, such as no recreational murder, no rape, etc., To prove that my opponent holds these same values, we need look no further than his claim that Nicki's butt is good because it allows her to enjoy butt-freedom. If freedom is valuable, than social order must be upheld- unless my opponent means freedom to the extent of absolute anarchism. If not, than I suggest that acting in the extravagant way that is so commonplace in society today undermines the social rights of individuals in impoverished nations. If freedom and equality are objective moral values, then they extend beyond our borders. Because this is the case, acting in extravagant ways is detrimental to basic human rights (to a degree) and is therefore not good.
Nicki Minaj's butt is good and sexy

Let's begin with the rebuttals: 1. "Nicki's butt lessens the value of natural beauty" This is not true because: 1.- The concept "Natural" is so abstract that you can easily find in shampoos. Everything has a natural origin. But I suppose you call natural beauty as "That beauty that didn't go through plastic surgery" 2.- Nicki is not the only celeberity that people look up to 3.- It shows a different type of butt. We need diversity, it is a beneficial thing. 4.- These women could take this risks even if Nicki's butt was "natural". What makes them look for "medical aesthetic enhancement" is the desire to look physically like their favorite celebrity. 2. "The extravagance of butt shots is unethical in light of poverty" Basically everything we do can be seen as unethical in light of poverty. Just take a look at the Ecologic footprint. http://en.wikipedia.org... We consume more than we should, which is 2 hectaires per person. Yet in the USA there's an average consumption of 10 hectaires per person, is that because of Nicki's butt? I think not. The problem here is that Nicki's butt is different from many other butts. We human beings tend to focus on those things that really stand up and look different. Our materialist behaviour and ever-consuming routine are so obvious and so normal, we don't really focus on the real impact. Her butt is not the cause of poverty. And ethics are also subjective. Now, i'll make my point: Why Nicki's butt is good? It is not only good in the moral sense (She is giving diversity, and enjoying butt-freedom). Her butt is also good because she can use it to sit down, which is an useful and yet natural action. Her butt probably helped her raise money that she used for charity. http://www.contactmusic.com... http://mypinkfriday.com... https://www.looktothestars.org... But yet again, ethics are relative to subjectiveness Why Nicki's butt is sexy? As you said, sexiness is subjective. And you have no argument against her sexiness, so yeah, it is sexy.
Nicki Minaj's butt is good and sexy

Thanks for the topic, TruthGen. I look forward to what promises to be an interesting debate. Although sexiness is ultimately subjective to the individual, my contention is not with the sexiness of Nicki Minaj's butt. However, my opponent's topic is compound. In order for his position on this topic to be correct, he must prove that Nicki Minaj's butt is both good and sexy. If Nicki's butt fails to meet one of these two criteria, then his entire resolution is false. My contention is that Nicki Minaj's butt is not good. Nicki's butt is not good for a few ethical reasons. 1. Nicki's Butt Lessens The Value Of Natural Beauty This is my weaker premise, as we must share the same values in regards to beauty to agree. Should one's entire perception of beauty involve artificiality as a higher form, then Nicki's butt would be exemplary. However, becoming a sex icon for unnatural beauty encourages women to make poor choices. Women who cannot afford proper medical aesthetic enhancement face many risks. http://www.huffingtonpost.com... 2. The Extravagance Of Butt Shots Is Unethical In Light Of Poverty In a nation in which fifteen percent of the populous lives in poverty, it is unethical to spend money on artificial anal enhancement. To condone this type of behavior is to condone capitalism at its worst. Sexiness may be determined by where the individual's sexual idealism lies, but beauty is something more- and something that exists beyond one's physical appearance. Because of the the negative idealism naturally associated with Nicki's butt and the unethical lifestyle it reflects, Nicki's butt is not good.