Chapter 17: Social Welfare Policy
5/17/99

Imagine that you are a foreign student who is backpacking through the country. As you are walking down a road it starts to rain. Seeking shelter, you notice a large brick building in the distance. As you approach it, you see that it has a high metal fence surrounding it. When you go through a gate, you observe a vehicle marked Security going through the parking lot. Getting closer to the building you see video surveillance cameras posted in the parking lot and at the building's doors. Going through the door you see a large notice that all visitors have to check in at the office. As you head to the office, you leave your backpack in a designated room because another sign informs you that you can go no further with a backpack. Before you enter the office, you proceed through a set of metal detectors, and are patted down by an armed Security officer. You see other Security officers walking in the hallways. You now are wondering what type of building have you stumbled across. Is it a prison? Is it a military installation? Is it a business conducting sensitive research? When you enter the office, you find out that you have entered an elementary school.

How far do schools have to go to provide a secure and safe environment for their students? Do these safety measures compromise the learning environment? Where will the money come from to provide all the security precautions now being implemented in public schools throughout the nation? For more information about school safety go to National School Safety Center at http://www.nssc1.org/home.htm.

4/5/99

At Boston College, a professor took a leave of absence rather than admit a student in a class. The student does not have a history of disruptive behavior in the classroom nor has been deemed a threat to others because of past violent criminal acts. The student was a male who wanted to take a course offered by the professor. The course was on feminist ethics. The professor is a radical feminist who argued that the presence of a male student would disrupt the classroom environment and substantially decrease the willingness of female students to speak freely and openly.

Should gender alone be used to determine who can and cannot take classes? Do students have the 'right' to take any class that they are eligible to take? Ultimately, the courts may provide answers to these questions.

1/14/99

Most experts agree that the Social Security system needs adjustment. The coming retirement of the baby boomers -- those people born between 1946 and 1964 -- and the increasing longevity of retirees has put significant financial strain on the nation's retirement system, including Social Security. It is projected that in the near future more people will be receiving Social Security benefits than ever before, and that many of those people will receive the benefits for a longer time than ever before. Many contend if nothing is done, then Social Security will not be around to provide benefits for those who are in their 20s now. Of course, the debate centers on exactly what changes to make in the system For contrasting perspectives on what to do with the Social Security system, you might first want to go to the Institute for America's Future Social Security Superpage! Then visit The Heritage Foundation: Social Security web site.

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