Asking about cash, Russia, video games and feeling safe in public
June 29, 2020
Good Monday Morning. Welcome back.
To start off this short week, we’ve got some questions about how you’ve been using cash in the age of coronavirus, whether the United States should retaliate against Russia, if violent video games should be banned and whether you’re feeling safer when you’re out in public.
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Results from June 26, 2020
Question 1: Would you support or oppose admitting Washington, D.C. as separate state in the union?
The House of Representatives voted on Friday to grant statehood to Washington, D.C., but our user base was less sure.
DC already has a higher population than VT and WY, and it would be the first state to have a near-majority Black population. Yet it has no true representation in Congress? City-state status is long overdue. We might also consider renaming it, but that’s a different discussion.
If DC is granted statehood, we should eliminate another state to keep it an an even 50. Maybe fold DL into MD, RI into CT, combine ND & SD, or divvy up WV to neighboring states. 🤪
Question 2: Should the United States replace "The Star-Spangled Banner" with a new national anthem?
Most like “The Star-Spangled Banner”…
If they stopped playing the national anthem or changed it, I would sing it at the start of every game regardless and I know many others would too.
Why would we get rid of the star spangled banner??? What MONSTER suggested that!?
But there’s quite a bit of support for replacing it with the spacious skies, amber waves of grain and purple mountain majesties of “America the Beautiful”.
Regarding the national anthem, I’ve never been much of a fan, it’s pretty violent imagery. I’ve always liked “America the Beautiful”, seems boring enough to be an anthem! However, if we’re going to spend legislative time on this, I think it could wait. Who decides the national anthem anyway?
(This is a full-service media organization, so we looked this up. “The Star-Spangled Banner” was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931. The resolution was signed by President Herbert Hoover. )
Some musicians in the Tinaverse just want an anthem that more of us could, ahem, actually sing.
Definitely should change star spangled banner...as a musician, we have long asked for this simply because the range is much larger than most people can sing so it lends itself to many ear-splitting renditions. Would love something that is a little more accessible as well as for other reasons too.
Others… disagree.
The anthem isn't THAT hard to sing, guys. Suck it up.
And some want to remove the last three verses from the official version.
I have to assume the reason people are discussing the Star Spangled Banner are referencing the word "slave" in the rarely-used third verse of the song. We've effectively treated the anthem as having one verse (of the original four) for as far back as any of us can likely remember. If anything, let's just make that first verse the only "official" national anthem and acknowledge that the rest used to be a part of it, but aren't anymore.
Question 3: Should college athletes be able to sign their own endorsement deals?
College athletes should benefit from their image being sold. It could be structured as a licensing deal where a percentage goes to a trust that benefits the athlete post graduation (we want to encourage actual graduation, don't we) and the rest supports the overall program. That leaves the remaining part of the university's trust to support academic excellence, student health, and increase pay for professors.
College athletes make a lot of money for their schools. They should get to be able to get a piece of what their names bring.
Question 4: Do you believe scholarships are sufficient compensation for college athletes?
Though a majority believe college athletes should be able to sign their own endorsement deals, a plurality of people believe scholarships are sufficient compensation.
College athlete question is tough because, while monetizing individuals and their performance would undoubtedly alter NCAA competition and structure as we know, schools, the organization and numerous other business entities already profit off of these individuals. And for those that might not go on to the NBA, but sacrifice a great deal to perform at the top level in their sport, opportunities for compensation seems just. It would also potentially provide another way for folks who are disadvantages socioeconomically to propel themselves upward-and help those around them do the same. I would need to know more about the problem and intended solutions to agree or disagree wholeheartedly. But if the NCAA isn't actively looking for a way to do this without doing harm to collegiate athletics, then they are doing a disservice to college athletes and fans.
Question 5: On a scale of 0 (the worst) to 10 (the best), how are you feeling overall?
The Sentiment Index rose to 7.2 on Friday, an increase of +0.3 from the week before.
Make it all the way through but forget to answer today’s questions?
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