Here we go!First round of the new ATS Debate Tournament.


Each debator will have one opening statement each.This will be followed by 3 alternating replies each.There will be one closing statement each and no rebutal.
No post will be longer than 800 words and in the case of the closing statement no longer than 500 words.In the event of a debator posting more than the stated word limit then the excess words will be deleted by me from the bottom.Credits or references at the bottom count as part of the post.

Editing is Strictly forbidden.

Excluding both the opening and closing statements only 1 image or link may be included in any post.Opening and Closing statement must not carry either images or links.

The Debate topic is:Genetically Modified crops should be outlawed.

Stumpy will argue for this proposition and he will open the Debate.
Skadi-The-Evil-Elf will respond and argue against this proposition.

As a guide responses should be made within 18 hours.However if the debate is moving forward then I have a relaxed attitude to this.

Defaulters will not be excepted in the next Tournament.The winner will receive 1000 ATS points the loser(on condition of completion)will receive 500 ATS points.This on top of generous points allocation for Debate forum posts.

This Topic will be opened on Sunday Nov 23rd Evening GMT and the debate may start.

The debate will be judged by 7 independent and anonymous judges who will consider the quality of debate and not be swayed by personal sympathy for either argument.
Winning the debate and winning the argument are two different things.

I wish you both goodluck.

[Edited on 27-11-2003 by John bull 1]

The MUSt be outlawed! Genetics and genetic engineering are such frighteningly new parts of science, that we owe it to ourselves to do all the research that can be done before letting innocent people ingest genetically modified food products.
Genetically modified foods provide no real advantage over normal food, and provide multiple risks that include, biogenetic changing of the ingestors DNA, birth defects, cancer, not to mention the possible detriment to the original plants that are being modified. What woudl happen if we genetically engineered some corn, that turned out to be poisonous, but it cross pollenated with normal corn, and the entire corn world was poinsoned , never to be safely grown again? This is of course an extreme example, but a possible one. The Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of
Science and Technology are against use of genetically modified foods.
Doctors and scientists certainly know more abou this than I do.
The bottom line: At this point, we do not know enough about them to deem them safe, but we DO know enough about them to know they can be hazordous, and provide no real imporvement over standard foods. This huge potential hazard, and the high level of unknowns involoved mean these MUST be outlawed.

[Edited on 24-11-2003 by John bull 1]

I need a reply on this by the end of today Skadi.

Or Stumpy will go through.

Skadi forfeits.

Stumpy goes through.