I know I shouldn't realy reply in this topic, because all Debate topics are very American. And that is something I am totally not.
But having said that, because they are so very American, just about every contribution is only aimed at getting their own opinion/side known, and not really listening to other people's values.
Let's start with something ironic. To be a conservative means you are longing for a political state of the past, and to achieve said state, a very big change almost always has to happen. Which is very progressive. I told you it was ironic.
Second, a debate is (according to the definition I just found): Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, academic institutions, debate halls, coffeehouses, competitions, and legislative assemblies.
But listening is one of the greater goods. Not listening means you cannot debate.
I am Dutch, I am born and raised Dutch, I can trace my history back to 1232, and were it not for the Dutch, this world would have looked very differently. And while the Founding Fathers were partially Dutch, and Peter Stuyvesant (may he rot in hell forever) sold Nieuw Amsterdam to the English for a nonsensical country called Surinam, over here we don't have mass shootings (two since 1830), abortion, euthanesia and gay marriage are all given rights (smoking weed isn't, it's allowed, but it's not allowed by law).
I am European LeftWing. And while that doesn't mean anything in the Americas, over here it does. Communism is dead, what Putin is doing in Russia has got nothing to do with communism. In the US there are no left wing political parties, the Democrats are right wing (to me) and the Republicans are far right (to me).
I don't mind that people don't agree with me, that's the fun thing about debating, I love challening people, I love to talk about the Bible (and other Holy Books). Because, don't come to me and say I need to take the Bible as a literal book. I will come back to you and say, the Bible starts with incest. Adam and Eve had three named sons, and one named daughter, and a whole score of other children (just read Genesis). And then?