Tournament: Loyola | Round: 2 | Opponent: Harvard Westlake WG | Judge: Ryan FInk

Use a comparative worlds paradigm – reciprocity, clash.

Compulsory voting, acronym and#34;CV,and#34; requires all voters to submit a ballot.

Shineman 10 ~Victoria Anne Shineman (Visiting Scholar Center for the Study of Democratic Politics Princeton University). and#34;Compulsory Voting as Compulsory Balloting: How Mandatory Balloting Laws Increase Informed Voting Without Increasing Uninformed Voting.and#34; Mimeo, Princeton University, 2010~ AJ
This paper contributes to the research on the relationship between compulsory balloting and political sophistication
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in the benefits of voting, without incentivizing actors to cast uninformed votes.

Voters can still cast invalid ballots without penalty.

Shineman 2 ~Victoria Anne Shineman (Visiting Scholar Center for the Study of Democratic Politics Princeton University). and#34;Compulsory Voting as Compulsory Balloting: How Mandatory Balloting Laws Increase Informed Voting Without Increasing Uninformed Voting.and#34; Mimeo, Princeton University, 2010~ AJ
Scholars often talk of the decision to vote, but this decision is better understood
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(VB) is a better description for systems with no participation requirements.

I defend implementation of CV

Framework

I value morality, as and#34;oughtand#34; implies a moral obligation.

Humans characteristics result in self-ownership

BOAZ ~(David, Executive vice president, the Cato institute) and#34;Libertarianism:  A Primer.and#34; Simon 26 Schuster, 1997, New York. Pg 61-62~ AT
Any theory of rights has to begin somewhere. Most libertarian philosophers would begin the
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I rather like Jefferson’s simple declaration: Natural rights are self-evident.  

The principle of self-ownership means that individuals have some inviolable rights.

You must have the CAPABILITY to actively achieve their goals .

Amartya Sen ~Thomas W Larmont University Professor and Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University. and#34;The Idea of Justice.and#34; Penguin Publishing. 2010. Print~ AJ
Any substantive theory of ethics and political philosophy, particularly any theory of justice,
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comprehensive’ opportunities, and not just focusing on what happens at ’culmination’.

continues:

Amartya Sen ~Thomas W Larmont University Professor and Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University. and#34;The Idea of Justice.and#34; Penguin Publishing. 2010. Print~ AJ
The capability approach focuses on human life, and not just on some detached objects
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fer Prah Ruger, Ingrid Robeyns, Tania Burchardt and Polly Vizard.10

That requires collective action in the form of equal representation.

Tom Christiano ~and#34;Democracyand#34;, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2008 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2008/entries/democracy/-http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2008/entries/democracy/~~ AJ
Some argue that the basic principles of democracy are founded in the idea that each
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to make bad or unjust decisions for themselves regarding those activities they share.

Thus the standard is promoting equal representation of the wills of citizen.

First, political expression is key to check government tyranny

Pracilio ~(Amy, journalist for 3rd Degree) and#34;Compulsory voting – Does it keep the community at large more connected? Have First World countries forgotten the value of the vote?and#34; Edith Cowan University, Parliamentary Research Internship, Nov 28, 2012~ AT
Political participation is the ’lifeblood of democracy,’ representative government proves obsolete without
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consequently, who does not (Orr, Mecurio, Williams, 2003).

Second, including more voices is key to good decision-making

Tom Christiano 2 ~and#34;Democracyand#34;, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2008 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2008/entries/democracy/-http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2008/entries/democracy/~~ AJ
Epistemologically, democracy is thought to be the best decision-making method on the
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the critical assessment of the different moral ideas that guide decision-makers. 

And, political theories should be based on citizens’ choice

Contention 1: The poor are under-represented

Carey and Horiuchi 13 ~John M. Carey (John Wentworth Professor in the
AND
the Department of Government at Dartmouth College on April 30, 2013~ AJ
The first assumption is that when voting is voluntary, wealthier people vote at higher
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, posits lower expected utility of voting for the poor than the rich.

High turnout is necessary to represent the voices

Birch 09 ~Sarah Birch. and#34;The Case for Compulsory Voting.and#34; Public Policy Research. March-May 2009~ AJ
The link between political fairness and full electoral participation is perhaps the most intuitively obvious
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breeding electoral alienation, which in turn provides an excuse for further neglect.

Thus, CV is necessary since it raises turnout significantly

Engelen 07 ~Bart Engelen. Research Assistant of the Fund for Scientific Research – Flanders (Belgium), Centre for Economics and Ethics. and#34;Why Compulsory Voting Can Enhance Democracy.and#34; Acta Politica, 2007, 42, (23–39).  2007 Palgrave Macmillan Ltd~ AJ
Although this seems immediately plausible, I want to show that introducing compulsory voting does
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reinforce each other (Keaney and Rogers, 2006, 18–20).

Compulsory voting is key to how parties spend their money

Matsler 02 ~SEAN MATSLER. University of Southern California Law School. and#34;COMPULSORY VOTING IN AMERICA.and#34; S. Cal. L. Rev. 76 (2002): 953-978~ AJ
Two other successes can be attributed to Australia’s compulsory voting scheme. The first is
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the much more important task of convincing voters to vote for them.77

That forces politicians to be more accountable once elected.

Snyder 02 ~Stephen Ansolabehere and James M. Snyder, Jr. and#34;Soft Money, Hard Money, Strong Parties.and#34; Columbia Law Review , Vol. 100, No. 3, Symposium: Law and Political Parties (Apr., 2000), pp. 598-619~ AJ
Many students and observers of Congress complain bitterly about the lack of competition in congressional
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and credible challengers, and tend to ignore safe incumbents and struggling challengers.

Status quo politics exclude moderate voters.

Polman 13 ~Dick Polman. National political columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer. and#34;Mandatory voting is a great idea.and#34; Newsworks. August 15, 2013~ AJ

If virtually all Americans voted, the ideological partisans in the electorate would have less
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which involves only half the adult population, with ideological over-representation.

CV limits political alienation

Keaney and Rogers 06 ~Emily Keaney and Ben Rogers. and#34;A Citizen’s Duty Voter inequality and the case for compulsory turnout.and#34; Institute for Public Policy Research. May 2006~ AJ
Compulsory turnout not only increases turnout, it also cuts down the cost of political
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of political efficacy and their confidence in the political system (Lijphart 1997).

Tournament: VBT | Round: 1 | Opponent: Miramonte TK | Judge: Joseph Millman
Large sell-offs of Ivory stockpiles by African Elephant Range Countries have stimulated demand and provided an incentive for poachers. 

Kahumbu 12 Paula Kahumbu - Executive Director of Wildlife Direct. “Why it's time to ban the ivory trade for good” Environmental News. 12/12/2012 http://news.mongabay.com/2012/1212-kahumbu-op-ed-poaching.html#jf7Yt1yP5YPczdHI.99

To make matters worse, … and relations with local communities. 

AND, significant loopholes have undermined the effectiveness of the ‘89 ban. The sale of pre-ban ivory is still legal, making it impossible to tell the difference between legal and illicit ivory, and domestic markets are unregulated by CITES. So, laundering illegal ivory is easy. 

Montazeri 13  Sharon Montazeri  - Senior Notes Editor, Cardozo Journal Of International and Comparative Law. Candidate for Juris Doctor, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, May 2014; B.A. (cum laude), New York University, May 2011. “PROTECTING THE PACHYDERM: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IVORY TRADE REGULATION FOR AFRICAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION” CARDOZO J. OF INT’L and COMP. LAW Vol. 22 2013

In 1975, CITES placed … a perfect storm of noncompliance with CITES.

Thus, I advocate that all African Elephant Range Countries institute a ban on the domestic sale and export of all Ivory and Ivory products, and adopt non-extractive use policies toward local elephant populations. 

Sub-point A: Solvency 

An absolute ban would make it much more difficult for illicit traders to launder  ivory. Any legal means of trading facilitates poaching. 

Montazeri 13  Senior Notes Editor, Cardozo Journal Of International and Comparative Law. Candidate for Juris Doctor, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, May 2014; B.A. (cum laude), New York University, May 2011. “PROTECTING THE PACHYDERM: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IVORY TRADE REGULATION FOR AFRICAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION” CARDOZO J. OF INT’L and COMP. LAW Vol. 22 2013

Any curbing on the … as will be discussed infra in Part V. B.¶ 

A ban on ivory sales would dive up prices, reducing remand, and driving suppliers out of the market.

Montazeri 13  Senior Notes Editor, Cardozo Journal Of International and Comparative Law. Candidate for Juris Doctor, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, May 2014; B.A. (cum laude), New York University, May 2011. “PROTECTING THE PACHYDERM: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IVORY TRADE REGULATION FOR AFRICAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION” CARDOZO J. OF INT’L and COMP. LAW Vol. 22 2013

On the other hand, one-… compliance with such a sizeable trade restriction.

Sub-Point B: Biodiversity

Although initially stabilized by the CITES ban, elephant populations are plummeting and on the brink. If nothing is done the African Elephant could be extinct by 2020. 

Forde 11 Matt Forde - Why the African Elephant Could Be Extinct by 2020, Environmental
Graffiti (2011), http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/animals/news-african-elephants-be- extinct-2020.

But a dark stain is fast returning to ... If these disheartened figures remain constant, elephants in Africa could become extinct by as soon as 2020.

AND, Elephants are a keystone species. Loss of African Elephants could lead to the extinction of up to 50 of species in the ecosystem. 

Western 89 David Western, Chairman of the African Conservation Centre, Professor of Biology at UCSD and UofM , Pachyderm: A Publication of the African Elephant and Rhino Specialist Group, number 12, 1989

Elephants play a previously … Lose our keystone species and we will lose a great deal more in the process

AND, A loss of biodiversity will cause human extinction.

Diner 94 Major David Diner, JAG Corps, United States Army, Winter 1994, Military Law Review, 143 Mil. L. Rev. 161, p. 170-173

Why Do We Care? -- No species has ever … humankind may be edging closer to the abyss

Sub-point C: Terrorism 

Al-Qaeda is seeking a nuclear device to use against the U.S. If they get a weapon they will use it. This is not an empty threat it is a top priority. 

Larsen 10 Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs “Al Qaeda Weapons of Mass Destruction Threat: Hype or Reality? A Timeline of Terrorists' Efforts to Acquire WMD” Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. January 2010. http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/19852/al_qaeda_weapons_of_mass_destruction_threat.html

Osama bin Ladin's assertion in 1998 … and realistic course of devising a "dirty bomb," or a radiological dispersal device.

East Africa is hot-spot for the potential smuggling of nuclear materials to terrorist groups. Al-Shabaab poses the greatest threat in the region and is intimately connected to Al-Qaeda and provides an opportunity to obtain a nuclear device. 

Huber 10 Rita Grossman-Vermaas, Konrad Huber, Alexandra Kapitanskaya -- “Minimizing Threat Convergence Risks  in East Africa and the Horn of Africa:  Prospects for Achieving Security and Stability” Center for the Study of Threat Convergence. May 2010.

Nonetheless, there have been … convergence scenario in, or ¶ from, the region.
And, nuclear terror causes extinction.

Ayson 10 Robert – Professor of Strategic Studies and Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand at the Victoria University of Wellington – “After a Terrorist Nuclear Attack: Envisaging Catalytic Effects,” Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Volume 33, Issue 7, July AT

A terrorist nuclear attack, … on the control of existing fissile material holdings.
Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda rely on ivory for funding. Al-Shabaab receives 40 of its funding from illicit ivory. 

Goldsmith 12/18, Zac Goldsmith, journalist and member of UK Parliament, “At This Rate, Elephants Will be Extinct Within 10 Years,” The Independent Dec 18, 2013 MOCH

Beyond the sheer pettiness of the trinkets, … Lord's Resistance Army, and Sudan's murderous Janjaweed organisation, and many others.

AND, ending the Ivory trade is THE key to stopping al-shabaab and other terror groups. The revenue from Ivory gives Shabaab a decisive recruiting advantage. 

Neme et. al 10/14 Laurel Neme, Andrea Crosta and Nir Kalron – Laurel Neme is the author of "Animal Investigators: How the World's First Wildlife Forensics Lab Is Solving Crimes and Saving Endangered Species." Andrea Crosta is founder of the Los Angeles-based Elephant Action League. Nir Kalron is founder and CEO of Maisha Consulting. “Terrorism and the ivory trade” LA Times. October 14, 2013. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-neme-ivory-poaching-terrorism-20131014,0,1915512.story#axzz2nvbkTWCc

If the world needs another … like those in the Nairobi shopping mall.

Sub-point D: Impact calculus. 

The resolution is not a comparison of action to inaction, prioritizing environmental protection or resource extraction would both prescribe particular actions that would involve trade-offs between the interests of different parties. This is generally true of government policy and means states must evaluate the consequences of their actions. 

Sunstein 05 Cass R. Sunstein  and Adrian Vermeule “Is Capital Punishment Morally Required? Acts, Omissions, and Life-Life Tradeoffs.  Copyright (c) 2005 The Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.  Stanford Law Review December, 2005 58 Stan. L. Rev. 703

The critics of capital punishment have been …. Any decision that allocates such rights, by creating entitlements  *722  and prohibitions, is not inaction at all.

AND, species extinction is the biggest impact. 

Rolston 94 Distinguished Professor, Department of Philosophy Colorado State University. Reflecting on Nature: Readings in Environmental Philosophy. Edited by Gruen, Lori, and Dale Jamieson (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994), Contains Rolston, "Environmental Ethics: Values in and Duties to the Natural World," pp. 65--84.

A shutdown of the life …. An ethics of respect for life is urgent at the level of species.¶
¶

When comparing possible extinctions we should prioritize species that are the most essential within their ecosystems. 

Weber 93 Darren L. Weber “Environmental Ethics and Species: To be or not to be?” Philosophy: Environmental Ethics. 1993. http://psdlw.users.sourceforge.net/education/essays/env_tp2.pdf

Lawrence Johnson, for instance… parasites¶ that ravage an even larger parasite, human beings.

Tournament: Damus | Round: 1 | Opponent: Kinkaid EH | Judge: Hiyawan Solomon
Hasbani 10 defines the resolutional conflict:
Hasbani 10 Hasbani, Inbal. "When the Law Preserves Injustice: Issues Raised by a Wrongful Incarceration Exception to Attorney-Client Confidentiality." J. Crim. L. and Criminology 100 (2010): 277 AJ
A trial, the Supreme Court has asserted, is a "search for truth
AND
client committed a crime for which an innocent person is serving a sentence.
Contention
Subpoint A is Uniqueness:
ACP excludes lawyers from coming forward to save innocents
Freedman 95 Freedman, Monroe H. "Life-Saving Exception to Confidentiality: Restating Law without the Was, the Will Be, or the Ought to Be." Loy. LAL Rev. 29 (1995): 1631 AJ
There are three cases that have been used over the years to illustrate the life
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the information in order to save the life of the innocent person.7
Subpoint B Harms:
Punishing innocents is bad under any framework
Moliterno 10 Moliterno, James E. Vincent Bradford Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University. "Rectifying Wrongful Convictions: May a Lawyer Reveal Her Client's Confidences to Rectify the Wrongful Conviction of Another." Hastings Const. LQ 38 (2010): 811. AJ
Is there harm that comes to all wrongfully convicted persons? Doubtless the answer is
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of the wrongful conviction. The spectrum has a full range in between.
Subpoint C is legal legitimacy:
Wrongful convictions destroy public faith in the CJS
Hemmens and Spohn 11 Spohn, Cassia, and Craig Hemmens. Courts: A text/reader. Vol. 4. SAGE, 2011 AT
Third, wrongful conviction is a concern to many people because it undermines public confidence
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, reputation, credibility, and effectiveness of the entire criminal justice process.
Legal legitimacy is key to the CJS
Robinson 11 (Paul,) “Mercy, Crime Control and Moral Credibility” Public Law and Legal Theory Research Paper Series Research Paper No. #10-32 AT
Perhaps the greatest utility of empirical desert comes through I more subtle but potentially more
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it will be effective in doing so only if it has suf?cient credibility.
Wrongful convictions worse than wrongful acquittals
Rizzolo and Stanca 12 (Matteo, Free University of Bozen–Bolzano; and Luca, University of Milan–Bicocca) “Judicial Errors and Crime Deterrence: Theory and Experimental Evidence” Journal of Law and Economics, Vol. 55, No. 2 (May 2012), pp. 311-338 AT
Judicial errors against innocent defendants represent an important issue not only theoretically but also empirically
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be considered to be far worse than the acquittal of a guilty individual.
Subpoint D is Solvency:
Lawyers will come forward if they can
Hasbani 2 Hasbani, Inbal. "When the Law Preserves Injustice: Issues Raised by a Wrongful Incarceration Exception to Attorney-Client Confidentiality." J. Crim. L. and Criminology 100 (2010): 277 AJ
Although there are several concerns that would require consideration before introducing a new exception to
AND
rights) if they have confidential information that would exonerate an innocent inmate.
Truth seeking brings public attention to the case
Joy and McMunigal 08 Joy, Peter A (Professor of law and director of the Criminal Justice Clinic at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis), and Kevin C. McMunigal (Judge Ben C Green Professor of Law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law). "Confidentiality and Wrongful Incarceration." Crim. Just. 23 (2008): 46 AJ
In response to the argument that this exception is unlikely to produce much benefit for
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other admissible evidence, or simply prompt the prosecution to reexamine a case.

FRAMEWORK:
My meta ethic is reflective equilibrium,
Norman Daniels “Wide Reflective Equilibrium and Theory Acceptance in Ethics.” The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 76, No. 5 (May, 1979), pp. 256-282 AJ
The method of wide reflective equilibrium is an attempt to produce coherence in an ordered
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of the ordered triple (a), (b), (C).5
Reflective equilibrium better describes the nature of moral reasoning
Norman Daniels “Wide Reflective Equilibrium and Theory Acceptance in Ethics.” The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 76, No. 5 (May, 1979), pp. 256-282 AJ
By revealing this structural complexity, the search for wide equilibrium can benefit moral inquiry
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can be traced to disagreements about theory, greater moral agreement may result.
My standard is preventing wrongful punishment.
First, protecting innocents is a piece of moral data
Jeffrie G. Murphy Murphy, Jeffrie G. "The killing of the innocent." The Monist 57.4 (1973): 527-550
From what I have said so far, it should be obvious that this question
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obvious wrongness of making slaves of people, punishing the innocent, etc.
Second, protecting innocents key to agency
Mohindra Mohindra, R. "Positing a difference between acts and omissions: the principle of justice, Rachels’ cases and moral weakness." Journal of Medical Ethics 35.5 (2009): 293-299
One aspect of moral agency is that it implies a power possessed by an agent
AND
does not mean that they are not, respectively, apples and pears. 

Third is rule of law:
Legitimate expectations are encouraged by laws
Soren Schonberg “Legitimate Expectations in Adminstrative Law.” Chapter 1: Expectations, Fairness, and Lawful Administration. Oxford University Press, Nov 23 2000. AJ
According to Habermas coordination problems are central to social life.” Social interactions are subject
AND
requirements justify the recognition of legitimate expectations in the four situations.1°‘
Rule of law requires protection of innocents
Rawls James Bryant Conant Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University. A Theory of Justice. The Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College. Cambridge, MA. 1971. 209-210.
Finally, there are those precepts defining the notion of natural justice. These are
AND
justice are to insure that legal order will be impartially and regularly maintained.

Tournament: Stanford | Round: 1 | Opponent: ALL | Judge: ALL
Environmental protection is defined as:
Black’s Law no date “What is ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION?” The Law Dictionary Featuring Black's Law Dictionary Free Online Legal Dictionary 2nd Ed. AT
What is ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION? Environmental guardianship based on
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and, (3) where possible, repairing damage and reversing trends.
I value morality. Consequentialism is true:
First, in situations of forced choices, we always ought to maximize consequences in order to treat people equally,
Second, governments have limited resources so any decision will trade off with other potential actions.
Third, Psychological evidence proves that human moral reasoning was never rational.
Joshua Greene (John and Ruth Hazel Associate Professor of the Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Harvard University.) Chapter 38: “The secret joke of Kant’s soul.” Thomas Nadelhoffer, Eddy Nahmias, Shaun Nichols. “Moral Psychology: Historical and Contemporary Readings.” Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, John Wiley and Sons, Nov 1, 2010. Print AJ
There is a substantial and growing body of evidence suggesting that much of what we
AND
implications, casting doubt on deontology as a school of normative moral thought.
Consequentialism escapes the dilemma
Joshua Greene 2 (John and Ruth Hazel Associate Professor of the Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Harvard University.) Chapter 38: “The secret joke of Kant’s soul.” Thomas Nadelhoffer, Eddy Nahmias, Shaun Nichols. “Moral Psychology: Historical and Contemporary Readings.” Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, John Wiley and Sons, Nov 1, 2010. Print AJ
This hypothesis raises a further question. Why just deontology? Why not suppose that
AND
which is why, I argue, that consequentialism is inescapably “cognitive.”
Fourth, No act omission distinction for states
Sunstein and Vermuele Cass R. Sunstein and Adrian Vermeule. The University of Chicago Law School. “Is Capital Punishment Morally Required? The Relevance of Life?Life Tradeoffs.” JOHN M. OLIN LAW and ECONOMICS WORKING PAPER NO. 239. The Chicago Working Paper Series. March 2005 AJ
In our view, both the argument from causation and the argument from intention go
AND
a set of policy instruments that do not adequately or fully discourage it.

If there’s even a risk of ethical uncertainty, we should always prioritize the survival of the human race to ensure future value.
Bostrom Nick Bostrom. Faculty of Philosophy and Oxford Martin School University of Oxford. “Existential Risk Prevention as Global Priority.” Global Policy (2012)
These reflections on moral uncertainty suggest an alternative, complementary way of looking at existential
AND
of value. To do this, we must prevent any existential catastrophe.
Thus, the standard is minimizing existential risk. 

I advocate that all developing countries will sign, ratify and pass domestic legislation implementing, the Minamata Convention on Mercury.  
Selin 13 explains Henrik Selin, Pardee Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of International Relations at Boston University. “The Minamata Convention and the Future of Mercury Abatement” THe Frederick S. Pardee cenTer For THe STudy oF THe Longer-range FuTure. Issues in Brief, 28. October 2013.

Mercury is a pollutant of global, regional, and local concern. Humans have
AND
benefitted from using them to help target decision-making and expand controls.
Contention 1 – econ
Mercury is over-supplied and demand is falling
EPA 7 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) “Mercury Storage Cost Estimate” Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics And Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Nov 6 AT
EPA has projected that in the next several decades, global supply of elemental,
AND
on the panel’s estimates, based on current and projected mercury storage practices.
A ban raises production in the short term
CEC 6 (Commission Of The European Communities) Commission Staff Working Document Accompanying Document To The Proposal For A Regulation Of The European Parliament And The Council On The Banning Of Exports And The Safe Storage Of Metallic Mercury Impact Assessment AT
While one should keep in mind that mercury markets are far from predictable, one
AND
maintaining a level of close to $10/kg in constant dollars.

And, mercury markets volatile in the status quo
CEC 6 (Commission Of The European Communities) Commission Staff Working Document Accompanying Document To The Proposal For A Regulation Of The European Parliament And The Council On The Banning Of Exports And The Safe Storage Of Metallic Mercury Impact Assessment AT
The mercury market has some special features, making it somehow different to other commodity
AND
them vulnerable to production interruptions and unable to respond quickly to larger demand.

Contention 2: Poverty
Mercury pollution leads to a reduction in average IQ
GAHP 13 “The Poisoned Poor: Toxic Chemicals Exposures in Low- and Middle-Income Countries” Global Alliance on Health and Pollution. September 2013.

Economic costs can also be measured in productivity lost due to decreased IQ, among
AND
The most obvious ways are by expanding access to natural resources and land.¶
Mercury pollution creates an endless cycle of poverty.
Blacksmith Institute 2010 “Pollution, Poverty and the I.Q. Connection” Blacksmith Institute, Pollution blog. February 3, 2010. http://www.blacksmithinstitute.org/blog/?p=164
Does pollution plague a country because it is poor? Or does pollution make a
AND
pollution does more than just cripple and kill.  It traps and engulfs.
Poverty kills millions and outweighs nuclear war
Abu-Jamal 98 Mumia Abu-Jamal, prominent social activist and author, quotes James Gilligan, American psychiatrist and author, director of mental health for the Massachusetts prison system, President of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy. (“A Quiet and Deadly Violence,” Al-Ahram Online Sept 19 1998, http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/1998/400/in5.htm Accessed 7/10/13 AT)
We live, equally immersed, and to a deeper degree, in a nation
AND
the weak and poor every year of every decade, throughout the world.

And, Poverty causes nuclear war.
Caldwell 2000 Joseph George Caldwell, PhD (Statistics) Consultant in Statistics and Information Technology (“On Human Population, Global Nuclear War and the Survival of Planet Earth,” Foundation Website 10/26/00, http://www.foundationwebsite.org/arti1000.htm Accessed 7/10/13 AT)
It would appear that global nuclear war will happen very soon, for two main
AND
crowding and misery increase, raising the motivation for war to higher levels.
Contention 3 – oceans
Mercury specifically threatens oceans
Science Daily 2011 “Mercury On the Rise in Endangered Pacific Seabirds” Science Daily. Apr. 20, 2011 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418152320.htm
Using 120 years of feathers from natural history museums in the United States, Harvard
AND
from excessive fish consumption, the problem can be considerable," said Bank.
AND, a loss of ocean biodiversity specifically causes extinction.
Craig 3 Robin Craig, Indiana University, Robin Kundis, Winter, 34 McGeorge L. Rev. 155, p. 264-266
Biodiversity and ecosystem function arguments for conserving marine ecosystems also exist, just as they
AND
- even  if a few fishers go out of business as a result. 

Contention 4 – solvency
The convention bans primary mercury mining,
Sharma 13 Yojana Sharma, Asia Director at University World NewsWriter and Editor at SciDev.“treaty to ban mercury emissions” 1/22/2013. http://www.scidev.net/global/news/nations-agree-first-global-treaty-to-ban-mercury-emissions-.html
A legally binding global treaty to curb mercury in the environment, agreed after a
AND
eliminate mercury, under a proposed mercury 'trust fund', it was agreed.
And, models show that the aff will reduce emissions.
Lubick 13 Naomi Lubick, Columbia University, New York; Earth and Environmental Science Journalism and Associate editor, Environmental Science and Technology;  David Malakoff, Deputy News Editor for Science Magazine. “With Pact's Completion, the Real Work Begins” Science 27 September 2013:  Vol. 341 no. 6153 pp. 1443-1445
An elegant crematorium sits in a wooded cemetery here on the edge of the city
AND
help reduce global mercury emissions by 15 to 35 in coming decades

The plan will create economic incentives
Wade 13 Lizzie Wade, Freelance science writer and the Latin America correspondent for Science magazine “Gold's Dark Side” Science 27 September 2013:  Vol. 341 no. 6153 pp. 1443-1445
Simply banning artisanal mining—or mercury—isn't a realistic option, specialists have
AND
gold shops to capture, recycle, and resell mercury they now burn.
Aff solves for illicit activities
Keane 13 Susan Egan Keane “The Minamata Convention - what it means for Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining” Switchboard. National Resource Defense Counsel. March 4, 2013.  http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/skeane/the_minamata_convention_-_what.html
The very existence of a multilateral environment agreement of any kind, in this age
AND
from mining and the need to protect special and valuable natural resources and places.

Tournament: Voices | Round: 3 | Opponent: Young Genius Academy AD | Judge: Andrew Amoronto
See Voices AC

Tournament: Voices | Round: 1 | Opponent: Harker SP | Judge: Adam Torson
The term “compulsory voting” creates a law to attend all elections. I’ll defend that the law prohibits blank ballots, but they’re still aff ground since the state can’t prevent people from casting them.
Birch 09 Birch, Sarah. Reader in Politics-University of Essex . “Full Participation : A Comparative Study of Compulsory Voting.” Manchester, GBR: Manchester University Press, 2009. Pgs 2-3. Copyright © 2009. Manchester University Press AJ
Compulsory voting can be defined .., which will be used interchangeably.
The AC defends implementation of CV in the United States only.
Need an ethic of equal participation.
CAROL C. GOULD Stevens Institute of Technology “Racism and Democracy Reconsidered” Social Identities, Volume 6, Number 4, 2000 AJ
Why does racism, … sexist attitudes in practice.
Racism is enabled by leaving people alone
GOULD 2 Stevens Institute of Technology “Racism and Democracy Reconsidered” Social Identities, Volume 6, Number 4, 2000 AJ
¶ Based on this analysis … considered later, in the ?final part.
Ending racism requires accepting multiculturalism in the public sphere by breaking down racial barriers and actively supporting all cultural identities.
GOULD 3 Stevens Institute of Technology “Racism and Democracy Reconsidered” Social Identities, Volume 6, Number 4, 2000 AJ
It may be helpful to analyse …ll as mediated forms of representation.

Thus, the standard is reducing race-based barriers to equal participation in decision-making. 

Contention 1: Harms
Subpoint A is discrimination:
A close examination of the US reveals a new generation of racist voting laws
Hodgkiss 01 (Anita, trial attorney with over 35 years of experience defending companies and individuals in the state and federal trial and appellate courts) “Race and Election Irregularites on November 7 2000” 15-FEB NBA National Bar Association Magazine 18- (January/February, 2001) AT
The information gathered by …, agencies and the bar for consideration.
The recent repeal of the Voting Rights Act allowed states to LEGALLY MANDATE voter discrimination.
Knafo 13 (Saki, General Assignment Writer, has written for The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, and Publishers Weekly) “Voting Rights Of Black Americans Trampled By 'New Jim Crow,' Civil Rights Advocates Say” Huffington Post, 07/25/2013 AT
More than a million of … don't have to attend to their preferences."
Subpoint B – alienation.
This deliberate exclusion feeds a cycle of political alienation. The obstacles to voting are not only physical, but also emotional.
Hill 1 Lisa Hill. Political Science Program, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. “On the Reasonableness of Compelling Citizens to ‘Vote’: the Australian Case.” POLITICAL STUDIES: 2002 VOL 50, 80–101. Blackwell Publishers AJ
It is often suggested that abstention … genuine choice or rational calculation.19
Subpoint C – the collective action problem.
Voting only becomes rational once people with similar interests vote as well – this creates a prisoner’s dilemma where it is a better individual choice to just stay at home, despite mass turnout benefiting everyone.
Hill 2 Lisa Hill. Political Science Program, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. “On the Reasonableness of Compelling Citizens to ‘Vote’: the Australian Case.” POLITICAL STUDIES: 2002 VOL 50, 80–101. Blackwell Publishers AJ
When a poor, African-American … desired and desirable properties).
The collective action problem poses a substantial problem for minority voters, continuing their exclusion.
Harvard Law Review 07 “THE CASE FOR COMPULSORY VOTING IN THE UNITED STATES” HARVARD LAW REVIEW Vol. 121:591 Dec 2007 AT
There are serious questions … reflect aggregate preferences.34  

Contention 2 is solvency
Subpoint A is no more excuses:
CV fights the physical barriers to voting by making elections more convenient and
Cherry 09 (Ceridwen, Law Clerk at United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Voting Rights Intern at The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Intern at Office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, University of Michigan Law School and Harvard University Kennedy School of Government) “Maximizing Participation: what the US can learn from compulsory voting” FairVote June 8, 2009 AT
While mandatory turnout … powerful predictors of high turnout levels.

Subpoint B is inclusiveness:
CV changes the structure of the political system, forcing parties to engage with previously marginalized voters and creating an inclusive political space.
Keaney and Rogers 06 Emily Keaney and Ben Rogers. “A Citizen’s Duty Voter inequality and the case for compulsory turnout.” Institute for Public Policy Research. May 2006 AJ
Compulsory turnout not only … confidence in the political system (Lijphart 1997).
Mandating political participation is key to a social atmosphere of equality
Alejandro 11 (Hannah Alejandro, Georgetown University Law Center) “The Sovereign Obligations of We, the People: An Argument for Compulsory Voting in the United States” Georgetown Law Center March 18, 2011 AT
Of course, historically jury service … and the guarantee of equal opportunity.61
Compulsory voting fosters civic discussion
Milazzo 08 (Caitlin, Lecturer in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham) “Forced to Vote: The Impact of Compulsory Voting Laws on Political Discussion” Paper Presented at MPSA Annual National Conference April 3, 2008 AT
Much of the research on compulsory voting … they will also be more informed in their political choices.
Subpoint C is turnout:
CV consistently raises turnout,
Engelen 07 Bart Engelen. Research Assistant of the Fund for Scientific Research – Flanders (Belgium), Centre for Economics and Ethics. “Why Compulsory Voting Can Enhance Democracy.” Acta Politica, 2007, 42, (23–39).  2007 Palgrave Macmillan Ltd AJ
Although this seems immediately plausible, … to vote coexist and reinforce each other (Keaney and Rogers, 2006, 18–20).
UNDERVIEW - IMPACTS
The underview is an additional impact to the harms:
Voting restrictions perpetuate racists by painting minorities as anti-citizens
Wacquant 05 (Loic, Distinguished University Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the New School for Social Research, Professor of Sociology at the University of California, and a Researcher at the Center for European Sociology in Paris. His interests comprise comparative urban marginality, the penal state, bodily crafts, social theory, and the politics of reason ) “Race as civic felony” UNESCO 2005. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd AT
Race or, to be more precise, blackness ... fenced out, and politically sterilized’ (Harvard Law Review Association 1989, pp. 1314–1315, 1316)
This exclusionary model paints minorities as inferior
Elden 02 Stuart Elden, politics at University of Warwick, 2002 (Boundary 2 29.2)
The reverse side is the power to … the other but of regenerating that race (FDS, 228–30). As Foucault puts it in La volonté de savoir :