A. Volatile

     Among the most divisive issues in communities and society in general are religion and sex.

Religion

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Religious values have played out in politics and in the courts. The conflict is sometimes defined as one of "values," the moral underpinning of a society. On one side are those who charge we have surrendered to immorality in our entertainment culture, in our government and in our private lives. The most vociferous of these advocates of a return to fundamental values are those who are defined as members of the religious right, a group that made up almost a fourth of the voters in the 2004 presidential election.      One of the campaigns of religious conservatives is the placement of monuments displaying the Ten Commandments in public places. These displays have been challenged and the courts have made rulings on whether these are religious displays and if so whether they can be displayed on tax-supported property.

Another campaign is the introduction of "intelligent design" in biology classes and the questioning of the Darwinian theory of evolution. "What gets the A.C.L.U. and others all upset is that these alternatives to evolution might include intelligent design, which might lead to God," said Richard Thompson, head of the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.      Make a search for background for a feature or documentary about one of these issues. Localize your story.

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Sex

     Although the guardians of so-called moral values have been unable to prevent acceptance of explicit references to sex and sexual practices on stage, screen, in literature and the media, one area remains cloaked: sexually transmitted diseases. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services says:

     STDs are hidden epidemics of enormous health and economic consequences in the United States. They are hidden because many Americans are reluctant to address sexual health issues in an open way and because of the biologic and social characteristics of these diseases. All Americans have an interest in STD prevention because all communities are impacted by STDs and all individuals directly or indirectly pay for the costs of these diseases...
The first hurdle will be to confront the reluctance of American society to openly confront issues surrounding sexuality and STDs. Despite the barriers, there are existing individual- and community-based interventions that are effective and can be implemented immediately...

     What is your community, your state doing to cope with STDs? Here are some city and state figures for a recent year. Find the data for your city and state and check on efforts to control the spread of STDs.

     The department of Health & Human Services targeted the gonorrhea rate for 2010 at 19.0. Forty states now have rates higher than this.

B. Localize

     Here are the five states with the highest death rates from six causes of death. Find out how your state stands in these categories by obtaining the most recent data from the site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Then ask local authorities to explain your state's standings as they compare with neighboring states: