Basic Downloads

Are you new to speech and debate? The following downloads are for you. They contain introductions to various events that the Monument Membership explores. These downloads are updated every summer to prepare for the new year of competition.

Your Basic Downloads Source Material for Season 22:

File Name	S22-Policy-Stoa-59-NEG-COMPAS_BlackBoxJudiciary.docx
File Size	64.01 KB
Date added	February 28, 2022
Category	Archived, Policy (Stoa)
Author	Vance Trefethen

Resolved: The United States federal government substantially reform the use of Artificial Intelligence technology

Case Summary: The AFF plan bans the use of “Black Box” (non-transparent, mysterious algorithms) AI systems used in the judicial system to recommend bail, parole and sentencing. The most notable one (and the only one specifically mentioned in AFF evidence) is known by its acronym COMPAS (Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions).

NOTE: Despite AFF saying so, their evidence will never say (because it is not true) that COMPAS is used to determine guilt or innocence. AI is never used for that. AI/COMPAS is used to estimate the likelihood that a person will skip out on bail (to help make the decision whether to grant bail and if so, how high it should be), or whether a convict will likely recidivate (to help the judge decide how long a sentence he should get, or to guide the parole board on whether/when to grant parole). On some occasions, COMPAS results might be used by a witness to present character testimony at trial, but COMPAS does not take the place of the jury. It also does not “decide” the sentence, it merely gives input to the judge and the judge makes the decision.

“Loomis” was a criminal in Wisconsin who appealed his 6-year state prison sentence because he couldn’t determine how COMPAS came up with its recommendation to the sentencing judge (the algorithm isn’t fully disclosed). AFF will cite him as a living example of someone who was harmed by COMPAS. He’s actually a good source for Negative material if you dig into his situation. He pled guilty to 2 felonies related to a drive-by shooting. Judge gave him the maximum, a 6-year sentence. But if you look at his awful criminal record, you’ll come away wishing he could have gotten more. And courts have ruled that there’s no constitutional violation when a judge gives a criminal the maximum sentence. Nobody has a “right” to a lighter sentence and judges have a constitutionally protected role to use whatever input they want in sentencing. Nobody’s rights were violated and Loomis wasn’t “harmed.”

Download Your Preseason Documents, too:

You may still access Season 21 downloads here.

All Season 22 Basic Downloads will be updated by August 31, 2021. They will remain available through Season 22.

Easy Entry to the World of Speech and Debate

All Members have access to the digital copy of Easy Entry to the World of Speech and Debate by Chris Jeub. Download it below or order a hard copy.

Season 22 Release Schedule

Monument releases content all year long, from one national tournament to another, in what we call "seasons." We are entering Season 22 (2021-2022). For a list of all Member downloads for Season 21, click here. The following is the general release schedule for Season 22:

End of Season 21 - Officially archived on June 28, 2021. The new Season 22 releases begin July 5, 2021.
July-August - The first Monument Monday releases July 5, 2021. Basic informational material will continue through the summer (e.g. summaries, resolutional articles, etc.).
August 30, 2021 - End of the Pre-season, beginning of the official year of Monument Speech and Debate.
~~Christmas~~ Thanksgiving 2021 (we finished early!) - All foundational downloads are complete! Summaries of all releases are now available.
Through March 2022 - BONUS material released to members on a more as-needed basis using our Coaching Request Form.
April-June, 2022 - Qualifier and Nationals Preparation work is arranged...and Monument Members will be prepared to win!

Season 22 Debate Resolutions

Resolutions for Season 22 are posted here as they are announced by various speech and debate leagues.

Policy (all season):
- NCFCA: "Resolved: The United States Federal Government should significantly reform its policies regarding convicted prisoners under federal jurisdiction."
- NSDA: "Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its protection of water resources in the United States."
- NSDA Vote for Season 23 (Due December 15, 2021):
  - OPTION 1 – GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE – Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its support of multilateral greenhouse gas emission reduction regimes.
  - OPTION 2 – GLOBAL GEO-POLITICAL CRISIS: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES – Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its security cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in one or more of the following areas: artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity.
- Stoa: "Resolved: The United States Federal Government should substantially reform the use of Artificial Intelligence technology."
Lincoln-Douglas:
- NCFCA (all season): "Resolved: In the context of innovation, the proactionary principle ought to be valued above the precautionary principle."
- NSDA releases six resolutions through the year:
  - Sept/Oct Novice: "Resolved: Civil disobedience in a democracy is morally justified."
  - Sept/Oct Varsity: "Resolved: The member nations of the World Trade Organization ought to reduce intellectual property protections for medicines."
  - Nov/Dec: "Resolved: A just government ought to recognize an unconditional right of workers to strike."
  - Jan/Feb: "Resolved: The appropriation of outer space by private entities is unjust."
  - Next release is due February 1, 2022.
- Stoa (all season): "Resolved: In the field of biomedical engineering, restraint ought to be prioritized over scientific advancement."
Other Formats:
- Big Questions Debate (all season): "Resolved: On balance, societies benefit from religious belief and practice."
- Public Forum for Sept/Oct: "Resolved: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization should substantially increase its defense commitments to the Baltic states."
- Public Forum for Nov/Dec: "Resolved: Increased United States federal regulation of cryptocurrency transactions and/or assets will produce more benefits than harms."
- Public Forum for January: "Resolved: The United States federal government should legalize all illicit drugs."
- Public Forum's next release is due January 1, 2022.

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