Where I Stand—Joshua Ybarra: Potpourri of solutions offered to handle problems of the future

Wednesday, Dec. 31, 1997 | 10:27 a.m.

FOREMOST, I WOULD LIKE to send my appreciation to all who made the SUN Youth Forum possible. It is this kind of special attention that lets our youth shine.

On a special note, I heard from my teacher that a lady by the name of Ruthe Deskin was retiring as Youth Forum director. It is because of her and her 43-year diligence that have made the SUN Youth Forum. As a student, and speaking for all who have attended the forum, I thank you for this opportunity; its benefits reach all.

Our forum was "Potpourri," which dealt with most of the tougher moral issues that our generation would soon be facing. Topics such as media, politics, abortion and parenting were discussed.

The first discussion the forum had was simply directed toward the media. We began by discussing and realizing how much the media shaped our lives. The television news reports, newspapers and magazines told us all the information from all over the world. Our main concern was with how this information we were receiving as a society could be one-sided. Yet we all concluded that it was media that shaped our lives and opinions.

Another concern that was discussed was the violence and sexual content of television. We seemed to all agree that a drawback was needed, but realized that it was these qualities that most often drew ratings. The highest concern, though, was the benefit and welfare of our children and their viewing habits. Having the V-chip seemed like a reasonable step in protecting our children. For a generation characterized as being apathetic and uncaring, the whole forum's concern seemed to be on the generation that would follow us.

The next issue facing the forum dealt with politics. We saw here a growing concern that people today, young and old, did not care about their government. This conclusion was drawn from the lack of voter turnout and the apathetic view society has taken. Remarks like "Well, our government is corrupt" and "My vote won't count" were heard throughout the discussion. The shocking news was this is what the students had overheard from their parents. It seemed to us that Americans needed to learn more about their government and how they can change it.

Some of us, being in government classes, saw unusually simple solutions to political problems, but why did not our parents and fellow students? If a society is not happy with its government, then it has that power to change its representation. Throughout history, it has been many individuals who had one vote each that changed a nation. A startling fact came to light as one student rose to speak. She told the story of her parents having to take a citizenship test and having to know the original 13 colonies of America, the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Our mediator made a remark that represents many people today: "I wouldn't have passed the test." We, as Americans and students, should make it a personal goal to understand fully the government that we will soon be running.

The topic of abortion arose in our SUN Youth Forum. Throughout the discussion, many heated arguments and words were crossed. From one side of the room, religion spoke loud and clear concerning a pro-life stance. From another, rights and morality spoke from a pro-choice stance. Many students stood and gave their views on the issue and proved to make an educated decision. The discussion we were having was one concerning moral views. We all had to realize that, because this was a topic of personal morals, we were debating two right answers. One side of the issue believed that it was right, and so did the other. What were we to do?

We looked at the issue of abortion realistically, morals set aside. Only then was the point raised that America can never make abortion illegal, because there would be a nationwide health risk as women resorted to other measures. Pro-life and pro-choice are personal decisions, but if abortion were illegal, it would still be carried out, beyond the protection of doctors.

Our final topic was that of parenting. Gary Waddell, who did a wonderful job as our mediator, asked, "How can I be a better parent?" The room's aura seemed to lift and the lights seemed to get a little brighter. Going from a discussion with no definite, clear end to one to which we all had an answer. All of us seemed eager to give our own pointers and tips.

It was wonderful to hear a parent listening to children on how to do a better job. Comments on being a child's friend arose quite often. Making sure your child knew you loved him was high on the list. I commend Mr. Waddell for listening intently to every comment and every word, making a mental note of each one.

I believe a valuable lesson was learned at the end of our SUN Youth Forum session. No matter how difficult the problem, no matter how conflicting the moral issue, we always have our turn to start over. This starting over is accomplished through our children, and the best way to improve is to listen to the children themselves. The last comment was given, and everyone sat silent as Mr. Waddell nodded his head in agreement: "The best thing a father can do for his children is love their mother."