Thursday, Dec. 28, 2000 | 10:04 a.m.
Editor's note: More than 850 juniors and seniors from area high schools participated in the 45th annual Sun Youth Forum Nov. 21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Students were divided into discussion groups on selected topics. Royi Moas of Chaparral High School tells of his group's opinions on "Potpourri," which covers a variety of issues.
The misconception that opinion and perception can be associated with a certain age group proved to be nothing more than a myth at the Sun Youth Forum.
Although researchers tell us that students tend to be more liberal, a conservative trend seemed to exist when discussing "morals within the classroom, school violence, police corruption and gun control." On the other hand, strong liberal views were associated with "government censorship, abortion, gay marriage, underage drinking and capital punishment."
With the assistance of our moderator, Robert Marshall of Sprint, the discussion truly signified the divisions among the students who expressed their views on the topics.
Many students believed society should entrench moral beliefs into the minds of vulnerable students during the early years of public education. Those opposed to such a radical approach suggested that teachers be able to post the Ten Commandments without the religious context. Others suggested that schools simply teach U.S. law, and a few believed that religion and morals have no place in public schools. The majority of students came to an agreement that public schools should have some obligation to teach and entrench morals into the minds of innocent schoolchildren, although no one could agree on how to accomplish that.
The discussion of police corruption came as a surprise to many, including the moderator. Students agreed that the misconception that "police officers target and harass teenagers based on stereotypes" was simply that -- a misconception. Yet the students also agreed that they did not have much contact with police officers across the valley, and therefore could not represent the views of those who have had experiences with Metro Police.
Gun control sparked a new debate among the 40 students who basically agreed that there should be some restrictions, but people should have the right to carry a gun. The propaganda supported by many gun industries seemed to reach many students who stated that "guns don't kill people; people kill people" and the more popular "if we put restrictions on guns, only criminals will have them." Above all, this discussion told students that propaganda made its mark on students, who said we should have the right to carry a gun yet also agreed that the Constitution addresses militias and not personal gun owners.
Surprisingly, when the topic of government censorship was addressed, some students thought that government should censor all we watch, see and hear. Most believed the government should have no part in censoring what we watch. Many said government had no part in helping a parent raise a child via movie theater, book and radio restrictions. Many students believed that even though parents today have no time for their children, they need to make time and not rely on Big Brother to stop children from doing or watching something they deem "inappropriate."
The topics of abortion and gay marriage went through the cycle of "rights versus appropriate." The majority of students agreed that an individual has a right to get married to whomever he or she wishes, and that women -- not government institutions -- should make decisions regarding their own bodies. Students spoke out against the extreme view that the "sanctity of marriage would be lost" by approving of same-sex marriages. They also rejected the view that abortion would be a form of birth control.
As for underage drinking, the majority of students said they had been to parties where alcohol was given to minors. The discussion took many turns. Many agreed that alcohol was very easy to get and that many students simply steal it if no one buys it for them. Others attempted to say that regardless of the difference in culture, other countries do not have so many problems since the (drinking) age limit is left up to the parents.
The Sun Youth Forum was a major success, and many began to notice that as adolescents, "our opinions differ just as anyone else's does." Even though a conclusion was not reached on many issues, the forum educated many students on others' opinions, which seemed to be the underlying objective.
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