Guest columnist Patrick Vincent: 9-11 reshapes teens

Thursday, Dec. 20, 2001 | 8:30 a.m.

Editor's note: More than 900 Clark County high school students participated in the 46th annual Sun Youth Forum Nov. 20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The students were divided into groups to discuss seven selected topics. A spokesperson was chosen from each discussion group to write a column about the students' findings. Patrick Vincent of Green Valley High School tells of the students' opinions in the session entitled "America."

SEPT. 11, 2001, is a date that will live in infamy. At 9:02 a.m. EST, an airliner struck the north tower of the World Trade Center. This was followed by attacks on the Pentagon and the south tower of the World Trade Center, and the crash of United Flight 93. More than 3,000 innocent Americans were murdered that day.

When those airliners plunged into the World Trade Center, they also plunged into every American's heart, especially teens. This was evident when I and other students from across the county met to discuss national events at the Sun Youth Forum.

While we were there to discuss every aspect of America, the emotional debate centered on the events of Sept. 11. The students' discussion began with trying to define what it meant to be an American. Opportunity, freedom, courage and pride flowed from the mouths of the students. We understood that being an American meant not only taking the benefits and reaping the awards, but also bearing the burdens. The events of Sept. 11 exemplified this spirit.

Yet many of the students questioned whether this new wave of patriotism was sincere. How long would this spirit last? Why did it have to take the deaths of more than 3,000 of our fellow citizens for us to wake up and realize that we are Americans?

Hopefully, this new spirit will last. Every student felt that we must never forget -- never forget the deaths and sacrifices made not only on Sept. 11, but also throughout the course of history for the ideals of freedom and liberty.

We also discussed how the war on terrorism should be fought. Again and again the question was asked: How do we stop men who are willing to die to advance their cause? We concluded that to prevent such terrorist attacks from occurring again, the United States must change its image. We must try to win the hearts and minds of Muslims throughout the world, all the while continuing the fight against the al-Qaida terrorist network. We felt that if we were able to follow these basic guidelines, we would be able to prevent future attacks and bring the terrorists to justice.

We discussed what actions should be followed on the homefront in light of the attacks. Many questions again were raised. Do we tighten immigration laws? Do we wiretap anyone suspected of being a terrorist, even without a warrant? Is Attorney General John Ashcroft going too far? Some students said we may have to give up some civil liberties. Many others agreed with Benjamin Franklin who said, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

One of the benefits that came from the tragic events of Sept. 11 that we all agreed on was that we, as a people, became one. We saw ourselves less as whites and blacks, straight and homosexual, and more as Americans. The tragic events helped to draw us closer together as a nation. Other students believed we still need to make progress toward equality. As a world leader, the United States should lead the world toward a more egalitarian society.

As the 46th annual Sun Youth Forum came to a close, my fellow students and I left with a greater understanding of America. This knowledge will help us in the future as citizens and leaders of America. I would like to thank everyone who made this forum possible, because without their commitment, this exchange of ideas would not have been possible.