Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2002 | 11:13 a.m.
Many of Southern Nevada's best and brightest young minds say we are shooting at shadows and kidding ourselves if we believe a so-called "war on terrorism" can be won.
"Do any of us feel we can win a war on terrorism?" Marc Rillera, a senior at Bishop Gorman High, said Tuesday at the 47th annual Sun Youth Forum at the Las Vegas Convention Center. "Can we really say we can totally get rid of it once and for all? I don't see an end to a war on terrorism."
More than 1,000 students from 30 Southern Nevada high schools participated in the debate that focused on seven topics: America, Nevada, world issues, law and crime, school days, teen issues and potpourri.
Divided into 21 groups moderated by educators, attorneys, congressional leaders and others, the teens addressed many subjects, from the legalization of marijuana, to removing the phrase "one nation under God," from the Pledge of Allegiance, to why the United States does not switch to the metric system.
But when they talked about world affairs, the most spirited debate was on Middle East strife and the war on terrorism.
"Has the war on drugs been won? Against prostitution? Against serial killers? No," said Sergei Brun, a junior at Cimarron-Memorial High School. "I'm not saying we should give up on the war on terrorism. But we have to accept that we can only limit terrorism. We cannot defeat it."
Morgan Black, a senior at Centennial High, echoed that sentiment: "Terrorism is an idea -- you can't get rid of an idea. This is not a real war."
Chris Mater, a Mojave High senior, said: "To stop terrorism all nations have to be on the same page. And they are not."
But a few disagreed, saying other ideas and ideals that flew in the face of the United States have fallen.
"Terrorism is an idea, but so was communism, and communism was defeated in the Soviet Union," Boulder City High senior Joe Stubitz said. "I think we can win a war on terrorism."
To do nothing against terrorism is not the answer, some students argued.
"We have to take some sort of action -- it has impacted us, it has impacted the world," Richard McIntosh, a Durango High senior, said.
But the question of giving up some freedoms for more security from the government -- including encouraging authorities to racially profile Arabs and others -- brought mixed debate.
"The preventative measures we are taking (are) creating paranoia among Americans," Mayo Djakaria of Valley High School said.
"Everyone needs to be a suspect to prevent loss of life," Donny Bridges of Clark High said of the added security measures and profiling.
Tyler Hanson, a senior at Chaparral, agreed: "You have to look for familiarity, whether that is a good or a bad thing."
Some students said they did not mind giving up some rights because they personally "have nothing to hide." But Maria Liebermann, a senior at Advanced Technology Academy, warned that a nation that fought long and hard for civil rights should not be so quick to surrender any of its freedoms.
"Privacy was one of the rights this country has long fought for," she said. "It would be contradictory to give it up."
Bridget Kelleher, a Green Valley High senior, said: "There is no guarantee we will ever get those rights back. I'm not anti-government, but we are putting the ball in their hands? Are we really willing to do that?"
As for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, some students don't think U.S. involvement will bring peace.
"They both have their beliefs and beliefs are hard to change," said Mebrahtu Gobena, an Ethiopian-born Las Vegas resident of 11 years who attends Rancho High. "We should let them fight it out."
Late Sun Publisher Hank Greenspun co-founded the Sun Youth Forum with Sun Assistant to the Publisher Ruthe Deskin. Among this year's moderators were Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., Sun Editor and President Brian Greenspun, U.S. District Judge Philip Pro and former Sen. Richard Bryan.
Prior to the forum, Sun Vice President and columnist Sandy Thompson, the longtime director of the Sun Youth Forum who was killed in an Aug. 9 auto accident, was remembered.
"Sandy was most concerned about children's issues and young adult issues," said former Superintendent of Schools Brian Cram, director of education for the Greenspun Foundation. "We want to make sure this program goes on in the philosophy that Sandy had, which is that young people are an important part of this community."
Brian Greenspun told the teens before the forum: "Sandy was killed in the most tragic way -- by someone who smoked marijuana before he left home that morning and was high as a kite. So when you discuss Question 9 (the failed marijuana initiative), discuss it in the context of real people dying as a result of these types of policies."
Each of the 21 groups, following the two two-hour sessions, selected a representative who will either write a column for the Sun, appear on a roundtable discussion on UNLV cable television Channel 70 or write a column for CLASS!, a nonprofit monthly magazine for, by and about local high school students.
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