Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004 | 4:11 a.m.
Editor's note: More than 1,000 students from high schools throughout Southern Nevada participated in the 49th annual Sun Youth Forum on Nov. 23. The students were divided into groups to discuss a variety of topics. A spokesperson was chosen from each group to write a column about the students' findings. Vinny Spotleson of Silverado High School writes about international issues covered by his group, "Around the World."
WEEKEND EDITION
December 24 - 26, 2004
More than 30 of us had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a full day discussing foreign policy with one of our own U.S. senators. What was a roomful of teenagers to do in the audience of Sen. John Ensign? Why, what else, but debate both him and each other on virtually everything.
The day started off with an extremely tough question posed by the senator: What should we do about North Korea? The attendees could all agree on at least the basic problems at hand. First, that North Korea's government does not like America and, second, that North Korea's government has tremendously dangerous weapons. Put the two together and the U.S. has a problem.
Some students wanted to build a democracy by force; others, such as myself, voiced the need for more economic sanctions. However, to both of these ideas, Sen. Ensign issued challenges: Is it worth the cost of life to invade North Korea? Do the sanctions actually accomplish anything?
This put the already deeply divided room into further disagreement until the group heard comments by a student who had moved to Las Vegas from South Korea a few years ago. He said the reason we cannot get anything accomplished is that North Koreans simply do not trust America.
This student's comment sparked many new ideas, the most popular of which was reunification of the two Koreas. We granted there would be problems along the way; however, we could apply the experience of East and West Germany in the 1980s.
The debate over North Korea led into a discussion on Iraq. The room split instantly. Some thought we needed to withdraw at once, while others thought we should stay as long as it takes. Although I did not agree with the U.S. invasion to begin with, I sided with the students in the room who thought we should stay, because if we left now Iraq would end up in worse shape than it was under Saddam Hussein. The country would be in the hands of radical fundamental Muslims with violent agendas.
This time, Sen. Ensign was looking for the students to provide an exit strategy. Another student in the room told us that her brother, who recently returned from Iraq, said things were not as bad as the media portray them to be.
By the end of the debate, the room accepted that more nations needed to be involved in the rebuilding process in Iraq and that the United Nations was a good way for including them. Most also agreed that leaving immediately was not in the world's best interest.
From Iraq the discussion shifted to another spot in the Middle East when the senator asked for a solution to the crisis in Israel and Palestine.
One student quickly jumped at this question, for he had recently visited Israel. He explained, and Sen. Ensign concurred, that Arafat's passing is a chance to bring peace to the region, for he was the biggest obstacle on the road to peace. Many students in the room quickly noted that Israel was not wholly innocent and should apologize for past wrongdoings.
Ensign said that the problem for both sides is extremism, which can be resolved only with strong leadership on both sides. We ended with hope that the new Palestinian leader is not an impediment to the peace process, but rather someone who accelerates it. On top of that, I believe the people of Israel and Palestine need to change their views radically, working together to solve their countries' problems instead of blaming each other.
The senator persisted for the rest of the day, asking for more solutions to problems that we once found impossible to solve. He wanted to know how to control overpopulation in the Third World, how to catch Osama bin Laden, and he even asked us what do with the war on terror.
Somehow, for each and every issue, the group came up with many different solutions, most of them workable and compatible. They were not the senator's plans, nor were they our parents' ideas.
Solutions to some of the toughest problems in the world were generated by a group of students putting their minds together in order to make this world a better, safer and friendlier place to live for years to come.
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