Where I Stand — Farah Minwalla: Teens agree to disagree on variety of topics

Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005 | 8:19 a.m.

Editor's Note: Editor's note: About 1,000 students from high schools throughout Southern Nevada participated in the 50th annual Sun Youth Forum on Nov. 22. 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. Farah Minwalla of Palo Verde High School writes about issues covered by her group, "Potpourri."

In a world full of chaos and confusion, the last choice that teenagers want is to not be able to speak their minds. The youth of today defines the hope of future generations to come, and on Nov. 22 high school teens from all over the Clark Country School District participated in the 50th annual Sun Youth Forum. This one-day event took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center where juniors and seniors discussed many issues facing our current day and age.

With respectful moderation from former U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan, all 40 of the teen's opinions were listened to and debated. Our first topic was the heavily controversial issue of stem-cell research.

On one side, some students said it was a proposal based on false hope, which has not still yielded any results. On the other hand, some students said that the embryos would be thrown out anyway, so why not use them?

While some in the group believed it might be immoral, ultimately the group decided that we need to move forward in stem-cell research. One theme that everyone agreed on was that morals and science will always clash.

With the issue of human life on the forefront of this matter, the majority voted in favor of stem-cell research, but with some limitations.

Next on the agenda was the following: Should people of the same race be able to use racial slurs against each other, and when is it unacceptable when someone of a different race uses the same slurs? The room was equally divided with some saying that no matter how racial slurs are used, it is still a racial slur consisting of self-disrespect.

But the more prominent issue was how racial slurs have slowly crept their way into society and how people have been using them. The solution we presented was that racial slurs shouldn't be used, but it depends on the context through which it is taken.

The next hot topic our group talked about was how deeply people's opinions were influenced by what is observed in the media.

One argument was that people simply believe what is told to them and that the media, as biased as they are, have their own way of perceiving good and bad. In rebuttal, some students said that the news editors should make the choice on how we perceive the message the media put out.

The undeniable truth we all agreed to was that the media, with their biases, heavily influence what people's opinions are and how our culture rotates in its vicious circle.

As with any issue, there will always be the butting of heads between conservatives and liberals. But in the Sun Youth Forum all outlooks were put out on the table for everyone to hear and to take into consideration.

"I haven't experienced anything like this before, where young adults could come and converse for a day. I learned that other students from different high schools have the same or similar concerns that I have as well," Charmaine Hank of Cheyenne High School said.

The goal of the Sun Youth Forum is to learn and not judge others for their outlook -- to agree to disagree. Ever since 1955, and hopefully for many years to come, the Sun Youth Forum has made the sun shine in the path of the youths' horizons.