Thursday, Dec. 28, 2006 | 7:04 a.m.
Editors note: More than 800 students from high schools throughout Southern Nevada participated in the 51st annual Sun Youth Forum on Nov. 21. 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. Beth Cohen of Centennial High School writes about issues covered by her group.
In a confined room with 30 to 40 high school students eager to talk about world issues, what could really happen? The fact is that not all adolescents are ignorant and uneducated about the world surrounding their humble abodes. It's amazing how knowledgeable many teenagers are in our society and how they can take information and form a plan of action they feel is suitable for the situation.
One hot topic was the subject of the war in Iraq. Was there probable cause? The majority of the room issued a resounding "No." Ideas bounced from wall to wall about conspiracy theories and an unwarranted invasion of another country. Students believed Bush entered Iraq for almost every other reason in the world except for the one he made public.
Now I don't deny their beliefs, but I feel many people lose sight of the fact that when America proposed entering Iraq, the majority of the United States was behind the idea. I don't think the common citizen will ever know if we had "probable cause," but there is no turning back now. We need to finish what we started, not by antagonizing our government, but by backing our troops and finding out a way to end this war in a civilized manner.
A huge problem in our country is that everyday citizens live for the here and now instead of looking out for the future of our country. Global warming is an extreme example that won't just stop because we're not currently paying attention.
The United States needs to put more emphasis on the necessity of protecting our environment. I honestly feel that if environmental control was an elite issue, all of our cars would either have alternative fuels or would run by electric power. The oil companies have their hands in the corporate world and, therefore, funds are put to increasing oil supplies instead of substitute methods.
Moving toward the next topic in our discussion, I wanted to clearly highlight the definition of illegal: forbidden by law or statute. It was disappointing how many students in my class were open to illegal immigrants entering our country and obtaining jobs in America. People misconstrued the meaning of the words on the Statue of Liberty to mean more than what they should.
Yes, we will take your sick and your poor, but they need to enter the United States in a legal manner, so they are not injuring our economy. I understand we can't deport the mass number of illegal immigrants in our communities, but this country needs to come up with a way to force them to become legal.
Of course the major conflicts of religion continue to be a problem in various countries around the world. The consensus around the room is that disputes such as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict are not likely to be resolved. Intolerance stems from ignorance, and as long as there are people in this world who thrive off unwarranted hate, peace will never have an answer. The answer for right now is to educate, educate, educate! The more people understand about others, the less ignorance will spread and create more turmoil.
All in all, the Sun Youth Forum gave students a chance to express their opinions in a nonthreatening environment. Learning from others, even if you don't necessarily agree with their beliefs, is a step toward greatness and a step toward our future.
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