Commentary: Adding guns is not the answer to school violence

Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006 | 7:05 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. Amir Hill-Shafeeq of Rancho High School writes about issues covered by his group.

School violence seems to be a growing problem within Clark County. The topic at hand was whether teachers should be allowed to possess weapons in school for protection. Even though the decision was pretty unanimous, there was some opposition among the group.

The majority said teachers have no need for guns in the classroom because it detracts from the learning environment and can cause retaliation issues among the students who want to possess that gun.

One young man brought up the fact that some schools in urban areas around the country are so bad that it may be mandatory for teachers to own some type of protection, because if not, their very lives may be in jeopardy. Our group's moderator, Metro Deputy Chief Jim Owens, pointed out the fact that Tasers are being used more than guns. Even with that being the case, there have been instances where Tasers have been known to kill the recipient of the shock.

Next, immigration was thrown into the mix. From what was being said, it seemed that many were under the impression that illegal immigrants came only from south of the U.S. border.

One young lady properly implied that immigrants, legal or illegal, come from all over the world, and not just South and Central America. As one student stated, "If immigrants left the country, our economy would falter."

Another student countered that idea with the fact that if illegal immigrants left the country, our economy would rise because there would be a higher demand for workers to do "dirty work" and, therefore, annual salaries would increase.

I mentioned the protests that occurred this past winter in accordance with the tougher immigration laws. Immigrants come to this country to provide opportunities, but if you want to be able to maintain that stability that you are looking for, then you should not protest by screaming "Hail, Mexico!" It makes your disposition seem invalid. Many people agreed with my statement, while a select few had their objections.

The highlight of the Sun Youth Forum for me was when a young lady, addressing terrorism, asked if anyone would be scared if they saw a Muslim in the airport, full bearded, with a turban, and whether they would not be terrified to get on that flight.

I aggressively, but calmly, addressed the situation because I myself am Muslim. To summarize it, I told the young lady that stereotypes should not affect our perception of everyone of that specific group, keep your horizons broad, and stay optimistic because stereotypes bring nothing but hatred toward another.

Topics such as gay marriage, the death penalty, child molestation and a reinstatement of a mandatory draft aroused the intellect of every individual in the room. Being in an atmosphere where everyone there wants to engage in a conversation gives you a feeling of hope. It gives you hope because you know that there is a future full of bright, intelligent youth ready to take our next generation into the future.

Despite all the negativity in the world, it is nice to see a forum that gives these very teens an opportunity to establish their foundation for creating a better tomorrow. I really look forward to going next year so that, once again, I may feel at home among my fellow youth.