Forum a chance for different voices to unite

Brendan Flynn

Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.

About 1,000 students from high schools throughout Southern Nevada participated in the 54th annual Sun Youth Forum on Nov. 23. The students were divided into groups to discuss topics. A representative was chosen from each group to write a column about the students’ findings. Brendan Flynn of Bishop Gorman High School writes about issues covered by his group, “America.”

The economy. Free speech. Polygamy. These were just three of the many topics discussed by 25 or so teenagers sitting in a room in the Las Vegas Convention Center on Nov. 23. The day started surprisingly — that is to say it began united.

A question — “How long will it take for the U.S. economy to recover?” — was posed and a consensus came quickly: We have no idea.

Just as the talking heads can tell you what factors will help predict market patterns, students were able to propose several possibilities, such as spending and debt, as indicators of when the economy will recover. Unfortunately, just as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke cannot wave his magic economy-fixing wand, we were not able to identify a specific time when the economy would recover.

As the day continued, the students became more and more representative of the American political system — united on a few issues but largely divided.

The next topic discussed — “Should military service be mandatory?” — began the rift. A clear majority did not believe mandatory military service was good for the country, but some voices from the right (no pun intended, they were sitting on the right side of the room) were in opposition, saying, “If you are going to live here and enjoy freedom, you should be willing to defend it.”

With the divide slowly growing, we discussed the topic of gay couples and adoption. To say the least, by the time this topic was finished, that small rift between opinions had become about as deep as the Grand Canyon and twice as wide.

The majority believed the answer was a simple, resounding yes. There were some, who, like those who believe the answer is no, cited sources, including the Bible, to support their argument. In the end, the voices who said yes dominated the conversation.

The issues and responses provide a good representation of how the day went and how it compares with sentiments of the general population. People generally had a respect for our country and our leaders. There was a reverence for the men and women in uniform from the United States fighting all over the world. After that, there was sharp disagreement.

People have strong opinions, and, regardless of their being backed by fact, they are prepared to defend them. There is reason to hope for the future, though.

Although the disagreements rang of the ones being had by political parties for decades, the disagreements had a new undertone: respect for the person arguing. Regardless of political allegiance, the Sun Youth Forum was an incredible experience for us to come together, articulate our views, and listen to one another.

Perhaps listening to opposing views is something we all need to be willing to invest a little more time in these days.