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Student representative Noah Price of Foothill High School during the 61st annual Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum at the Las Vegas Convention Center Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017.
Editor’s note: About 1,000 students from high schools throughout Southern Nevada participated in the 61st annual Sun Youth Forum on Nov. 8. The students were divided into groups to discuss a variety of topics. A representative was chosen from each group to write a column about the students’ findings. This essay addresses the issues covered by the America group.
In today’s society, rancor is pervasive. Social media is filled with disheartening comments on political leaders, policies and standpoints. Everyone has an opinion, and our advanced technologies and culture of open discussion have made it easy for people to share.
However, many neglect the fact that these opinions are not exclusive to the older generations. Sitting in a room filled with high school upperclassmen is the first opportunity to see that the young people have just as many opinions on politics as anyone else does.
Recently, I attended the Sun Youth Forum to share my thoughts on our society, as many others. The difference is, however, the room of teenagers was better able to come to a consensus on a major issue in America than many adults.
Last year, our city was struck with the deadliest mass shooting in United States history. In the ensuing discussion of gun control, individuals’ viewpoints began to shift and people began to see the controversial topic in a new light. This was displayed in our room of students and became the topic most heavily discussed.
It is important to stress what gun control actually means. As one student stated, “It is not about taking away your firearms. It is about creating safety and common sense about deadly weapons.” Advocacy on gun control by no means equates to support for repealing the Second Amendment. Only in an extreme is it even banning sale or possession of certain types of firearms. However, there needs to be some sort of containment on what is and is not OK.
The Oct. 1 shooter purchased 30 firearms in one month. That equates to one gun a day. Common sense laws beg the question on this action: Who needs to purchase a gun every day? Even the most avid of collectors take a break with their wallets at the gun shop. Devin Patrick Kelley is responsible for the most recent act of violence. His record of domestic violence should have disqualified him from being a gun owner. However, there was a breakdown in adding his name to the federal database used for background checks on gun purchases. Almost every teenager in the room had a dropped jaw at the presentation of this fact. Many argue that “common sense gun laws aren’t all that sensible” but in our most recent situations, some really are.
Of course, some students remained reluctant to embrace these laws. But by the end, even the most passionate gun advocates called for something to be done. One of pro-gun advocates even offered a solution: “You have to have a permit to drive a car and pass a practical test. Why can’t we have the same kind of rule for gun ownership?” Even the simplest of changes can do a lot to make a difference.
There are many legislations that could help the gun problem in America. People on the no-fly list and those deemed mentally unstable and violent should not be able to purchase guns. People with similar circumstances as the recent shooters in Las Vegas and Texas should not be able to get away with what they did. If our young people are able to come to a consensus on these things and make a call for control, why can’t our lawmakers in Washington? At least we know that if not now, our future can create change for America.
Noah Price is a senior at Foothill High School.
