Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Where I Stand:

Controversial topics produce division, broaden understanding

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Boubacar Dialo of Silverado High School during the 60th annual Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum at the Las Vegas Convention Center Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016.

For 60 years, the Sun Youth Forum has been giving Las Vegas teenagers a chance to offer their perspectives on important public issues. During the annual gathering, which this year attracted about 1,000 students, public high school juniors and seniors engaged in discussions in groups of 40 or so students moderated by a community leader. Each group selected one of its participants to reflect on the experience. This column is written by Boubacar Diallo, a senior at Silverado High School. Publisher and Editor Brian Greenspun is turning over his “Where I Stand” column to these young adults, who have something to say.

My experience as a participant in Sun Youth Forum enlightened me to the viewpoints of my peers, the coming generation who will deal with contentious issues in America.

The aftermath of the 2016 state and presidential elections resonated in many of the issues we discussed, such as the death penalty and police brutality. There were certainly issues that divided the room, with the death penalty being the first.

Many moral arguments were presented for why the death penalty was justified; among them was that dangerous criminals who had committed atrocious crimes didn’t deserve to keep their life. If someone killed one of your loved ones, would you want the assailant to continue living, even within our prison system? There were many in the room who agreed with this sentiment, but some students disagreed. Arguments against the death penalty included that innocent people have been executed in the past, and that it was more expensive than incarceration. However, one participant urged students “to not consider the economic value of executing someone, because you can’t place value on a human life.”

The second polarizing issue was the legalization of marijuana. As we know, Nevada voters approved ballot Question 2 in November, legalizing recreational use of the drug in our state. While many found no fault with its legalization, some brought valid concerns for its implementation in our state, one of which was the effect it would have on driving under the influence of the drug. Both sides had agreed that being high and driving wasn’t OK, and that more research needed to be done to find if someone was under the influence of marijuana while driving. An additional concern was about marijuana’s long-term health effects, to which there was consensus for a need for more research. However, it was pointed out that legalization also had resulted in many positives, such as reducing the number of people in prison for drug offenses, and more freedom for people to do what they want with their body.

The biggest issue of debate was whether people of color had reasons to fear authority, given recent issues of police brutality and the formation of Black Lives Matter. Many students supported the idea that minorities had reason to fear authority after recent scandals related to police brutality. Acquittals of police officers involved in lethal incidents were another concern. However, other students countered by asking whether brutality was truly a widespread issue, as opposed to being blown out of proportion by the media. Those students contended that the police were justified in protecting themselves since they were frequently faced with dangerous situations, and were forced to use their best judgment and decision. A student expressed an opinion that Black Lives Matter was “fundamentally flawed,” and hadn’t achieved its purpose. This was the most contentious issue in the room by far, with no clear consensus.

Each student came with an open mind to discuss the topics offered, and we left with a broadened understanding of the world. The current generation has much to deliberate in the coming decades, and the opinions of our fellow Americans will weigh heavily in how we solve them.