Youth can lead the way on civil debate

Editor’s note: About 1,000 students from high schools throughout Southern Nevada participated in the 62nd annual Sun Youth Forum on Nov. 29. 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 Home in Nevada group.

Young people are sometimes perceived as caring little about the issues of our time. However, instances still occur — more frequent than may seem — in which the youth of our community come together and discuss changes they wish to see in the world, bringing passion and life to issues that may seem mundane.

This year, as I took my place at the 62nd annual Sun Youth Forum, I was reminded that these kinds of gatherings exist, and that the students who take part in these events are the same students who will one day take our nation into their hands and push it into a brighter, better future.

In the meantime, the students with whom I was grouped had the opportunity to discuss the most pervasive issues Nevadans face today.

As we introduced ourselves and described the problems we would most like to see solved, a rich and diverse collection of viewpoints emerged. One student was the treasurer of his school’s Young Conservatives Club. Another worked on Jacky Rosen’s Senate campaign. Some students were raised in the United States, while others had just immigrated to the country a few months prior.

Despite these differences, our conversation remained consistently amiable and understanding, just as every civil discourse should.

Our discussion flowed freely from topic to topic, beginning with the condition of Nevada’s education system. Our room reached quick consensus that teachers need a higher wage, and we discussed the viability of obtaining extra revenue for education by taxing the gaming or mining industries.

Many people argued that the state constitution limited the amount that mining could be taxed, prompting some to suggest higher taxes on gaming. Others, however, countered that high taxes drive out industries, and therefore taxes on the gaming industry should be kept to a minimum.

Not all routes of conversation remained strictly economic, however. Responses were more varied on how to best solve the regional divide between Northern and Southern Nevada, for example.

After analyzing the roots of the divide, and offering knowledge of Nevada’s historical, political and economic trends to explain the division, some suggested that simultaneous economic development in both areas could spur new partnerships to form, thus dispelling any animus between the two.

Perhaps our most intricate debate surrounded youth homelessness. Students took the time to share their own stories, which included tales of economic hardship, experience in the foster care system, and the challenges of being an LGBT youth. From there came coherent explanations for — and possible solutions to — Nevada’s youth homelessness problem.

Hearing each of these stories reminded me that every issue should be examined through countless different lenses before a conclusion is reached. Attending the Sun Youth Forum made it clear that our future leaders are more than prepared to accept such a challenge.

In a world where people seem to grow more divided as each day passes, it is comforting to be reminded that people still discuss the issues we all face with an open mind and a kind heart. Perhaps we can look to young people as a source of inspiration in this area.