Sun Youth Forum:

Students mirror US attitudes on gun control

Sun, Dec 10, 2017 (2 a.m.)

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Student representative Michael Douville of Arbow View 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 Law and Crime group.

The Sun Youth Forum has always been an incredible opportunity, allowing the brightest students in the valley to engage in intellectual debate and conversation with equally impassioned peers.

This year the forum became even more pertinent, given the events that have occurred in our city and around the nation. Each room in the Las Vegas Convention Center was immersed in relevant conversations that represented how young people felt about the most pressing issues in our society, and allowed them to propose their own solutions to these issues.

I participated in the Law and Crime category, which was centered on several of the most divisive legal, criminal and ethical issues facing our society. Our conversation focused not only the problems and moral dilemmas created by our legal system, but also the manner in which students believed these issues could be solved.

The Oct. 1 shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival had an enormous impact on our community, which many participants in our discussion felt firsthand. This understandably led to gun control being chosen as the most pressing issue, and we began debate on that topic.

There was a clear split in the room, with one side in clear favor of increased gun control measures and the other feeling gun control was simply ineffective.

It seems that the sentiment shared among those of the latter opinion is that gun control measures only limit law-abiding citizens, while criminals would simply ignore any proposed restrictions. Those opposing restrictions asserted that gun control simply doesn’t reduce gun violence.

Gun control advocates in the room pointed out that in following that logic, all laws are useless. They argued that the laws would not abolish crime but would deter others and make it more difficult for criminals to commit crimes.

It was pointed out that countries such as Switzerland, which also have a very active gun culture, have experienced gun-related deaths at far lower rate than the U.S. Some contended the high death rate was not a failing of gun control, but rather of the weakness of America’s existing gun control laws and hesitance to actually implement these laws in a more effective manner.

The argument on how we should regulate guns prompted discussion on a related question: Could any law or ban on guns have prevented the Oct. 1 shooting ?

A majority of individuals who argued against gun control also answered no.

The guns Stephen Paddock owned were acquired legally, they said, and nobody could have predicted or prevented this attack.

Students who held the opposing view argued that this was precisely the point.

The fact that our system allowed the shooting to happen so easily is evidence of a failing of that system. They pointed out that one reason we were so surprised and unprepared for this attack was because pro-gun advocates such as the NRA have blocked any type of gun violence research. In order to understand and prevent future attacks, they said, we must be free to research how and why these events occur.

Gun violence research, as well as effective implementation of gun control measures, must be treated as a priority and a responsibility in order to increase public safety.

This forum is a truly unique experience. There are few other places where students are given the freedom to discuss and explore issues that are relevant in today’s society.

Students are able to experience perspectives and opinions they may not ever consider otherwise. The Sun Youth Forum allows young people to open a dialogue about issues that really matter, and help effect the changes that will shape the future.

Michael Douville is a senior at Arbor View High School.

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