Nearly 50 Edisto High School students spoke out on the death penalty, the "cheeseburger bill" and teenage plastic surgery last Wednesday while participating in a live broadcast of the "Teen Forum Show" aired from the school's Commons Area.

Broadcast from its own studio and also from high schools and colleges around the Southeast, the "Teen Forum Show" is presented by America's Radio Show with Andy Thomas and heard all over the Southeast, according to executive producer Mike Thomas, a University of South Carolina senior advertising major. This unique weekly show is produced, directed, and co-hosted by nine teens who represent diverse ethnic groups and opinions.

Concerning the death penalty, host Andy Thomas asked whether the death penalty was appropriate for Lee Malvo, who was under 18 at the time he and John Allen Muhammed allegedly killed ten people and wounded three others in the Washington sniper, D.C., sniper shootings.

Malvo should pay by giving his own life for taking part in random acts of murder, said a regular Teen Forum member, Alia Rafi, 17. Rafia moved to South Carolina from Pakistan three years ago.

"Forcing him stay on earth behind bars thinking about what he did would make him suffer more for his crimes than putting him to death," EHS senior Amanda Brown said in rebuttal.

"I'm a Christian," said tenth grader Xavia Harrington. "Putting him in jail would be the better option. Killing someone is like trying to play God and we (Christians) don't believe in playing God. Two wrongs don't make a right."

The general consensus of the EHS students in the audience was against the death penalty.

The next issue debated was "the cheeseburger bill," which, if passed on Capitol Hill, will prevent individuals from suing fast food chains for making them overweight.

Teen Forum assistant Dan Fenner, a 19-year-old USC freshman, argued that the bill would set a precedent for other industries to "immunize" themselves against lawsuits, thus allowing big business to make "legal" determinations and "control Americans."

Chosen to sit at the head table with her own mike, Brown disagreed: "If we as Americans can sue hamburger establishments for making us overweight, then in the future, if we keep eating what they now serve as salads on the ‘lighter menu' and end up too thin, will Congress have to pass a 'fruit and vegetable bill?'"

As the last topic, Andy Thomas asked if teens should be allowed to have plastic surgery just to look like pop stars? This issue sprang from MTV's new feature show, "I Want A Famous Face," scheduled to premier on Monday, March 15.

Most of the EHS students said they'd probably tune in Monday out of curiosity, but many were against plastic surgery, saying it's like a tattoo or, like EHS juniors Ariana Coleman and Shayne Lewis said, that teens should be happy with who they are and be themselves.

Coleman called it "creepy" and EHS sophomore Floria Pena called it "ludicrous."

"Teenage plastic surgery could be a good thing if it's for the right reasons, like a car accident victim restructuring some area that was disfigured," Pena said.

The live show airs Wednesdays from 4:00-5:30 p.m. and can be heard locally over Columbia's ESPN 12:30 a.m. as well as at least six other AM bands in South Carolina ,including Charleston's 10,000-watt station, WJK 950 AM. If you don't have radio handy, the Teen Forum can be picked up over the satellite channels of Galaxy 4 (analog) and Starguide 3 (digital).

Andy Thomas the show with thanks to Orangeburg Pizza Hut for providing pizzas, to Carmike Cinemas / Camelot 4 for donating movie tickets, and to Mrs. Tooky's restaurant which offered the Radio Show team dinner.

http://www.teenforumshow.com

http://www.americasradioshow.com  

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