The old chestnut of lowering the voting age to 16 is rearing its head once again, thanks to the government. You cannot marry without parental consent, join the armed forces without parental consent and still not go on active service, buy cigarettes or buy alcohol, until you are 18. If you are not deemed responsible to do any of those things, how can you be deemed responsible to cast a vote in an election?
The debate that never takes place, is raising the voting age back to 21. I know it will never happen, but why not? The majority of those aged between 18-20 don't vote. They don't have an understanding of politics and the political process. They generally lack life experience. Why not let them make their way in the world, get off to university or training or the workplace and get opinions of their own, and then let them vote at 21? Just an idea.
9 comments:
Wow, I didn't know the voting age was 16, I guess I never thought about it.
But a 16-year-old person is, in most cases, an idiot. I know it from my own teenage years. A 16-year-old can't possibly make clear decisions, especially in such important matters as politics. A child that young isn't yet developed fully and is incredibly easily persuaded.
Hell, even an 18-year-old has questionable ability to decide by one's own mind and not to be easily persuaded.
So 21 should be minimum, indeed.
Sten: No. The current age in 18.
Why not let politicians vote for 16 year olds?
Fine, but lets then reaise income tax so that it cannot be levied on those under the age of 21.
It seems to be totally unfair that 16 year olds can pay income tax but not be able to vote.
No taxation without representation.
As for Sten's comment that 16 year olds are idiots, you find less racist 16 year olds than you find in the adult population, in my many years experience of teachig kids. It seems to me that age sometimes does not bless people with knowledge but instead layers them with prejudice.
Nich: Thanks for giving the alternative viewpoint, not that I am advocating raising the voting age. I am merely starting a debate. Would you favour lowering the voting to 16?
Andrew: I just misunderstood, sorry.
Norfolk Blogger: Absolutely, younger people are pristine. Couldn't agree more. But they're also not that experienced and not that convinced in their views. They're easily influenced by their parents, friends, and campaigning politicians.
I think that if I could have voted when I was 16, I would probably have voted for commies, because my father used to be a convinced communist.Or still is. Afterwards I started to develop my own views and values, and I think I did a better job than my dad :)
Hello all, Simply put I feel your veiws are unfair and biast. Sten, some people have grown more mature since you where a teen, and some less, however me being under 16. I would like to 16's to vote. In all honesty at 16 you are on your way to become self seficent, you can Marry, you can work, and if you earn a certian amount you have to pay taxes. Even though you cannot fight you can still join the armed forces for 2 years of training.
I am very experinced in my veiws and my veiws will not change, I disagree with both my parents in polotics, and see no reason to be a clone of there ideas.
You seem to care to much about 2 minoritys and not the vast majority.
Aswell as inexpreince has it's upsides. Apart from the expences scandal, we don't judge on previous PMS or governments, we see the world alot diffrent from you, and in all honesty a modern veiw, and so 16 and 17 year olds should be given this right, to push a modern veiw, and to stand up for the people like me who are not represented.
Thanks for your comment, Anon. It's been a quite a while since I wrote this post. I remember when I was your age and thinking my views would never change, but they do, not that this should be a bar to voting. I would have loved to vote at 16, and I am still open to the idea, but I don't think it will ever happen. It will never be raised to 21 either. I think 18 is where it will stay.
I think the voting age should be raised back to 21 like it was before 1971. However I think there should be a stipulation to that as well. For those who are 17 to 20 & who enlist into the Armed Forces, they should be able to vote since they're serving their country. But for those who are not in the military & are under 21 they should be prevented from doing so. Alot of guys in the service care about the political landscape at 18, 19 & 20 & on up. It matters because the morons who make the laws also affect us, the servicemen. So in conclusion most people under 21 are morons & can't really make for a good argument on why they are voting for who they're voting for. Ask a large majority of these young kids about Obama & many of them don't know squat about him except that he's savvy, a smoother talker & talks about hope & change. Lol, that sure gets them going....
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