voting age in the USA come and share your opinon!!!!!!!!!!!!

[stevester77]

Our world is screwed up enough, why would I want to put my country in the hands of immature 16 year olds that will just follow the commands of their favorite band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Person 1: OMG BUSH SUCKS!!

 

 

 

Person 2: Why?

 

 

 

Person 1: OMG YOUR SO STUPID. "swear word here" YOU AND BUSH CAUSE OMG GREEN DAY I DON WANNA BE MERICAN IDIOT1!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ok arguments for lowering the voting age:

 

 

 

1. youth pay taxes- not being able to vote ammounts to taxation without representation

 

 

 

Been said too many times already, your parents respesent you as a minor. Why didn't you learn that in your genious political class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. The fact that there are political organizations run by young adults that advocate the lowering of the voting age proves that some if not all youth are interested in politics (organizations include ASFAR and Youth Rights oragnization)

 

 

 

You have got to be kidding me. Do you know that in the 18-24 year old age group, not even 50% of persective voters are even registered... let alone show up to the polls to vote.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. At 16 you can get a drivers liscence and own a car- is voting more dangerous or difficult

 

 

 

Did you know that modern science agrees that if it were possible, the age of 25 would be the best for a legal driving age? Why? Because modern science has showed us that up until the age of 25 our brains are still maturing, and until this time, unable to correcty make decisions weighing all the possible outcomes of them ( <-- that is the reason why insurance rates and death toles for teenage drivers are higher than the norm).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Youth are consistantly treated as adults in court (i.e. a 14 year old boy, Nathaniel Brazill was charged with murder as an adult and sentence to 28 years in federal prison)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since when do we take minority cases and apply them to the masses. The majority of minors are tried as the minors they are. Plus, I dont see how a 14 year old boy committing a gruesome enough murder, that it warrents a harsher sentence, translates into 16 year olds being deserving enough to vote.

[tintmangbpack]

Well I think this idea has been sufficiently shot down. The maturity issue is huge and if I had my way the age to vote would be 25. But I understand the reason it is 18, because at 18 you can be drafted, and if you can be forced to go die for your country you should at least be able to vote for who made that decision. So until the lower the draft age to 16 I will be strongly against this.

[Guest GhostRanger]

i like the arguments im getting from you guys

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

another thing i have to say is about the politics class makes u informed about government not pushing you into it, just because you take the politics class doesnt mean you have to become a politician. It is there to inform you, just like the rest of school

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ok arguments for lowering the voting age:

 

 

 

1. youth pay taxes- not being able to vote ammounts to taxation without representation

 

 

 

2. The fact that there are political organizations run by young adults that advocate the lowering of the voting age proves that some if not all youth are interested in politics (organizations include ASFAR and Youth Rights oragnization)

 

 

 

3. At 16 you can get a drivers liscence and own a car- is voting more dangerous or difficult

 

 

 

4. Youth are consistantly treated as adults in court (i.e. a 14 year old boy, Nathaniel Brazill was charged with murder as an adult and sentence to 28 years in federal prison)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

thats just a few check out the websites below to learn more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.asfar.org/voting/

 

 

 

http://www.youthrights.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Its not taxation without representation because minors are not consider full citizens. That's why you can't vote - in America you have to be a citizen to vote (under your own legal guardianship) and a minor is not a full citizen. They are either under the legal guardianship of their parents, other guardians, or the state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Young adults are people who are at least 18 years old, so I don't know who exactly you are talking about that runs the organizations. I'm interested in doing a lot of things I might not be old enough to do, such as run for President, should I be allowed to?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) The voting age has nothing to do with danger or difficulty. Surely its dangerous whether or not adults do it if you vote in a terrible candidate, and its not difficult to vote straight down a party line - but that's not the point. The point is that in America, our voting privelage is based on our citizenship - which we can't reap the full benefits of until we are an adult.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) Cases are tried as adults if they are things as horrible as murder or other such crimes. Most crimes (it would have to be most to be qualified as consistantly as you suggest) will not force you to be treated as an adult.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some other counterarguments to the points you raised:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Political classes in high school can hardly be considered trsutworthy. You don't know the issues unless you keep up with them yourself. Sure, you learn about government, and you might discuss current affairs in one of your classes, but its not adequate on any serious level to allow you vote. Any class that would prepare you to vote would also be a Political Science elective, no Citizenship class or US History class keeps you up to date enough to make that argument.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You also said that both the young population and the old vote the same, nd I would really be interested in hearing your statistics on this one. You referenced the age group of 18-21 and the National Census usually groups ages 18-29 and then an 18-24 group, so I'm wondering how you stumbled across 18-21 statistics. You also referenced the last election, which is fine, but you have to take into consideration that an 11% jump was recorded from 2000 to 2004, so we won't know the reliability of that data until 2008 to see if it stays. A lot of speculation suggests that the rising turnout was due to such a close and controversial election. Consistantly, the general population has about 60% voting, and 18-24 year olds vote at about 36% (2000). In 2008, both numbers increased and we saw the general voting at 63% and the 18-24 age group at about 47%. (National Census released in November 2005). Although the detail is minor, I question your reliability if your statistics appear to be incorrect... :?

[Anesthesia]

first of all 16-17 year olds know more about politics than adults, mostly because of the classes required at the high school level

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's simply ludicrous. You are saying that a 16-17 year old who may have a 'phase' where they're interested in politics (most are going through the "oooh government is evil" phase at that time) knows more about how the world works than a 45 year old man? Come on that is stupid. Someone of that age wouldn't know what is needed for a stable economy, or that when you create a solution to one problem you open up another - they just couldn't fathom it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What you see in teenage views of politics is pure FANBOYISM. I know from experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is attitudes like the above that make me glad that the voting age is what it is, you almost make me want them to raise it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. The fact that there are political organizations run by young adults that advocate the lowering of the voting age proves that some if not all youth are interested in politics (organizations include ASFAR and Youth Rights oragnization)

 

 

 

3. At 16 you can get a drivers liscence and own a car- is voting more dangerous or difficult

 

 

 

4. Youth are consistantly treated as adults in court (i.e. a 14 year old boy, Nathaniel Brazill was charged with murder as an adult and sentence to 28 years in federal prison)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Tiny minority, most likely been listening to too much Anti Flag.

 

 

 

3. With a car you can ruin your own life and maybe a couple of other peoples'. With an irresponsible vote you can jeopardise the future of an entire country.

 

 

 

4. The criminal age of responsibility - the age at which you are declared know right from wrong - is far different from knowing the principles of a sound government.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your post in reply to Bubsa's

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His remark was a deliberately flippant one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am 20 and I voted in the last general election and some local election before that.

[Adam007]

I think plenty of 16 year olds are capable of making the informed decision. I don't think all 16 year olds should be able to though. If possible, they could implement a test 16-17 year olds could take to be able to vote, and I think that could work. Still, the money put into the test everything surrounding it wouldn't be worth it really. I really doubt that many people would take any test to be able to vote, since everyone is so indifferent about everything except what directly effects them at any exact moment. So I think that would be a good idea, but it's not really practical.

 

 

 

Oh and by the way, why specifically are you asking about America? This could apply to many countries.

 

 

 

And also,

 

 

 

No, Because there is no reason for them to vote, the majority aren't contributing to society, and most of the laws and regulations don't affect them. Also how many would actually vote, and not very many are mature enough to make a good decision based on the issues that are involved. Oh wait most of Americans aren't mature enough to make a decision based on the issues and philosophy of the persons involved.

 

 

 

Don't generalize like that. Give me some reason to why the majority of American teens are immature. They might all be pretty much indifferent to most things, but is that severely different in other developed countries?

[Exarch]

You people say 16-year-olds shouldn't be allowed to vote because they aren't mature enough? The only things immature are your degrading additudes towards teenagers. Summarizing the negative posts in this thread, 16-17 year-olds are "irresponsable and uninformed freeloading weak-willed people who would trade their vote for a day off school"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't you hear yourselves? Maybe I am biased because am only turning eighteen in April, but most of your arguments are fallacious and down right stupid. For those who think teenagers would do whatever their favourite band tells them, do you really think they would bother registering & going out to vote? Same thing for the ones who don't have knowledge of political affairs. You should be encouraging young people to vote, not repressing them. I work and pay income taxes, go to school, and can make an informed voting decision just as well as the average Canadian adult. Unfortunately, barring the event of another vote of no-confidence, I won't have an opportunity to vote until I'm 21.

[Guest GhostRanger]

You people say 16-year-olds shouldn't be allowed to vote because they aren't mature enough? The only things immature are your degrading additudes towards teenagers. Summarizing the negative posts in this thread, 16-17 year-olds are "irresponsable and uninformed freeloading weak-willed people who would trade their vote for a day off school"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't you hear yourselves? Maybe I am biased because am only turning eighteen in April, but most of your arguments are fallacious and down right stupid. For those who think teenagers would do whatever their favourite band tells them, do you really think they would bother registering & going out to vote? Same thing for the ones who don't have knowledge of political affairs. You should be encouraging young people to vote, not repressing them. I work and pay income taxes, go to school, and can make an informed voting decision just as well as the average Canadian adult. Unfortunately, barring the event of another vote of no-confidence, I won't have an opportunity to vote until I'm 21.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were several posts that did not focus on the immaturity of teens as their reasoning, but instead, the logical reasons against it (such as mine). You choosing to ignore those posts shows the immaturity that you spoke of.

[Exarch]

 

You people say 16-year-olds shouldn't be allowed to vote because they aren't mature enough? The only things immature are your degrading additudes towards teenagers. Summarizing the negative posts in this thread, 16-17 year-olds are "irresponsable and uninformed freeloading weak-willed people who would trade their vote for a day off school"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't you hear yourselves? Maybe I am biased because am only turning eighteen in April, but most of your arguments are fallacious and down right stupid. For those who think teenagers would do whatever their favourite band tells them, do you really think they would bother registering & going out to vote? Same thing for the ones who don't have knowledge of political affairs. You should be encouraging young people to vote, not repressing them. I work and pay income taxes, go to school, and can make an informed voting decision just as well as the average Canadian adult. Unfortunately, barring the event of another vote of no-confidence, I won't have an opportunity to vote until I'm 21.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were several posts that did not focus on the immaturity of teens as their reasoning, but instead, the logical reasons against it (such as mine). You choosing to ignore those posts shows the immaturity that you spoke of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Its not taxation without representation because minors are not consider full citizens. That's why you can't vote - in America you have to be a citizen to vote (under your own legal guardianship) and a minor is not a full citizen. They are either under the legal guardianship of their parents, other guardians, or the state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Young adults are people who are at least 18 years old, so I don't know who exactly you are talking about that runs the organizations. I'm interested in doing a lot of things I might not be old enough to do, such as run for President, should I be allowed to?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) The voting age has nothing to do with danger or difficulty. Surely its dangerous whether or not adults do it if you vote in a terrible candidate, and its not difficult to vote straight down a party line - but that's not the point. The point is that in America, our voting privelage is based on our citizenship - which we can't reap the full benefits of until we are an adult.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are just stating laws that currently exist, they are not "reasons" for teens not being able to vote. Before women could vote, they were not considered equal to men by the government. Would someone saying "Women shouldn't be able to vote because the law says they aren't full citizens" be a valid argument? Of course people under 18 can't vote under current laws, that is why they may need to.. CHANGE. Important word there. Laws aren't set in stone.

[Guest GhostRanger]

 

 

You people say 16-year-olds shouldn't be allowed to vote because they aren't mature enough? The only things immature are your degrading additudes towards teenagers. Summarizing the negative posts in this thread, 16-17 year-olds are "irresponsable and uninformed freeloading weak-willed people who would trade their vote for a day off school"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't you hear yourselves? Maybe I am biased because am only turning eighteen in April, but most of your arguments are fallacious and down right stupid. For those who think teenagers would do whatever their favourite band tells them, do you really think they would bother registering & going out to vote? Same thing for the ones who don't have knowledge of political affairs. You should be encouraging young people to vote, not repressing them. I work and pay income taxes, go to school, and can make an informed voting decision just as well as the average Canadian adult. Unfortunately, barring the event of another vote of no-confidence, I won't have an opportunity to vote until I'm 21.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were several posts that did not focus on the immaturity of teens as their reasoning, but instead, the logical reasons against it (such as mine). You choosing to ignore those posts shows the immaturity that you spoke of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Its not taxation without representation because minors are not consider full citizens. That's why you can't vote - in America you have to be a citizen to vote (under your own legal guardianship) and a minor is not a full citizen. They are either under the legal guardianship of their parents, other guardians, or the state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Young adults are people who are at least 18 years old, so I don't know who exactly you are talking about that runs the organizations. I'm interested in doing a lot of things I might not be old enough to do, such as run for President, should I be allowed to?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) The voting age has nothing to do with danger or difficulty. Surely its dangerous whether or not adults do it if you vote in a terrible candidate, and its not difficult to vote straight down a party line - but that's not the point. The point is that in America, our voting privelage is based on our citizenship - which we can't reap the full benefits of until we are an adult.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are just stating laws that currently exist, they are not "reasons" for teens not being able to vote. Before women could vote, they were not considered equal to men by the government. Would someone saying "Women shouldn't be able to vote because the law says they aren't full citizens" be a valid argument? Of course people under 18 can't vote under current laws, that is why they may need to.. CHANGE. Important word there. Laws aren't set in stone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So 16 years old should be the age you are considered a full citizen? I assume that means you want to start drafting kids at 16? My point was that 18 is the age to be considered an adult capable of living on your own, and that is when you have the right to vote. Are you suggesting the age of becoming a fully legal adult be moved down to 16? That is what your logic says:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Problem: We don't consider women full citizens so we won't let them vote.

 

 

 

Solution: Make women full citizens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Problem: We don't consider minors full citizens capable of living on their own so we don't let them vote.

 

 

 

Solution: Make them full citizens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you willing to support that change?

[stevester77]

You people say 16-year-olds shouldn't be allowed to vote because they aren't mature enough? The only things immature are your degrading additudes towards teenagers. Summarizing the negative posts in this thread, 16-17 year-olds are "irresponsable and uninformed freeloading weak-willed people who would trade their vote for a day off school"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't you hear yourselves? Maybe I am biased because am only turning eighteen in April, but most of your arguments are fallacious and down right stupid. For those who think teenagers would do whatever their favourite band tells them, do you really think they would bother registering & going out to vote? Same thing for the ones who don't have knowledge of political affairs. You should be encouraging young people to vote, not repressing them. I work and pay income taxes, go to school, and can make an informed voting decision just as well as the average Canadian adult. Unfortunately, barring the event of another vote of no-confidence, I won't have an opportunity to vote until I'm 21.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Considering your refering to my post, did you read my comments? Or did you only read up to my satirical green day reference? Mind you I am turning 18 myself in april, so im just as biased as you are. Being a senior in high school, I see everyday the apathy towards the government and such- im even in AP Government. The fact of the matter remains, the average 16-17 year old knows little about the government, generally doesn't care much about the government, and attending one little class on government doesn't instintaniously make them brilliant on the subject.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If given the opportunity to vote now would I? Yes.

 

 

 

Do I think 16 year olds deserve that opportunity? No.

[jaklumen]

Here are some sites concerning youth suffrage:

 

 

 

http://www.freechild.org/SNAYR/suffrage.htm

 

 

 

http://www.youthrights.org/votingage.shtml

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently it *is* an issue being widely debated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 26th Amendment came about during the Vietnam War when the voting age was 21. If I understood it right, the argument was about being able to vote for leaders that draftees were fighting and dying for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I generally favor current arguments concerning legal independence. If all 16-year olds demonstrated such in declaring legal emancipation and independent living, then the argument might have more validity, but there are still matters in regards to current legal age restrictions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concerning the arguments in regards to driving, well, in much of Europe the driving age is 18, and here in the States, stipulations regarding permits and such have changed recently, so even a driving age at 16 has begun to have more limits than it did previously.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's consider other legal restrictions to age 18. I don't think I can imagine modern teenagers legally drinking, enlisting in the military, and purchasing pornography at age 16. There was a time in the history of the American colonies that a 15 year old was expected to hold his liquor. I cannot imagine that now, considering American attitudes towards drinking and drunk driving deaths involving intoxicated minors. As far as military service... hmmm. I know the U.S. military actively recruits 17 year olds and there is a program for enlistment after high school, but enlistment happening during high school... no, I don't think so. I might dare say that we might move to place female military on the front lines first, as improbable as that may be. Purchasing pornography-- in some states the age restriction is 21, so I can't see the age being lowered everywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I therefore think that the sentiment concerning legal independence is valid. In the distant past, more was expected of those we now define as minors, but unless things generally change to that standard, I do not see youth suffrage succeeding.

[Lionheart_0]

BTW, for those saying that kids most likely dont know anything about politics compared to most adults, I knew helluva lot more then my parents about the past election, then they did. Same wtih all my friends.

[weezcake]

Again, it really depends what kind of teenagers you are asking..