Should the US lower the voting age to 16?

[Deegan]

I've found many young Americans that are more informed about the issues of the day than people in this forum.

That is probably because of the expert tutelage of someone like yourself, I'm sure.:roll:

 

[Pacridge]

That is probably because of the expert tutelage of someone like yourself, I'm sure.:roll:

Well, I know my neighbors teenager, I think he's 16, knows who are his Congressional Rep's. I'm willing to bet there's a fairly high % of people on this forum who couldn't name their.

 

[Stace]

Well, I know my neighbors teenager, I think he's 16, knows who are his Congressional Rep's. I'm willing to bet there's a fairly high % of people on this forum who couldn't name their.

I fully admit that I don't know!

Well, ok, I know that my Senators are Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr.

And I just looked up the Representative for my district, and that's Sue Myrick.

But in my defense, I've only lived in this district for a little over a month.

 

[Deegan]

Well, I know my neighbors teenager, I think he's 16, knows who are his Congressional Rep's. I'm willing to bet there's a fairly high % of people on this forum who couldn't name their.

My point was, that you don't make yours by belittling those who have disagreed with you, and that was an inappropriate reply IMHO.

 

[The Real McCoy]

Well, I know my neighbors teenager, I think he's 16, knows who are his Congressional Rep's. I'm willing to bet there's a fairly high % of people on this forum who couldn't name their.

And I'm willing to bet the percentage of people on this forum that know who their reps are is higher than the percentage of 16 year olds who know theirs.

 

[hipsterdufus]

That is probably because of the expert tutelage of someone like yourself, I'm sure.:roll:

Thank you very much.

 

[Deegan]

Thank you very much.

You may be a brilliant teacher, but you fail so very often in debate. You rely too heavily on your leftist rhetoric, and cutesy catch phrases, and photoshopped images. You also come off as very arrogant, which I diagnose as low self-esteem most times, but I'm not really sure about that yet.

 

[vergiss]

You may be a brilliant teacher, but you fail so very often in debate. You rely too heavily on your leftist rhetoric, and cutesy catch phrases, and photoshopped images. You also come off as very arrogant, which I diagnose as low self-esteem most times, but I'm not really sure about that yet.

Who died and made you Freud?

The Real McCoy - yes, and several people on this forum are under 18. So really, you'd have to say "people on this forum over 18", for it to be valid.

 

[The Real McCoy]

The Real McCoy - yes, and several people on this forum are under 18. So really, you'd have to say "people on this forum over 18", for it to be valid.

Not really.. it's most likely true regardless of whether you include minors or not.

 

[Deegan]

Who died and made you Freud?

The Real McCoy - yes, and several people on this forum are under 18. So really, you'd have to say "people on this forum over 18", for it to be valid.

I think that was "Freud" what a genius you are, lol!:rofl

 

[vergiss]

Yes, dear. Freud made you his heir. *pat*

Not really.. it's most likely true regardless of whether you include minors or not.

And I'm sure the percentage here is greater than most people in general, as well.

 

[The Real McCoy]

And I'm sure the percentage here is greater than most people in general, as well.

Exactly.

I only pointed it out because Pacridge originally said:

Well, I know my neighbors teenager, I think he's 16, knows who are his Congressional Rep's. I'm willing to bet there's a fairly high % of people on this forum who couldn't name their.

..as if the 16 year old she knew was the norm.

 

[Deegan]

Yes, dear. Freud made you his heir. *pat*



And I'm sure the percentage here is greater than most people in general, as well.

You mentioned Freud darling, get your rhetoric straight, will ya?:rofl

 

[galenrox]

Exactly.

I only pointed it out because Pacridge originally said:

Well, I know my neighbors teenager, I think he's 16, knows who are his Congressional Rep's. I'm willing to bet there's a fairly high % of people on this forum who couldn't name their.

..as if the 16 year old she knew was the norm.

I used my powers to correct vergiss's gender on your thing, I hope you don't mind.
Anywho, I think you give too little credit to 16 year olds. I was 16 fairly recently (alright, a quarter of my life ago, but still, closer than most). In my experience 16 year olds had about the same amount per capita of informed people as the general public. I mean, yeah, of course a lot of sixteen year olds who are immature, but we have plenty of adults who haven't figured out that things are more complex than black and white, and they're still allowed to vote.
If we're going to hold maturity as the standard to allow voting, then I'd have to say there would've been a lot fewer votes cast in the last election.

 

[vergiss]

You mentioned Freud darling, get your rhetoric straight, will ya?:rofl

Again: what?

 

[Deegan]

Again: what?

Let's go slow.......you said......who died.....and made you.....Freud.......I said......Freud died!.......You were left looking.........dumb........as you.......were the one......who first mentioned......Freud!!!

Is that clear, or did I move to quickly for you?

I suggest you realize you are playing with the adults, and stop trying to argue staying up late! I'll allow it, but i won't take over the role as parent dear, I hope that position is filled, I hope!:roll:

 

[The Real McCoy]

I used my powers to correct vergiss's gender on your thing, I hope you don't mind.

My bad... I had already started the post and was too lazy to go back and check her profile. I just took a shot in the dark and assumed male because this forum is really a sausage fest.

Anywho, I think you give too little credit to 16 year olds. I was 16 fairly recently (alright, a quarter of my life ago, but still, closer than most). In my experience 16 year olds had about the same amount per capita of informed people as the general public.

I'm not saying all 16 year olds are politically ignorant, I know plenty who know their stuff too. But I gotta disagree that 16 year olds have the same amount informed per capita as the adult population, it's only natural that people become more educated as they grow older and 16 year olds are pretty young. Your experience at the age of 16 was deffinitely quite a bit different than mine... all I heard from my peers was "Bush sucks" and then a list of things that were his fault (that usually weren't.)

I mean, yeah, of course a lot of sixteen year olds who are immature, but we have plenty of adults who haven't figured out that things are more complex than black and white, and they're still allowed to vote.
If we're going to hold maturity as the standard to allow voting, then I'd have to say there would've been a lot fewer votes cast in the last election.

Can't argue with that.

 

[Donkey1499]

This is not an issue that I've pondered a lot until recently, but I was reminded by some of my students that "taxation without representation" is a huge issue for 16 and 17 year olds who pay taxes on their earnings, but do not have the right to vote.

There is a compelling argument to lower the voting age to 16 at the following website with a more detailed explanation than I've provided here:



http://www.youthrights.org/vote10.shtml

To me, that's scary. Lowering the age to 16, cuz most 16/17 year olds at my HS were all Kerryites. Even though the youth didn't come out to vote in the numbers as the media said they would. Whew!

 

[galenrox]

Let's go slow.......you said......who died.....and made you.....Freud.......I said......Freud died!.......You were left looking.........dumb........as you.......were the one......who first mentioned......Freud!!!

Is that clear, or did I move to quickly for you?

I suggest you realize you are playing with the adults, and stop trying to argue staying up late! I'll allow it, but i won't take over the role as parent dear, I hope that position is filled, I hope!:roll:

[mod mode]
:smash:
Alright, I'm really starting to get sick of this. Deegan, you're old enough and smart enough to know that you don't have to neccisarily call someone a name to be uncivil, and the way you've been acting towards vergiss is unacceptable. If you don't want to respond to her posts, then don't respond to her posts, acting like this is completely unacceptable.
So you are being warned, and trust me, I'm gonna be a little more trigger happy with you if this continues, because this is a continued thing. Once is too many times, and I've seen a hell of a lot more than one of these posts.
[/mod mode]

 

[Deegan]

[mod mode]
:smash:
Alright, I'm really starting to get sick of this. Deegan, you're old enough and smart enough to know that you don't have to neccisarily call someone a name to be uncivil, and the way you've been acting towards vergiss is unacceptable. If you don't want to respond to her posts, then don't respond to her posts, acting like this is completely unacceptable.
So you are being warned, and trust me, I'm gonna be a little more trigger happy with you if this continues, because this is a continued thing. Once is too many times, and I've seen a hell of a lot more than one of these posts.
[/mod mode]

And that is why you suck at this job, I was really concerned you would suck at this. My reply is only in line with the exterme s**t I have taken, try reading it all. You called me out here, so a f**king P.M don't cut it. I'm not your bitch because you now are a moderator. I'll walk if Vauge agrees with this, no question.

I am up past my bed time, I'll just leave it at that, and get back to this in the morn....

 

[galenrox]

And that is why you suck at this job, I was really concerned you would suck at this. My reply is only in line with the exterme s**t I have taken, try reading it all. You called me out here, so a f**king P.M don't cut it. I'm not your bitch because you now are a moderator. I'll walk if Vauge agrees with this, no question.

Fine, you called me out. I'll make sure Vague sees this thread and the other threads relevent to my decision, and I'll respond to your complaints via PM.

 

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

Fine, you called me out. I'll make sure Vague sees this thread and the other threads relevent to my decision, and I'll respond to your complaints via PM.

I had a dream that one day liberals and conservatives will climb that mountain top together and when women will no longer be judged by their political ideologies but by the content of their braws.

Wait back up I started thinking about something else huh? Oh ya what I meant to say is:

Can't we all just get along.

 

[galenrox]

I had a dream that one day liberals and conservatives will climb that mountain top together and when women will no longer be judged by their political ideologies but on the size of their ****.

Wait back up I started thinking about something else huh? Oh ya what I meant to say is:

Can't we all just get along.

lol, sounds like a pretty boring dream!

But here, to get things back on track:
To the question, the answer is yes. Discuss.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

1. Youth suffer under a double standard of having adult responsibilities but not rights.

They got adult responsibilities? How many of 'em got their own apartment, pay their own rent, and buy (and cook) their own food?

2. Youth pay taxes, live under our laws, they should have the vote

Certainly tax paying should be a necessary criteria for being priveleged to vote, it can't be to sole criteria.

3. Politicians will represent their interests if youth can vote

A sixteen year old doesn't know what his interests are, how can a politician represent them?

4. Youth have a unique perspective, they'll never have those experiences again

30 year olds have a unique perspective, no teen-ager can claim to have been there or done that.

5. 16 is a better age to introduce voting than 18; 16 year olds are stationary

Rocks are stationary, and a lot older. Why can't they vote?

6. Lowering the Voting Age will increase voter turnout

If simple turnout is the goal, pass a law requiring people to go to the polls, and shoot those that disobey.

7. If we let stupid adults vote, why not let smart youth vote?

Two wrongs shouldn't create a right to vote.

8. Youth will vote well

What the hell does that mean? That they won't be confused by the "butterfly ballot"?

9. There are no wrong votes

Yes there are. Look at all the votes that don't agree with mine. They're certainly not right, or I'd have voted that way instead.

10. Lowering the voting age will provide an intrinsic benefit to the lives of youth

How?

and

So?

Tell your kid's voting's not a game, it's a responsibility. The privelege should be earned, either through clean living and taxpaying, or via military service.

IMO at a minimum no one should vote that hasn't paid taxes that year (clear minimums should be set) and that hasn't reached the age of thirty, (yeah, 30), or who can't read English on a twelfth grade level.

 

[Some_Guy]

I think no. I actually think the voting age should be increased to 35. This is because people must have time to mature and gain life experience before they should be able to partake in the msot important election in the US. People 35 and over have had families and have gotten a good education in most cases, and would make the most educated vote.

Another idea of mine is that you must have a certain IQ in order to be able to vote, or perhaps you must be informed about the world today. Maybe take a test to gain eligibility...