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Change the voting age?

Should we change the minimum voting age?

  • Total voters
    85
If 16 is old enough to vote, it's old enough to be imprisoned or die as a result of those votes.
 
I don't know if we should change the voting age. What we should do is make up our minds. Old enough for service, old enough to vote, not old enough to drink alcohol or carry a weapon. It either is, or isn't.
 
Sometime in my 30s it occurred to me that people aren't adults until maybe 25. In my 40s now, to be safe let's say 30 and even then not everyone is an adult.

Move everything to 25 and keep them in cages until then. No individual freedom until 30. Full rights at 40.

Lawn.
 
I think it should stay 18, but I also think that should be the age for adulthood rather than excluding some things just because of some people's feelings on them. If 18 is an adult, they should be a full adult legally, not just only sort of.

Interestingly, my 10 year old actually debated for changing the age to 16 in his class Monday. He was telling me on the walk home from the bus. His teacher just this morning said they did a really good job in these debates with the research and respectful input in the debates.
 
My reasoning is simple. I don't think 16 year olds should be tried as adults, nor should they be able/eligible to join the military/draft. And since who our elected leaders are heavily influences what our laws are, and who we end up in conflict with, handing them the power to help determine the outcome of elections, but shielding them from the possible repercussions of those choices...would be unfair, and irresponsible.
 
The voting age should be whatever the age of adulthood is and that age should be good for everything. No more of this 18, 21, 25 ****. If you are an adult you should have all the rights, responsibilities and accountability of an adult.
 
OF course, I expect the same voters that gave us Donald Trump to say *grumble* *grumble* *grumble* darn kids!!! *grumble* *grumble* *grumble* get off my lawn!! *grumble* *grumble* *grumble* entitlement mentality!!
 
AtlantaAdonis said:
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/04/states-would-do-well-to-enfranchise-16-year-olds.html

Good editorial. One key difference between liberals and conservatives is that liberals think everyone should participate in democracy, while conservatives think people should be excluded because they don't have photo ID or aren't educated enough or whatever.
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I don't think there world view, let along city, county, or state view is mature enough to vote until they are 21.
 
AtlantaAdonis said:
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/04/states-would-do-well-to-enfranchise-16-year-olds.html

Good editorial. One key difference between liberals and conservatives is that liberals think everyone should participate in democracy, while conservatives think people should be excluded because they don't have photo ID or aren't educated enough or whatever.
Click to expand...

Since I'm assuming you are the liberal in your statement, at what age do you think people should be excluded from voting?
 
KevinKohler said:
If 16 is old enough to vote, it's old enough to be imprisoned or die as a result of those votes.
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It already is. :shrug:

So why not grant them the ability to vote with it as well?
Fledermaus said:
Old enough to vote, old enough to purchase a firearm.
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Old enough to be tried in a court of law as an adult, old enough to vote.
KevinKohler said:
My reasoning is simple. I don't think 16 year olds should be tried as adults, nor should they be able/eligible to join the military/draft. And since who our elected leaders are heavily influences what our laws are, and who we end up in conflict with, handing them the power to help determine the outcome of elections, but shielding them from the possible repercussions of those choices...would be unfair, and irresponsible.
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I can at least respect this position, so long as you agree they should be considered minors in ALL categories until they are fully adults. Like you said, none of this "well, they can be tried by the state as an adult, but can't vote, can't buy cigarrettes/porn, etc." stuff.

Either they are minors or they are adults. While I have no problem with 16 being the age of adulthood in America (quite frankly, most 16 year olds I've been around are far more knowledgeable on issues than elderly people who just assume they know everything already), my biggest position is that we shouldn't consider these people adults only when it is beneficial to society to do so. Either they are adults or not.

AtlantaAdonis said:
OF course, I expect the same voters that gave us Donald Trump to say *grumble* *grumble* *grumble* darn kids!!! *grumble* *grumble* *grumble* get off my lawn!! *grumble* *grumble* *grumble* entitlement mentality!!
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Then why bother creating the thread and why bring it up when nobody has? That's silly.


chuckiechan said:
I don't think there world view, let along city, county, or state view is mature enough to vote until they are 21.
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Certainly age tends to grant new perspective in life, but age also leads to complacency. Teenagers hunger for knowledge and oftentimes are far more knowledgeable than those much older than them.

They may not have the same wisdom, but they have more knowledge.
 
Voting age: 18.
Drinking age: 18
Military: 18
Smoking age: 18

Too much confusion over all this. Make it one age, period. Once you turn 18, you are allowed to do anything legal.
 
AtlantaAdonis said:
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/04/states-would-do-well-to-enfranchise-16-year-olds.html

Good editorial. One key difference between liberals and conservatives is that liberals think everyone should participate in democracy, while conservatives think people should be excluded because they don't have photo ID or aren't educated enough or whatever.
Click to expand...

A truly stupid editorial. A sixteen year old is not mature enough to take on the responsibility of voting. Teens think they are already equipped to deal with the demands of the adult world, but likely lacks many of the practical and emotional skills they going to need to be successful as an adult.

Just another ploy by the democrats to try and shake out more voters.
 
Common Sense 1 said:
A truly stupid editorial. A sixteen year old is not mature enough to take on the responsibility of voting. Teens think they are already equipped to deal with the demands of the adult world, but likely lacks many of the practical and emotional skills they going to need to be successful as an adult.
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Maturity is independent of age. I could point out numerous people above the age of 40 who are far more immature than numerous 16 year olds.

That's not a good argument at all.
 
Superfly said:
Voting age: 18.
Drinking age: 18
Military: 18
Smoking age: 18

Too much confusion over all this. Make it one age, period. Once you turn 18, you are allowed to do anything legal.
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Own a firearm (rifle or pistol) age:18
 
Slyfox696 said:
Certainly age tends to grant new perspective in life, but age also leads to complacency. Teenagers hunger for knowledge and oftentimes are far more knowledgeable than those much older than them.

They may not have the same wisdom, but they have more knowledge.
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Tidbits of modern minutiae, such as who is the assistant secretary of energy, does not constitute political knowledge. More current information? Maybe, rarely. More knowledge? Please.
 
Slyfox696 said:
It already is. :shrug:

So why not grant them the ability to vote with it as well?
Old enough to be tried in a court of law as an adult, old enough to vote.

I can at least respect this position, so long as you agree they should be considered minors in ALL categories until they are fully adults. Like you said, none of this "well, they can be tried by the state as an adult, but can't vote, can't buy cigarrettes/porn, etc." stuff.

Either they are minors or they are adults. While I have no problem with 16 being the age of adulthood in America (quite frankly, most 16 year olds I've been around are far more knowledgeable on issues than elderly people who just assume they know everything already), my biggest position is that we shouldn't consider these people adults only when it is beneficial to society to do so. Either they are adults or not.

Then why bother creating the thread and why bring it up when nobody has? That's silly.


Certainly age tends to grant new perspective in life, but age also leads to complacency. Teenagers hunger for knowledge and oftentimes are far more knowledgeable than those much older than them.

They may not have the same wisdom, but they have more knowledge.
Click to expand...

Someone who hasn't even had the chance to finish getting a basic education (high school) should not be treated as an adult.

The booze at 21 thing, instead of 18, has more to do with the way our brains develop up till age 25.
 
ecofarm said:
Tidbits of modern minutiae, such as who is the assistant secretary of energy, does not constitute political knowledge. More current information? Maybe, rarely. More knowledge? Please.
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Are you talking about people over the age of 45 or under the age of 45? Because your statement applies to both, as this forum demonstrates on a daily basis.
 
Slyfox696 said:
Are you talking about people over the age of 45 or under the age of 45? Because your statement applies to both, as this forum demonstrates on a daily basis.
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Teenagers? Please.
 
18 is a good age. People forget that not long ago 16 year olds were getting married, building their own houses, carving out their own property, farming, etc. People tend to mature based on expectation. But I agree with the common sentiment. 18 is old enough to be an 'adult' which should be old enough to have adult privileges and responsibilities. That means carrying their own insurance as well.
 
KevinKohler said:
Someone who hasn't even had the chance to finish getting a basic education (high school) should not be treated as an adult.
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Okay, so we remove the ability to vote from all high school dropouts? Heck, why stop there? Numerous studies show college is a wonderful way to increase the brain's ability to think and handle ideas, why not just keep everyone who doesn't have a college degree from voting?

Of course, those ideas are silly, but so is yours. The idea some arbitrary piece of paper in a designed system which is mandatory for students should be treated as a defining characteristic of voting (and/or adulthood) is incredibly short sighted. Hell, what about someone like me, whose birthday is in October and was 18 before graduating high school?

The booze at 21 thing, instead of 18, has more to do with the way our brains develop up till age 25.
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I agree with this. But we know cigarettes are extremely bad for a person and the environment and we allow those at 18. So....
 
AtlantaAdonis said:
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/04/states-would-do-well-to-enfranchise-16-year-olds.html

Good editorial. One key difference between liberals and conservatives is that liberals think everyone should participate in democracy, while conservatives think people should be excluded because they don't have photo ID or aren't educated enough or whatever.
Click to expand...

Right.

At the moment, "liberals" think that the "youth" will vote their way, thus they want to lower the voting age simply to get more votes. The obviousness of it is gagging.
 
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