Do You Think Sixteen Year-Olds Should Have The Right To Vote?
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
| NinjaJediPirate Writer's Block  Age: 14 Gender: Female Posts: 74 | Nope I'm not even 16 yet but I know that at this age we are pretty interested in what everyone else is doing we also tend to not like doing our research. But the decisions of sixteen year olds or younger can be swayed through peer pressure or lack of knowledge. I'll quote one of my best friends now: "I'd vote for Obama. His name is waaaayyy cooler than McCain or Clinton. Like seriously." There goes America's future. xD |
| pandoraxhasxsecrets Writer's Block  Age: 14 Gender: Female Posts: 1 | i believe 16 year olds should be able to vote because they're are things they want legal. like gay rights if i got to vote at 16 i'd vote for gay marriges to be legalized thats importent and its a lack of humanrights we should have the right to vote |
| o rly? Ink Slinger  Age: 15 Gender: Female Posts: 843 | I believe that voting should be left to adults, plain and simple. Sure, a lot of us are ready to vote at a younger age, but the majority of teens would suck at it. I mean, look at who is/was your school's class president. Was that a good choice, or was it based on who was more popular? I'm not saying that that's how it always is, of course, but in many cases, teenagers treat elections as jokes. Why should we be trusted with voting for our nation's leader if so many of us can't handle a simple voting at school? I just don't see why it needs to change, bottom line. |
| blitzkriegBOOM Cliché Catastrophe  Age: 15 Gender: Female Posts: 488 | I think there are a lot of 16 year olds who are ready to vote, but the majority of them aren't ready. Most of the 16 year olds I know (which is pretty much most of my friends) are immature and are NOT ready to vote. Think about it yourself: So many teens around the age of 16 are trying to act mature by drinking and doing drugs. Would you trust a vote in the hands of someone who would get in car accidents without anyone else even on the road?! And anyone who says "Well, they don't HAVE to vote"... should note that the media is doing its best to promote voting in younger people. MTV, especially... which is a huge t.v. station for the 14+ age group. So no one can pull that bullcrap. I'm one of those younger people ready to vote. However, due to the fact that most of my age-group isn't, I'm going to wait until I'm 18 and be content to do so. |
| Snivellus Grammar Guru  Age: 16 Gender: Female Posts: 3707 | I think sixteen-year-olds should be able to. But I disagree with the post above me; just because there is advertisement, doesn't necessarily mean that the kids are listening. I think that the sixteen-year-olds that really care are the ones that will vote. The other ones that really don't care aren't going to take the time to register. Why should ignorant adults have the right to vote while intelligent sixteen-year-olds aren't? |
| AmyPoptart Cliché Catastrophe  Age: 17 Gender: Female Posts: 332 | I do really think the votin age should be lowered. I'm 17, and I do take interest in the worl around me and my country. I would really wish I could have a say in how the country is run and how fund's are spent. I know there are a lot of teenagers who plainly don't give a sh*t about anything to do with politics, but there are many who do, and many who would take the opportunity and use it wisely. |
| Kurtni St. Cyr Database Error  Age: 16 Gender: Female Posts: 2806 | AmyPoptart:Do you contribute to those funds? The majority of teenagers don't pay taxes, and therefore I don't see how they have any right to say how tax money should be spent. |
| AmyPoptart Cliché Catastrophe Age: 17 Gender: Female Posts: 332 | ^ That's true that most teenage's don't pay taxes. But I do know of a few people who have dropped out of school who are 16 and pay taxes. And I'm sure theres enough of them that they should be able to have a say. Either way, the money being spent would probably be towards our futures or towards our grand parents... |
| Scarecrow Angel Cliché Catastrophe  Age: 19 Gender: Female Posts: 351 | I think that it's perfectly fine to have an age limit. I know some people below the age limit will always be mature enough to decide, but to set a limit somewhere just seems plain sensible. However, the age limit should also be reflective of people who are the subjects of legislation. For instance, I know some places you can be old enough to be drafted into a war, but not old enough to vote on the draft. I would say that's grossly unfair. AmyPoptart: At sixteen you may work if you wish, but you don't have to, as either the government or your parents will support you until you are older. People below the age limit will naturally be affected by the system and have opinions, but I think it's only in cases like fighting in a war you have no say about that the incongruity demands correction. In Australia, you cannot be drafted to war below age 18, which is the age at which you can vote. You also become a legal adult at 18, finish year 12, and can drink, marry, own property etc. I think the system we have here is pretty fair. I know younger people will have very valid opinions, but they will get to express them in time. |
| Valo Ink. Fanfic Fanatic  Age: 14 Gender: Female Posts: 1219 | No, adults make the choices and not children. If I were told to vote at 16, I'd be confused. |
| Scarecrow Angel Cliché Catastrophe Age: 19 Gender: Female Posts: 351 | Valo Ink.: Well, some people have a different definition of who should be considered an adult... You can't base rational decisions on an ultimatum like that. The reason that sixteen year olds don't vote has more to do with the fact that they aren't yet the subjects of legislation. Plenty of adults are confused about voting too, but since it is they who get drafted into wars, etc, they at least get the option to. As long as the ages at which people can decide on legislation and the age it starts to affect them add, up, I'd say the system is valid. In Australia, it's 18 for everything. In other countries it's 20 or 21. There's a pretty wide margin of okay ages, and sixteen is borderline for a few reason. To begin with, if you could vote, a heap of other laws having to be changed- they would have to lower the drafting age to 16 (soldiers with growing bodies, not a good idea), to get married (in some states the age of consent is higher than 16), to drink (the laws against this are because your body is still maturing), etc. It just wouldn't be fair to give you the right to make laws about things without being able to do them, or vice versa. |
| ZoeePea Amateur Author  Age: 16 Gender: Female Posts: 205 | If I could vote, I just wouldn't. I try and take an interest in everything, but I don't feel the need to care so much now. When I'm older and have to worry about taxes and all those other things adults have to pay, then I'll really take an interest and vote. I know loads of 16 year olds who really understand politics and everything, but many don't and it'd be stupid having 16 year olds who didn't know what they were doing, putting a cross in a box for a person they've never heard of. |
| LostandForgotten Literary Master  Age: 14 Gender: Male Posts: 201 | The problem with sixteen year olds voting is. They vote for popularity, when it comes to schools, and in politics they wouldn't vote at all. |
| Ramshackled Hands Amateur Author  Age: 87 Gender: Female Posts: 299 | Although 16 is a mature age, it's really not mature enough to vote. Plus, a lot of 16 year olds are idiots. Teenagers aren't always bright. |
| Finding_Forever Writer's Block  Age: 14 Gender: Male Posts: 31 | no. I think they should wait til there a little older, and a bit more mature. most 16 year olds probably don't follow politics anyway. No offene to those who do. |
| Rae Machine. Writer's Block  Age: 16 Gender: Female Posts: 37 | Shit, no. Our country is already fecked up, kids shouldn't be able to feck it up more... And this is coming from a completely politically aware 16 year old. |
| The Guitar Man Writer's Block  Age: - Gender: - Posts: 42 | I'm 17 and I would love to be able to vote. But, I'm told I'm not that average a kid. Politics are things I keep up with and enjoy. I know that a lot of kids aren't like that. A sixteen or seventeen year old doesn't need the right. At 18, some things do change as far as legalities and rights go, so I think people should be forced to grow up a bit. Even so, a lot of 18 year olds aren't that politiclly aware. Some people as old as my parents aren't. It'd do more damage then help if we were treated like adults to the extent of getting the right to vote. :/ |
| Coldwind4 Amateur Author  Age: 14 Gender: Female Posts: 283 | I don't think sixteen year olds should. My brother's about to be sixteen, and the only political opinions he has are clones of our parents...he doesn't even know the reasoning behind them. I think it's better to have a few more years of experience and political knowledge before having a right as big as picking who will run our country for the next four years. Yeah, I'm sure there are a lot of well educated sixteen year olds who would make an unbiased choice, but I also know there are a lot who would choose based on what's "cool", or what their parents think (or maybe the opposite to rebel.) Just my opinion. |
| MollyLyn DeathBat Amateur Author  Age: 18 Gender: Female Posts: 187 | AmyPoptart: Yes, but can we honestly say that about the majority of the 17 year olds in our country? Not really. Even though its sad to say, they tend to have their minds on other things. Which sucks but it is the truth. So, I think the 18 year old age thing is fine. Gives them time to sort out their priorities and whatnot, ya know? |
| Missand Amateur Author  Age: 16 Gender: Female Posts: 151 | In The UK you can sign up for the army, you can fight and die for your country but you can't have a say in how its run. Course not everyone has the maturity to have a say but why should they be denied free speach? If The UK is called a democracy I'm tina turner. Anyway, do you really think that sixteen year olds could possibly vote any worse? Look at blair and brown. |
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