[KtM1967]

I totally agree...I mean, come on. I think the government is gettting desperate for more votes or something...my dad didn't vote. he never does. Teenagers just aren't mature enough. THeir voting choice would totally be predicted by their parents, or grandparents whatever. If we give them the right to vote so early, why not give them the right to drive? Wouldn't that be scary. (fourteen year olds that is) Besides, waiting to vote til a persons eighteen gives them something to look forward too! haha.

[Visirale]

Originally Posted by KtM1967

I totally agree...I mean, come on. I think the government is gettting desperate for more votes or something...my dad didn't vote. he never does. Teenagers just aren't mature enough. THeir voting choice would totally be predicted by their parents, or grandparents whatever. If we give them the right to vote so early, why not give them the right to drive? Wouldn't that be scary. (fourteen year olds that is) Besides, waiting to vote til a persons eighteen gives them something to look forward too! haha.

Now let's not make rash generalizations here. I know plenty of 15 year olds that could vote maturely. I happen to be one.

With that said, I also know about 1000 kids that I wouldn't want to vote for every one that I would want to vote.

A test of some sorts should be administered before anyone of any age should be allowed to vote. But then you'd have some body protesting against it so it would never work.

Leave it at 18, but don't say kids younger than that couldn't make an educated descision either.

[JakeW]

I think maturity measurements can't be made oneself. As in, wait till you're NOT 15 before you say that 15 year olds are mature.

The problem with having teens vote isn't that they're nessicarily uninformed, or unintelligent, it's that it is too hard to prove that they are voting for their candidate and not what their parents tell them to vote for.

Jake

[JerryLove]

Or for the opposite of whomever their parent's like.

[Jeff]

Who's to say those over 18 won't vote for whoever their parents or teachers like?

On the other hand, as far as teh taxation without voting argument goes, what about the olsen twins? When they were babies they had taxable income, right? Should they have been allowed to vote?

I personally think a test to be allowed to vote is a bad idea. That happened back in the days of Jim Crow to keep blacks from voting. The test could be manipulated or biased. I agree that new citizens can be just as or more educated than their native born counterparts.

Basically, if we see a lot of minors demanding the right to vote, we'll know if they're old enough.

I wouldn't mind the ability to vote, though at this point, I'm not sure I could make a wise decision among the choices of candidates for president. I'm really not sure anyone could, considering how removed the average person is from what really goes on in politics.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by Akshay626

ummmm.. what if we got a president that pass an IQ test... BuSH!!! *cough*cough, that would be a problem wouldnt it

hehe.. yeah im jk.. but i think that would be a bad idea tooo, cuz that goes against whole idea of a democracy if only the smart people can vote, who would protect the rights of the stupid people.

1) you can't fail an IQ test
2) He went to Yale for crying out loud. You can't get into Yale if you are stupid, no matter how prominant your daddy or granddaddy is.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by H.M. Murdock

Either that, or set charges and send them all out to visit Hawaii... then Japan... then they could just bend around Japan, and the Little People could beat them to death with surplus PS1s.

Actually, I support Heinlein's voting system, from Starship Troopers: You can only vote if you've been in the military, and are out of the military. Small voting base, but a more informed one at that.

actually in Starship Troopers you had to be a citizen to vote, and the easiest way to get citizenship was to join the military. but there were other ways to become a citizen.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by Akshay626

dont you think if the government can tax us that we should get a vote??

no, because then noncitizens could vote too.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by Akshay626

:-\ okay 14 year olds voting might be a bad idea, but at 16 they should be able to. I'm 17 and i knew enough poltics at 16 to know what i believed in, and who id want running the country.

yes, this may be true, but when you are 25, 35, 45, 55 etc you will probably think, "What was I thinking back then? Me Vote HA!!" that's what happened to me.