I read an article a few days ago about a San Francisco city supervisor who has proposed lowering the voting age for city elections to allow 16 and 17 year-olds to cast a vote. This would be for local elections only, and the babies... err, sorry, teens... would not be allowed to cast votes for candidates or initiatives in county, state or federal elections. Further, I was surprised to learn that this practice has already been adopted by two small towns in Maryland, one of them just this year.
So, today's question: are 16 year-olds qualified to participate in the political process?
My flippant answer is that it doesn't matter because the government already seems to be run by a bunch of children anyway. But in truth, I think it's a horrible idea! Are you kidding me? I understand that there are some kids that age with enough maturity that they could be trusted with the responsibility of voting, but the overwhelming majority (I'd say 90+%) should in no way be allowed to vote. Have the people who proposed this idea seen, listened to, or talked to a 16 year-old lately? Believe me, they aren't discussing local politics. They are talking about how many kills they have in Call of Duty or what cool new spell their wizard in Worlds of Warcraft just learned. They complain about zits, that school is too hard and how their mom or dad is being a total Nazi for making them drive a five-year-old car to school. What 16 year-olds aren't discussing is whether a new tax is needed to repair the city's outdated sewer system.
I realize that even if extended the right to vote, most kids that age wouldn't involve themselves in the process anyway, but I shudder to think about the damage they could cause if they did.
http://www.breitbart.com/california/2015/03/17/san-francisco-may-lower-voting-age-to-16/
So, today's question: are 16 year-olds qualified to participate in the political process?
My flippant answer is that it doesn't matter because the government already seems to be run by a bunch of children anyway. But in truth, I think it's a horrible idea! Are you kidding me? I understand that there are some kids that age with enough maturity that they could be trusted with the responsibility of voting, but the overwhelming majority (I'd say 90+%) should in no way be allowed to vote. Have the people who proposed this idea seen, listened to, or talked to a 16 year-old lately? Believe me, they aren't discussing local politics. They are talking about how many kills they have in Call of Duty or what cool new spell their wizard in Worlds of Warcraft just learned. They complain about zits, that school is too hard and how their mom or dad is being a total Nazi for making them drive a five-year-old car to school. What 16 year-olds aren't discussing is whether a new tax is needed to repair the city's outdated sewer system.
I realize that even if extended the right to vote, most kids that age wouldn't involve themselves in the process anyway, but I shudder to think about the damage they could cause if they did.
http://www.breitbart.com/california/2015/03/17/san-francisco-may-lower-voting-age-to-16/