I read in the paper today about a young girl (I think she is 17? 18? now) who thinks that the voting age should be lowered to 16. She is trying to get it in place in Takoma, MD and hopes that if it happens there, that it will happen across the nation. She worked at the age of 16, paid taxes, etc. I'm not too sure how I feel about this but I am leaning towards maybe she is right. She did made a valid point. If she had to pay taxes at the age of 16, shouldn't she also have the right to vote?


Any opinions?



Cat

I read in the paper today about a young girl (I think she is 17? 18? now) who thinks that the voting age should be lowered to 16. She is trying to get it in place in Takoma, MD and hopes that if it happens there, that it will happen across the nation. She worked at the age of 16, paid taxes, etc. I'm not too sure how I feel about this but I am leaning towards maybe she is right. She did made a valid point. If she had to pay taxes at the age of 16, shouldn't she also have the right to vote?


Any opinions?



Cat


She has to pay taxes if she is three years old, or one year old if she has income.

We don't trust 16-year-olds to make proper decisions about smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol either.

I'd be happy just to see more of the 18-year olds who have the vote actually exercise that right!

She has to pay taxes if she is three years old, or one year old if she has income.

We don't trust 16-year-olds to make proper decisions about smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol either.



But, at the age of 16, they are old enough to drive.




Cat

If they'd asked me when I was sixteen if I should have the right to vote, I would definitely have said YES.  It does raise interesting ethical and demographic issues.  On the whole, I'd like to see children inculcated with a greater sense of community and civic responsibility.  Ideally, sixteen year olds wouldn't be thought of as "children," but as young adults.  Perhaps giving 16-year olds the vote would be a step in the right direction.
I've heard people argue politicians would offer all kinds of undeliverable promises to get the 16 and 17 year old vote.  What?  And that's different from how they get the 32 and 64 year old vote?
;D

I have real mixed feelings.  Lots of the 18 year old college freshmen I meet don't have a clue, so I have my doubts about 16 year olds.

I must admit that America has inconsistent age rules.

At 18, you can vote, you can smoke, you can do anything... except drink.

If an 18-year-old is old enough to do all these other things, they should be allowed to drink legally.

This is another case where the Federal Government exceeded its contitutional authorities and threatened to withhold money from states that did not agree to 21-year-old drinking age.

I have real mixed feelings.  Lots of the 18 year old college freshmen I meet don't have a clue, so I have my doubts about 16 year olds.


Or they just don't care. My sister (who is 16 years old) doesn't care about the elections, who's running, who's slamming who, etc.

No, I would say not, It is hoped that a certain level of education and maturity is attained by the age of 18, I think that 18 should be the standard for everything.

I must admit that America has inconsistent age rules.

At 18, you can vote, you can smoke, you can do anything... except drink.

If an 18-year-old is old enough to do all these other things, they should be allowed to drink legally.

This is another case where the Federal Government exceeded its contitutional authorities and threatened to withhold money from states that did not agree to 21-year-old drinking age.


Actually, traditionally in the 20th Century, the drinking age was tied to the voting age.

In 1971 when the voting age was reduced to 18, 25 states also lowered their drinking ages to 18.  This was the rule until 1988.

At that time, all of the states raised the age to 21.  It was not done because of any federal laws though.  In 1988, the US Department Of Transportation used the threat of withholding Highway Funds to any state which did not raise the age to 21.  Because no state could handle the loss of that much money, they all complied.  The same thing occured which made all of the states raise the driving age to 16.  I got my first license at 14, because that was the age limit in Idaho at the time (1980).  That created some interesting situations when I spent the summer in California and got pulled over by a cop.  He said I looked to young to drive, and actually threatened to impound the car.  Luckily, a Sergeant with a little more common sense showed up, and let me go.

Good or bad, I think it is more a level of maturity.  At 18, a person is considered to be an adult.  They can get married, enter the military, leave the house, and vote without parental conscent.  The only thing above 18 nationwide is drinking.

However, that is starting to change.  A great many states have raised the age to smoke to 19, and there is a movement to raise it to 21.

But, at the age of 16, they are old enough to drive.




Cat


Actully that depends on state, here in Georgia (and the vast majority of the states) its 16, but in Mississippi you can get a driver's license at 15, but in one state (Colorado I think) you must be 21!  16 sounds to me to be fair for driving and voting, but most 16 and 17 year-olds would never vote anyway.

Actully that depends on state, here in Georgia (and the vast majority of the states) its 16, but in Mississippi you can get a driver's license at 15, but in one state (Colorado I think) you must be 21!  16 sounds to me to be fair for driving and voting, but most 16 and 17 year-olds would never vote anyway.
I'm pretty sure it's not here....but I DO know that they STILL make that nasty 3.2 beer...even though the drinking age is 21 since 1988 ::)

Actully that depends on state, here in Georgia (and the vast majority of the states) its 16, but in Mississippi you can get a driver's license at 15, but in one state (Colorado I think) you must be 21!  16 sounds to me to be fair for driving and voting, but most 16 and 17 year-olds would never vote anyway.

You sure there's a state where the driving age is 21?  I'd double check there.  It doesn't make social or economic sense.
Anyway, the drinking age should be 18.  Period.  This age 21 drinking age imposition was decided by old people who spend too much time with statistics.

You sure there's a state where the driving age is 21?  I'd double check there. 


It was Colorado, I remember when my brother lived there he told me.  He said it was 21 and the only state where it was 21, BUT that was in 1996 so maybe they lowered it.

It was Colorado, I remember when my brother lived there he told me.  He said it was 21 and the only state where it was 21, BUT that was in 1996 so maybe they lowered it.


It is half-right.

In Colorado, you can get a "Minors License" at 16.  This is valid from the age of 16 until the holder is 21.  10 days after they turn 21, they are supposed to go to DMV and exchange the "Minors License" for an "Adult License".

http://www.revenue.state.co.us/mv_dir/formspdf/DRP2337-1nocover.pdf

Maybe there could be a "minors liscence"  for voting.  You would have to be 16 and have taken a class in civics, which should be mandatory anyway, but isn't.  Then you could vote in city elections just to get your feet wet.

Seems to me there are several issues under discussion here.

Voting - is a right accorded to adult citizens without any other qualification (theoretically - Florida is an exception).  IMHO the overwhelming majority of 16 year olds don't have the knowledge or sophistication to make informed decisions in the voting booth.

Drinking - several points.  Regardless of the law many young people can get a drink.  I have been known to buy wine coolers for my youngest, who is still not 21.  She has never abused that privilege so I have no problem.  At 18 she lkived on her own for a year and I supplied her with "kissing wine".  On the other hand, many driving deaths are booze related.  My neighbor's kid would be irresponsible enough to drink and drive.  I was arrested late one night for speeding - I wasn't even driving -had gone to the garague to get a book- and beat the ticket, but what the cop said as he wrote the ticket was interesting.  Something like "you never know what drunk is going to do something stupid".  With bing drinking rampant around the country, I think 21 is a good idea.  Certainly not fool proof, but a good idea nontheless.  Here again, only age ius the determining factor.

Driving.  While it is true that lots of kids want to show off behind the wheel, in most places (I hate to drive in Boston, LA and NYC) they can be good drivers.  Unlike the other 2, driving is not a right but a privilege.  You gotta pass the test.  They may not be equally rigorous from state to state, but at least you need to show some level of competence.