Go back
Should 16 year olds have the vote?

Should 16 year olds have the vote?

Debates

invigorate
Only 1 F in Uckfield

Buxted UK

Joined
27 Feb 02
Moves
257298
Clock
27 Apr 05
Vote Up
Vote Down

I say yes.
Yes they can be trusted to make informed decisions.
They can pay tax, they can join the army, they are being educated but have no say in educational models offered.

P

Joined
17 Jan 05
Moves
3242
Clock
27 Apr 05
2 edits
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by invigorate
I say yes.
Yes they can be trusted to make informed decisions.
They can pay tax, they can join the army, they are being educated but have no say in educational models offered.
And if they have the right vote, they'll then have the right to complain about the government (but only if they vote, of course 😉 )

e

Joined
17 Mar 04
Moves
82844
Clock
27 Apr 05
Vote Up
Vote Down

You can join the army in the UK at 16?

kirksey957
Outkast

With White Women

Joined
31 Jul 01
Moves
91452
Clock
27 Apr 05
Vote Up
Vote Down

I say no. I also say that if you've got dementia, Alzheimers or have lost your capacity to relate, you can't vote either.

C
W.P. Extraordinaire

State of Franklin

Joined
13 Aug 03
Moves
21735
Clock
28 Apr 05
Vote Up
Vote Down

No. In general, 16-year-olds are not mature enough to have the right to carry an intelligent conversation - much more have any say in who should represent the public in government. They may be good at taking orders if you kick them a few times, so military service may be a good thing. Maybe they will be more responsible when they are mature enough to vote later on.

CliffLandin
Human

Burnsville, NC, USA

Joined
21 Nov 04
Moves
216860
Clock
28 Apr 05
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by invigorate
I say yes.
Yes they can be trusted to make informed decisions.
They can pay tax, they can join the army, they are being educated but have no say in educational models offered.
You must not know many 16 year olds. They don't make informed decisions, they follow trends. They latch on to one facet of an issue and will not look at the whole picture. While I think the 21 year old drinking laws are absurd, I do believe that 16 year olds shouldn't be able to drink, join the military or vote. I have three 16 year old niece/nephews and several that are older. They are good, responsible young adults, but I don't think that they should be able to vote. And after tending bar for a number of years I question whether 21 year olds should be allowed to vote.

l

Milton Keynes, UK

Joined
28 Jul 04
Moves
81600
Clock
28 Apr 05
Vote Up
Vote Down


Each time you vote, there should be an IQ test. It gets counted if you score above a certain amount.

P.S. I am not being serious.

j
Top Gun

Angels 20

Joined
27 Aug 03
Moves
10670
Clock
28 Apr 05
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by lausey

Each time you vote, there should be an IQ test. It gets counted if you score above a certain amount.

P.S. I am not being serious.
Why not? Sounds like a cracking idea to me.

PS: I am being serious

g
Wayward Soul

Your Blackened Sky

Joined
12 Mar 02
Moves
15128
Clock
28 Apr 05
1 edit
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by eagles54
You can join the army in the UK at 16?
yes, but not as a full soldier (i think)

and as for 16 year olds voting? no, as i'm getting confused by this election and i would be even more so if i was 16! anyway, 16 year olds are about to sit the most important exams of their academic life so far in scotland (their highers). they've got other things to worry about! that is, if they're still at school. and i'm gonna make a sweeping generalisation here and say that those who have left school aren't going to pass the IQ test so we can forget about them...

Z

Joined
04 Feb 05
Moves
29132
Clock
28 Apr 05
1 edit
Vote Up
Vote Down

the iq idea is realy good

16 year-old shouldn't be allowed to vote
in the past the minimum age for vote was 21 then it sunk to 18 and they propose to go for 16. what next? 10 year old runnin for mayor?

and of course some 18 year-old shouldn't vote, for that matter a lot of people shouldn't vote but 18 sound like a reasonable age

TD
Enjoying Life

Tirau NZ

Joined
09 Jan 05
Moves
24454
Clock
28 Apr 05
1 edit
Vote Up
Vote Down

Age to vote age to smoke age to poke age light fireworks age fight age to go to jail age drink age to watch porno age to drive age to go in bars age to bet & gamble age to work age to receive the dole age to marry age to get finance age to get health insurance.

My mother has voted for the best looking politican since I was a kid. Lots don't vote at all.

Proportional representation.. got us a transexual MP and dreadlocked cannabis proponent MP... & Things are working well in NZ even if the tail wags the dog occasionally.

I'm for one clear age of consent!!!

But kids are having sex younger and younger and setting up homes earlier and earlier,,, well below any western age of consent. If they can set up home together at 14 years old as welfare agencies around the world are allowing!!! could the age of consent drop lower????

Doesn't Sweden allow incest between family members over 18yrs???
They removed morality from the arguement completely and said Consent alone was the issue.

In NZ 15 years olds drive cars on motorways.

The fact is some can handle responsibility earlier than others regardless of age but many can't so society must inflict a sensible age limit.

If you make it 16 they'll be in the pubs at 14yrs married at 15 etc

It has to be 18yrs Though a lot of work and head banging must be done re the underage sex...😠

f
Quack Quack Quack !

Chesstralia

Joined
18 Aug 03
Moves
54533
Clock
28 Apr 05
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by invigorate
I say yes.
Yes they can be trusted to make informed decisions.
They can pay tax, they can join the army, they are being educated but have no say in educational models offered.
yes kids should vote.

but the adults do not want them to ... the vote would give the kids power, and the adults want to keep the power to themselves ... they want to look after their own interests.

the adults will never vote to let the kids vote.

🙁

o
Paralysed analyst

On a ship of fools

Joined
26 May 04
Moves
25780
Clock
28 Apr 05
Vote Up
Vote Down

How many 16 year olds actually WANT to vote, I wonder? I mean, I don't have a problem with lowering the voting age because as far as I can see they couldn't be any worse than many of the CURRENT voters, but is there some kind of push for it?

I suppose it would mean people who really care about secondary education would suddenly be voting, that might get a few politicians interested.

l

Milton Keynes, UK

Joined
28 Jul 04
Moves
81600
Clock
28 Apr 05
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by Zahlanzi
the iq idea is realy good

16 year-old shouldn't be allowed to vote
in the past the minimum age for vote was 21 then it sunk to 18 and they propose to go for 16. what next? 10 year old runnin for mayor?

and of course some 18 year-old shouldn't vote, for that matter a lot of people shouldn't vote but 18 sound like a reasonable age

My reasoning being that in my experience, IQ tests just prove that you are good at IQ tests. I do quite well in them, but my real IQ is somewhat debatable. 😲

If you can genuinely record IQ accurately though, it might be a good idea. 🙂

R
Godless Commie

Glasgow

Joined
06 Jan 04
Moves
171019
Clock
28 Apr 05
Vote Up
Vote Down

I think the voting age should be 16.

In the UK, people can leave school at 16, can marry at 16, can join the army at 16, can pay tax at 16.

To disenfranchise people because of their age, when they contribute just as much as any 18-year-old, is just wrong.

Also, these days kids are learning about 'citizenship' in UK schools. They look at political issues, discuss them, form opinions about them. And then they leave school and we say they can't act on their opinions for another 2 years. Is it any wonder young people are disillusioned with the political process?

Cookies help us deliver our Services. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn More.