I'm 16, and I feel like my citizenship in this country does not matter. I'm mature, and care about the world, and so do so many other teens. I understand that there are iresponsible teens, but there are irresponsible adults to! I'd like to know why 16 and 17 year olds cannot vote.
2006-10-06 10:54:37 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
The government does not consider you an adult yet. But I do agree that you will find just as much adults imature, then with teenagers.
It's wrong that you are charged taxes on your income, just plain wrong. You are just living in a dictatorship if you cannot vote. Write to a member of your parliment or something, do something about it!
2006-10-07 14:29:15 · answer #1 · answered by Sarah 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There are many types of votes that 16 and 17 year olds have. Many are students at school and have the option of exercising their vote to elect student government representatives. Votes in clubs and social groups should not be dismissed either. Membership in a credit union for banking is another vote.
Keep in mind that every time you spend money, that is effectively a vote of confidence in a product; a "vote" in the economic system of capitalism.
As to votes provided by the state, the ability to vote on a Grand Jury, to vote on a court jury, or to vote at the polls comes around infrequently and occassionally, and may have far less impact than the daily decisions that any 16 or 17 year old make with their money or in their private lives.
Unfortuantly, 16-17 yo's are taxed regardless of their disenfranchisment, and this is WRONG. voting should be open to all competent people, regardless of age. If you are old enough to hold a job and lose 1/4 of your pay to the government, then they sure as hell should recognize your vote.
2006-10-06 11:20:06 · answer #2 · answered by William P 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, you are not an adult. Yes, there are very irresponsible adults. There should be stricter rules before you are allowed to vote.
1 - You should have to have a job, be supported by someone who does (partner, spouse, parent, anyone but Uncle Sam), or be independently wealthy. Anyone on welfare should not get to vote at all. If you don't contribute, why should you have any say in how everything works?
2 - There should be some sort of intelligence test. If you have the reasoning skills of a 12-year-old, you shouldn't be allowed to vote.
3 - If you don't vote in at least 1/2 of all elections, you should lose your vote for a few years. Too many people only show up when a certain topic is important to them. They are easily swayed by lies in commercials and in the press. They don't take their votes seriously, so they shouldn't be part of the process.
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2006-10-06 10:55:39 · answer #3 · answered by FozzieBear 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Because the voting age used to be 21 and they lowered it to 18 because anyone 18 and older can be drafted to war. The citizens under 21 but over 18 felt that if they had to go to war they should have a say in the voting polls. So if you think you'd like to vote, would you like to be eligible to be drafted to war at the age of 16 or 17? If you do, then go ahead and try to lower the drafting age because that is the only way you can lower the voting age. You have to be under the age of 18, also, because you are not considered to be an adult and still live with your parents. Tell you parents who to vote for if your that interested or help campaign your canidate
2006-10-06 10:59:16 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You answered your own question. You need to be an adult to vote because there are too many immature, irrisponsible kids out there. Adults are given the benefit of the doubt that they know what they're doing. Too bad kid, sorry.
The legal age would still be 21 if they didnt need more people eligible to fight in the army and go to war.....i think even 18 is too young.....
2006-10-06 10:58:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it is great that you are involved in our government, and I applaud you. The fact of the matter is you are 16, there are many things in life you need to be concentrating on, like school, and prom, just enjoy being a teenager. You will get plenty of chances to vote, and have your whole life to make a difference in this world. But, at this very crucial time in your development, I don't think one of your worries in life should be heavy matters like, the war on terrorism and gun laws, just enjoy being young. Parents try so hard to shelter their children from certain things and I think that is a good idea. Just enjoy being responsibility free.
2006-10-06 11:01:45 · answer #6 · answered by Troi19 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Same reason why they can't have sex with Congressmen...lol.
They have to standardize things in order to have a system. You may be mature for your age, but think of all the people who aren't. Needless to say there are plenty of people over 18 who shouldn't be allowed to vote, but like I said, we need some kind of cut off point to have a working system.
2006-10-06 10:58:11 · answer #7 · answered by jonjon418 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of what you guys profess is rhetorical. You are not mature, don't have careers and have not seen much of the world. Your brain isn't even fully developed. I think much differently now than I did when I was 16 although I thought I knew everything then. I think we should have literacy tests, poll taxes and a great great great great great grandfather clause.
2006-10-06 10:57:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
most politicians and adults seem to think that most teenagers have not made up there mind on certain viewpoints. Also in general most teenagers do not have a developed frontal lobe. that is the part of the brain that has viewpoints.
2006-10-06 10:57:07 · answer #9 · answered by ag 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because you are a rarity. Most 16 and 17 year olds are not mature or responsible enough to vote.
I know I wasn't, contrary to what I believed then.
2006-10-06 10:56:50 · answer #10 · answered by SouthernBelle 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋