Voting at 14?

[Shadow Nexus]

Call me crazy, but I enjoyed reading philosophy when I was a wee youngster. I didn't get into fiction novels until my late teen years.

I can say I didn't discover philosophy until 15...I did read some stuff on it before, but it was not until I knew about Plato that I decided to read about it...and ended where I have ended...in a career withut profit...but thats OK because I don't believe in instrumental reason.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

I was interested in politics at 14, but my opinions were too naive and childish to be valid. And I would be considered an anomoly amongst teenagers because of it. I am happy with the voting age where it is.

[golden_queen_mercury]

I'm 14 years old right now. Even if I did have the rights to vote, I probable wouldn't do it.

[Besimudo]

My first readings were of tales (metaphysics)... simple stories from ye olde times. I loved the way many stories from around the world (even from pre-columbian America) were similar. i.e. the Aztec world egg and the legend of Noah's arc... i.e. the rainbow as a gift.

I guess I did not filter the stories this much as a child, but I hated reading paper back novels, where "Jimmy looses his toy truck" or "Kate wants a new bike" so I stuck with Encyclopaedia and Hard backs. My year 2 teacher was confounded why two of her students would talk for hours about the Trojan wars, the hero Napoleon and his campaigns over Europe, Why Russia was so big and how old the Kingdom of Denmark was. Children have a talent for remembering dates too.
All the other kids in the school just wanted to play Tonka trucks. I fell grateful that my grandmother gave me a set of World Book instead of a toy truck that was the only key difference. Teachers should encourage all their students to read over and above the 'reading/spelling standard".


I just don't think that kids have the life experience to vote... and the general response from 14 year-olds is that they would not vote anyhow.

[LH]

Some fourteen year olds are informed enough to be voting and some most adults are not. That's exactly why age restrictions on rights and privileges are terrible and some kind of aptitude test should be the method for determining eligibility.

[blue_midget192]

most of you dont know fourteen year old :S things have cahnged, i was 14 two years ago and there are two main types of people, people that are smart and would have a political opinon, and the stupid idiots that would either not vote or just vote for the hell of it. so i am saying this idea is a bad one because of the stupid people, however not all 14 are like that!

[HanaKirei]

It depends on the mind-set of the fourteen year old in question, I'd say. As much of a shocker as this might be, I do know quite a few fourteen year olds who would vote if they had their chance, and they'd use that chance to vote wisely. Not all fourteen year olds are that way, but then again, not all thirty year olds are that way either, and they're still allowed to vote.

[blue_midget192]

It depends on the mind-set of the fourteen year old in question, I'd say. As much of a shocker as this might be, I do know quite a few fourteen year olds who would vote if they had their chance, and they'd use that chance to vote wisely. Not all fourteen year olds are that way, but then again, not all thirty year olds are that way either, and they're still allowed to vote.

right on brother!

[Ariel]

I would have been interested in voting at 14, because I was one of the odd kids who liked reading about local/national politics. I still think allowing voting at 14 for everyone would be foolish, though. Especially because over here it's compulsory to vote after you turn 18. There would be a lot of uniformed decisions floating around. Ah, well.

[The Captain]

Will this mean that politicians will now lie to 14 year olds as well? Joy.

Take care all.

[Chickencha]

Though I have my doubts, I don't think 14-year-olds with the vote is as big of a problem as everyone thinks it is. The main argument against it seems to be that 14-year-olds won't make informed decisions, but that's overlooking the fact that many adults don't make informed decisions. I know that while I may not have known much about politics when I was 14, I knew about as much as most adults by the time I was 15 or 16. I think we tend to underestimate 14-year-olds in that respect.

My main concern would be that voter turnout would drop even more. The 26th amendment gave 18-21 year olds the vote, but voter turnout is very low for that age group (and has been traditionally). But overall, I'm not adamantly opposed to the whole thing. I might even favor it with a little more thought.

[/\/I\/\]

14 year olds aren't smart enough to have such power

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

The problem is, most 14 year olds would probably end up being coerced into voting for whoever their parents want them to vote for. This is like giving more votes to the parents who may or may not be qualified themselves.

[TasteyPies]

14 year olds aren't smart enough to have such power -/\/I\/\

................. well i didnt know this was a hate thread... ha ha coming from a guy with a kids t.v. show avatar


Anyway 14 year olds are focusing on other issues, politics are the least of our worries. Also most kids wants to make their parents proud, and will vote for the parent's favorite, like was stated before.

It isn't that we arent smart enough, its that most of us couldn't care less.

[Advent-Sepheroth]

Voting at 14 is the STUPIDEST idea ever! I am 15 and I will probably not vote if they do pass that law. I think it should be yuo have to be 21 to vote. cause 21 is the official adult age. But that's just me. Our country comes up with the craziest<--(did I spell this right?) stuff