Why Can't Kids Vote? We Are Affected by Adults' Bad Decisions, Too!

Kerry would make a great president, I have done research, and made thoughtful decisions, yet I can't vote because adults think that children are too young and not properly developed to make the right decisions. I know somebody (32 years of age) who votes for the person with the shortest last name! You let people like that vote, but not people like me who actually want the most qualified president; people like me who actually care!

12 year olds are old enough to get jobs, like paper routes and such, and their wages are usually affected by the president. Why can't they vote? Most 16 year olds buy cars, and insurences, plus they have taxes, all that crap is affected by the one at top. So why can't we decide just who that person is? Yeah, young kids under 10 are not really able to come up with a good decision, nor do they really care, but at least let the kids who are affected have a choice!

So here's my message to the horrible govornment and president we have:

Lower the voting age!

Kids 12+ old, I need your support, and from anybody else who feels that kids need to be heard.

Remember adults, in 15 years we'll be paying for YOUR health costs and YOUR social security.

[Edited on 11/8/04 by diehard_democrat]

Well...I can see where your coming from, I'd love to be able to vote; but the thing is, most under 18's AREN'T mature enough or intelligent enough to vote, we just happen to be exceptions to this rule...

ALSO calling them 'Adults' stupid decisions...' isn't a great way to get your point across either...

I completly understand. I've always wondered why some not all adults often make worse decisions than teens and still claim superiority in the mind. But judging from a majority of kids in my high school, most aren't mature enough to vote. Yet about 20% are more politically informed than most adults I know. I think that kids under 18 should take some kind of maturity or political awareness test in order to vote.

[Edited on 11/2/2004 by cyberdude78]

I think I'd rather have the voting age be lowered to 14, since then the election can be altered due to the influence of what a draft has on young adults (like me).

Good point NWObringer, I'm about the same age so I'm just as paranoid about the draft as you. Another thing that makes me angry is that adults can vote on our education but we can't. Like I said before, most teens aren't informed enough or mature enough to vote, but there are a lot of exceptions, which is why we need some kind of test to qualify the teens who actually care.

Originally posted by diehard_democrat
Kerry would make a great president, I have done research, and made thoughtful decisions, yet I can't vote because adults think that children are too young and not properly developed to make the right decisions. I know somebody (32 years of age) who votes for the person with the shortest last name! You let people like that vote, but not the people like me who actually want the most qualified president; people like me who actually care!

12 year olds are old enough to get jobs, like paper routes and such, and their wages are usually affected by the president. Why can't they vote? Most 16 year olds buy cars, and insurences, plus they have taxes, all that crap is affected by the jackass at top. So why can't we decide just who that jackass is? Yeah, young kids under 10 are not really able to come up with a good decision, nor do they really care, but at least let the kids who are affected have a choice!

heres what you need to do....go to you school, and look around at your piers at your school. do you really want those people to decide who is going to lead the greatest country on earth? i dont think so. those kids are more concerned with who like who than who is president of the US.

Just as there are some kids who deserve to vote, there are those of voting age who shouldn't be allowed to go near a voting booth. Democracy will only work if those voting actually bother to learn the policies of the various parties.

I have heard too much from people who say 'I voted for this party because I always have done' or 'Because my parents vote that way' or some other crap.
(Now why does KayEm's mom come to mind I wonder ?)

Only those who have their own minds ... and use them should be allowed to vote at all.

Time for the Pisky to be flamed methinks

Thanks for the support, guys. Yeah, probably 3/4 of the students in my school aren't ready to vote, and probably never will. When California recieved it's new govorner, I thought is the population really that stupid to vote for someone because he's hot, or he's cool, or that person likes the movies he's been in? It doesn't add up.

I agree, cyberdude78, that voters should be required to take some sort of test to decide whether their voting material, or not. Great idea!

Originally posted by diehard_democrat
Thanks for the support, guys. Yeah, probably 3/4 of the students in my school aren't ready to vote, and probably never will. When California recieved it's new govorner, I thought is the population really that stupid to vote for someone because he's hot, or he's cool, or that person likes the movies he's been in? It doesn't add up.

I agree, cyberdude78, that voters should be required to take some sort of test to decide whether their voting material, or not. Great idea!

I too agree Diehard. I've always liked Arnold myself but I've heard that he's screwed things up and even signed things without thoroughly reading them that have screwed things up for a lot of working class Californians (relating to workmans comp).

Definiitely teens should be allowed to vote. All too often your voices are simply not heard. More often you are ignored. BLATANTLY. After all, it's your demographic that is inheriting this #ed up world with all it's problems. So, if it ever comes to a vote (pun intended), you've got mine.

No, I may be 15 but in my school there are maybe 150 some who are politically inclined out of 1,000 or so. The majority have no intrest in politics or have no idea.

One Kerry supporter did'nt even know his stance on the war or defence, one thought "Kerry Edwards" was one guy, and it gets worse. Plus a lot of them are influecned by the liberal media and entertainment industry and their parents.

No, I may be 15 but in my school there are maybe 150 some who are politically inclined out of 1,000 or so. The majority have no intrest in politics or have no idea.

Yeah, but that's why cyberdude78 suggested a test be taken for all voters under 18 to determine if they understand most of the issues in the election that year. In general, it's to see if they are "voting material".

Oh, forgot to mention: I'm 2 cubed plus the difference of 19 and 4 minus 3 cubed years old.

If you can't figure that out, adults, you probably shouldn't be voting. It's 6th grade math!


And good point, KayEm, Arnold is a good actor, but not so great a govorner.

[Edited on 11/4/04 by diehard_democrat]

It really annoys me to see some kids vote. It really annoys me to see stupid 32 year old soccer moms vote. You guys have hit the nail on the head. There should be a Test for ALL citizens. The higher the score the more VALUE of your vote.

Secondly, When you look at a ballot you may see something like this

-Craig Benson (R)
-John Lynch(D)

I propose removing their party description. It would simply look like this:

-Craig Benson
-John Lynch

This will force people to start researching about the candidates.

What do you think?

It really annoys me to see some kids vote. It really annoys me to see stupid 32 year old soccer moms vote. You guys have hit the nail on the head. There should be a Test for ALL citizens. The higher the score the more VALUE of your vote.

Well, about the value of somebody's vote, I think that part should be left out. Everybody was created equal, and has equal rights, so the value of each persons vote should remain the same.

Oh, and yes, I do think they should remove the party that each candidate is. But then wouldn't those people be filtered out in the test? I really don't know, but I'm voting next election, and I hope that they have some sort of test by then. Not a test to decide whether they vote or not, just one to decide if they are voting material.


Anybody you know on ATS need a good signature? Valid only to members who presently do not have one. U2U me for further info. Now if only I could just charge some points for them

[Edited on 11/8/04 by diehard_democrat]