A thread on Something Awful's Debate and Discussion board brought up the subject of youth suffrage. There was the usual majority of people who felt that people under 18 were too ignorant and too immature to be allowed to vote, but there was also a surprising number of people who seemed sympathetic to the youth suffrage movement.
One of them linked me to the National Youth Rights Association web site, an organization that I hadn't even realized existed.
"NYRA is a national youth-led organization with over 7,000 members and chapters in a dozen states," according to the website. "We support lowering the voting age, lowering the drinking age, repealing government curfews, protecting student rights and fighting age discrimination."
I am so happy to hear that someone else out there cares for the plight of the disenfranchised youth.
The following is a short version of their reasons to lower the voting age. Please visit the link for a complete and detailed listing.
Top Ten Reasons to Lower the Voting Age
"No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a choice in the election of those who make the laws under which…we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined."
1. Youth suffer under a double standard of having adult responsibilities but not rights
2. Youth pay taxes, live under our laws, they should have the vote
3. Politicians will represent their interests if youth can vote
4. Youth have a unique perspective, they'll never have those experiences again
5. 16 is a better age to introduce voting than 18; 16 year olds are stationary
6. Lowering the Voting Age will increase voter turnout
7. If we let stupid adults vote, why not let smart youth vote?
8. Youth will vote well
9. There are no wrong votes
10. Lowering the voting age will provide an intrinsic benefit to the lives of youth
1 comment:
Tristan, I myself consider youth suffrage to be one of my top issues. I agree that it's often dismissed quickly as a nonsense idea, but I align closely with the view you have outlined here.
As a side note, I recall a specific feeling I had in Elementary school, during I believe, Clinton's first election. I felt at that time a distinct feeling of unjust treatment, in regards to voting age. So, I swore to myself that I would forever keep that in my mind as I grew older.
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