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Voting Age


Egbert

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I see they are talking about lowering the voting age to allow 16 and 17 year-olds to vote, as they did in the Scottish referendum.

Does anyone agree with this?

I believe the voting age should go back up to 21. I know that when I was 18 I was not mature enough to vote - and wasn't interested anyway. I probably wasn't mature enough at 21 either, come to that!

These days I fancy young people are less mature than they were - and even less interested.

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Agree Egg;  watched interviews/debates from the referendum and the youngsters (in the main) were totally clueless, and their lack of knowledge and experience was apparent.  As for attitude, just watched a bit of X-factor; to witness what a spoilt generation we've now got; expecting everything they want, just because they want it, regardless of effort and ability.

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I absolutely don't agree with casting a vote at 16 or 17 as their hormones are all over the place at that age, I do think they should be allowed to vote at 18 however, if they are responsible enough to fight for their country then they should be allowed to vote!. I'm shocked that someone of your interlect watches the 'Fi'X'ed Factor' obs. :shock:

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I absolutely don't agree with casting a vote at 16 or 17 as their hormones are all over the place at that age, I do think they should be allowed to vote at 18 however, if they are responsible enough to fight for their country then they should be allowed to vote!. I'm shocked that someone of your interlect watches the 'Fi'X'ed Factor' obs. :shock:

 

I don't know why your surprised algy, Im not :lol:

 

Im not sure on voting at 16, but as algy said, if your old enough to fight and die for your Country, I think your entitled to vote. As the old vote for who ever gives them the best deal, Im am sure the young will do the same. And it would stop governments attacking services for the young, which at the moment is seen as an easy target as in the main they are not voting. The government has in the main stayed clear of cutting services and money to pensioners as they vote.

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I wouldn't argue against lowering the voting age, and it might go some way to shake some of our MPs out of their complacency.

 

Have to take issue with this though:

 

 As for attitude, just watched a bit of X-factor; to witness what a spoilt generation we've now got; expecting everything they want, just because they want it, regardless of effort and ability

 

Now, I don't watch the X Factor but I do work with teenagers in this town. Statements such as this are so wide of the mark that I have to question your connection with what you often refer to as the "real world".

 

Most of the kids I work with are trying hard to make the best of themselves in an economic/employment climate which is far more hostile than it was when you or I were the same age. What some of these young people have achieved, sometimes against all the odds, often puts me to shame. Sure, the "few bad apples" usually attract the headlines but the vast majority of kids I come across are decent people whose parents should be proud of them.

 

Please don't think that what you see on X Factor is representative of a whole generation.

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Real world? on the TV? your having a giraffe aren't you.

 

The TV has not shown the real world since the day it started broadcasting and with the state of CGI it is getting even harder to tell what is real and what isn't. The saying was "seeing is believeing", but these days that is no longer true.

 

A bit of a problem for the observers of this world.

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News report what they are allowed to. ok so sometimes it is accurate but only from a certain point of view.

 

documentaries the same depending on what it is about.

 

How stuff is made type ones fine as it shows the actual manufacturing but very rarely the sourcing of the products.

 

investiagtive documentaries are biased towards whatever they want to show (a bit like targetted surveys). I am sure if they did it right they could show hitler was a kind caring individual with the interests of his people at heart (one point of view) rather than the raving megolamanic that he is currently portrayed as.

 

take the current conflict (whichever that is at the moment) we are the good guys fighting to uphold our way of life and if we have to kill other people to do it then that is the price that has to be paid. the others are the enemy and must be eliminated by any means. a true statement? that applies to ALL sides who are fighting in it.( regardless of age sex or sexual orientation)

 

Lowering the voting age to sixteen, I remember the outcry that went on when it was lowered to eighteen, the same arguments were rolled out then as are being rolled out now. Too young to form a considered opinion, will only vote for those that promise them the earth (and deliver it in small plots six by four).

 

Most kids at sixteen have had more "life" experience than i currently have and are probably a good deal more able to deal with life's problems than i was at that age.  They have a better knowledge of world events and issues than i had or have because they are forced to look to the future and see that if they do nothing then they will not have one.

Admittedly though like all young adults work, sex and whether i can get away with looking old enough in the pub( not necessarily in that order) is probably foremost on their minds but then again it was on mine when i was that age as well so in that recpect nothing changes. :oops:

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Slightly off topic, but perhaps still relevant: I was struck by the largely young folk in Hong Kong, challenging the Chinese Gov.  Whilst one may admire their idealism, their naivity would appear profound. There is no way that the Chinese regime can allow "freedom and democracy" in Hong Kong as it would spread to the rest of China and threaten the existing State. So they will have no option but to come down hard on the protesters, and I guess it won't be time out on the naughty step.

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I totally agree that young people are too immature to vote at 16, 17 or even 18 and that they are more immature today than they were a couple of generations back. But we shouldn't forget the reason WHY they are immature - because of the way their parents have brought them up (or more correctly, failed to bring them up).

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I totally agree that young people are too immature to vote at 16, 17 or even 18 and that they are more immature today than they were a couple of generations back. But we shouldn't forget the reason WHY they are immature - because of the way their parents have brought them up (or more correctly, failed to bring them up).

 

Lucy,

 

I have to say that is a ridiculously swathing comment; tarring all young people with the same brush

 

Just because they are young shouldn't exclude them from making decisions that will affect their futures. You could argue the same about stopping people voting at 65 because they are retired and no longer contributing to society or people on benefits from voting because they take rather than contribute. Why should an old man be allowed to vote if he is losing his marbles? why should an old woman be allowed to vote when she lives in a care home and may not be here next year to see the party she voted for in power?

 

I have a nephew who is quite possibly the most balanced and sensible person I have ever met; more so than many people twice his age.... he has had his career mapped out since he was 13 and worked towards all the qualifications he needed for his chosen profession and has now been accepted into that profession

 

Maybe we shouldn't allow Labour supporters the vote because they always mess things up, maybe tory supporters because they are all posh..... or maybe UKIP supporters because it annoys Kije? :)

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Bazj

I am not tarring them all with the same brush - I accept there will always be some who are different. But we are generalising here. If it makes you feel better, please insert the word "most" where you feel appropriate.

I am pleased to hear about your nephew - but I am afraid he is in a minority (even if a sizeable minority)

 

Incidentally, I don't think Labour supporter ALWAYS mess things up and I wish people of all political persuasions were posh. Then perhaps there wouldn't be so much chewing gum in the street!

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I totally agree that young people are too immature to vote at 16, 17 or even 18 and that they are more immature today than they were a couple of generations back. But we shouldn't forget the reason WHY they are immature - because of the way their parents have brought them up (or more correctly, failed to bring them up).

What do you class as being 'brought up' properly Lucy and how does that relate to the ability to make an informed choice (at any age) when it comes to voting ? 

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Who exactly is "informed"; what we get is promises designed to appeal to our demographic self-interest; some are old and cynical or wise enough to recognise it, others are gullible enough to fall for it. There has to be a cut off point somewhere, and 18 sounds about right, given the point about fighting for one's country; otherwise we can finish up working our way down to the primary school vote ! I'm sure we can all find examples of really bright 16 year olds, just as we can find many clueless grumpies; but that could take the debate in the direction of requiring some kind of IQ test in order to qualify for a vote !

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Perhaps, as we are generalising, we should remove  the right to vote from anyone over the age of say 65, they are all senile and unable to make rational judgements affecting their future.  Now if that offends your sensibilities Lucy please insert the word some or most or whatever makes you happy.

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