Should the Voting Age be Lowered to 17?

Regardless of the fact that some people don't grow up, that doesn't mean it's okay to give voting rights to those who are not yet adults, who have not finished school, who have no real life experiences.

 

http://family.findlaw.com/emancipation-of-minors/what-are-the-legal-rights-of-children.html

Children, or minors, do not have the full legal capacity of adults. Typically, minors aren’t granted the rights of adults until they reach the age of 18, although this varies from state to state. Because children are still developing, both physically and mentally, they aren’t considered capable of handling the same rights as mature adults. However, children do have some inherent legal rights as soon as they are born, and they obtain some additional rights as they grow.

Basic Rights for Every Child

Although children grow and mature at different rates, there are some rights that every child is born with. Children are entitled to a safe environment, good nutrition, healthcare, and education. Although parents have the right to raise their children as they see fit, if a child is not safe, the state will remove the children from their home. Parents are required to meet the child's basic needs.

Minors also have rights under the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, they have the right to equal protection, which means that every child is entitled to the same treatment at the hands of authority regardless of race, gender, disability, or religion. Children are also entitled to due process, which includes notice and a hearing, before any of their basic rights are taken away by the government.

Children with disabilities also have rights under the federal Disabilities Education Act. The Disabilities Education Act provides children in need of special education with special accommodations to ensure they receive the same education as their peers.

Rights that Children Can Obtain as They Grow

Some rights are obtained as the child grows, depending on his or her age and level of maturity. For example, children have a limited right to free speech. In many instances, children are encouraged to form opinions and freely speak their mind. However, schools may limit the child's speech if they feel it could harm other students. This rule can have strikingly different applications for student bodies of different ages. For example, a student painting featuring nudity might be inappropriate in middle school, but cutting edge art in high school. For more information on students' rights, see FindLaw's Education section.

Teenagers tend to have more rights than younger children. Teenagers may work, although the exact age at which a minor can begin working and the hours he or she may work will vary by state. The Fair Labor Standards Act and state labor laws regulate the employment of minors. For general guidelines, see Findlaw's Hiring Minors article.

In the criminal justice system, older children receive more autonomy than younger delinquents. Findlaw's Juvenile Justice section has more information on youthful offenders.

If a child is particularly mature, he or she may qualify for emancipation. In some cases, emancipation is automatic. Otherwise, emancipation must be petitioned for in the appropriate state court.

Common Rights that Children Do Not Have

Children are not allowed to vote, hold property, consent to medical treatment, sue or be sued, or enter into certain types of contracts. In some cases, a child is able to do these things but must have a parent or legal guardian act on his or her behalf.

 

One would think this stuff would be just plain old common sense. I guess not for some people, sadly.

 

Nothing beats our PM though! (subs should be available)
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You still have not come up with any real argument why children (ie people under eighteen) should not be allowed to vote.

 

Sure I have. You would have to be a stupid moron to allow children to vote in elections.

 

Maybe when they start teaching more about voting and our rights and why each and every one of them is very important, then we could think about allowing school aged children to vote. But . . . probably not and I feel dumb just saying that.

How utterly absurd! ROFL!

 

I could see it now, "I'm voting for President so and so because he promised us free Wi Fi!

 

Your argument is basically;

This is a cohetent argument to bring up, but, if you look at it closer, you will realise that the problem is not really voting age, but rather voting as such. Instead of restricting voting, voting should be abolished all together because only that action would serve to defeat the awful picture painted in the quote above.

Your other argument is basically that;

Again, although it would make sense, the solution is not really lowering tbe voting age to 2 month; the problem would still remain and that problem is voting itself.

 

Or like the average adult who votes for X because "they promised free college, that is good. Children deserve it!" or the other guy who voted Y because "mmmm, legal marijuana."

 

I don't know, but if this is something you would like to push for in your own country, then go for it. However, that is not going to fly here in America. We know our kids. If anything, the age would probably be pushed upwards.

 

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Because he promised you a free wall is so damn mature.

I'm sure a three year old would never have made such a wise decision between those two clowns.

Looking back, I think a coin would have made an equally wise decision.

 

It's refreshing to see a president at least make an effort towards stopping illegal immigration, not that I think a wall is feasible. Most people voted for him because of his economic platforms in addition to his anti immigration platforms. A lot of working class Americans have HAD IT up to here and want some real changes, not the same old, same old pandering to illegals and other "special interest groups."

Trump winning the presidency was a MESSAGE to our establishment republicans and democrats. Those *******s better get with the program or they will both end up being a sad chapter in the history of the United States!

 

You missed my point. I am not for children's right to vote. I am against voting as a whole! The only reason I keep pushing the "children's right to vote"-argument in absurdum is so that you can see how malevolently unfair and unethically stupid democracy actually is.

 

It's not unfair at all. I completely disagree with your entire premise.

 

And what type of government would you like to see America adopt? (this oughtta be good).

 

I know, nothing unites people like bigotry. Personally, I'm partial to what you might call "rule of law", and believe that, if Americans want laws against immigration, they should change their constitution to make it legal or leave it up to the states.

Three-year-old's have their legal preferences too.

 

Being against illegal immigration is not bigotry in any way. Now, you can go name calling all you want, but it really makes no difference and changes NOBODY'S minds.

 

It really sounds as if you don't know what you're talking about, honestly.

 

In the earlies day's of Swedish democracy, the people who provided more to society had a vote worth more - not a very bad premise considering democracy is basically a way of redistrubuting a prey.

Then it was changed to "one man, one vote" which of course fostered parasitic behaviours where the ones who do not provide realise they can get piece of the prey from the ones who do provide. On top of this we have politicians who encourage everyone to be a parasite with promises of free health care, free school, free food, free cake, free loans etc etc. It is only a matter of time before such a system collapses.A great reason to actually give kids the right to vote would be that it certainly would lead to the system's ultimate death.

I do not think I have the right to make decisions about your life just like you do not have the right to make decisions about mine.

Spoiler

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I don't disagree with this, but being in control of who is in control over you is still better than the alternative. This is just another reason why it is so important that voters be MORE informed, not less informed.

 

America can't adopt a form of government because America is an abstraction with no will or causal power. It's easy to anthropomorphize the polity one is born and indoctrinated into, but it's also simplistic, as rule is always by people. To think that laws imposed by an institution and class over which one has no control whatsoever is actually one ruling one's self betrays a lack of awareness of one's environment and one's self. One difference between adults and children is that, with respect to adults, children tend to lack self-awareness.

 

You don't seem to understand. Immigration laws are unconstitutional and, thus, illegal.

 

How are the people in control over the government? Sure, we get to pick Team Blue or Team Red once every fourth year, but other than that we are not at all in control of anything. They make decision about, literally, every part of your life.

Also, what about the minority? For example the Americans who voted Dem certainly did not choose to be controlled by the Reps.

I say; more informed people. Less voting. Not more informed people, more voting.

 

I understand. You're unaware that federal immigration laws are illegal, and consider breaking illegal laws crime. You probably also think that federal courts are the arbiters of what is legally permissible for congress. I don't. I consider that a formula resulting in a totalitarian general government.