Hey guys I know this is old news and the bill is still being reiewed but I just want to discuss my oppinion of how lowering the voting age will be a great thing for Canada. It's not just because I am 16 and I am crazy for and know alot about politics that i think it should be lowered but it's because it will prmote voting for older teens, and plus they have come fresh out of civics class which educates them highly for this kind of stuff. Also 16 year olds have jobs and we pay taxes to the government out of our paychecks and i believe if we have to pay taxes to the Government i think we should be able to chose which government we want in poer dont you think?
Voting age 16?
- Thread starter smitty295
- Start date
Yeah. They could use the opportunity to teach politics in school too. There should be enough time since punctuation and grammer seem to be passe.
yes, nice comment about my spelling rev, but its hard to keep up your grammer when your typing pretty fast and doing other stuff at the same time.
smitty295 said:
Valid points smitty! Civics is taught in grade 10... to wait until grade 12 to get to vote seems like the enthusiasm will wane. We need to encourage our young people to be involved in the political process.
You've got my vote! There are a number of groups lobbying for this. You should check them out and join your voice with theirs. (if you haven't already)
SirKevin said:Never Give Up said:You've got my vote! There are a number of groups lobbying for this. You should check them out and join your voice with theirs. (if you haven't already)
He should try joining the NDP, donchya think? :lol:
I was going to suggest the CHP! :twisted: :lol:
well to your qeustion no i realy think it should not go down reson why? well some teens my know somthing but most do'nt know what's realy going on and if they do'nt understand what the topic
realy is about or do'nt understand it and that thing that could become law or policey could effect our lives for ever unless it because tabled in the seat and gets throwen out and could cause more harm than helping us so thats way i think it should not go down at this time but maybe later one day we could descuss
it then or now! lets see how things go.
realy is about or do'nt understand it and that thing that could become law or policey could effect our lives for ever unless it because tabled in the seat and gets throwen out and could cause more harm than helping us so thats way i think it should not go down at this time but maybe later one day we could descuss
it then or now! lets see how things go.
Many adults don't know those things either, Hobby. By dropping the voting age you get people involved younger which may get them more involved at a younger age. It also gives the opportunity for them to learn in a formal setting since most are still in school at that age.
You can't determine who gets to vote on the basis of whether, or not, people 'know what's really going on', otherwise people would have to pass some kind of test - set by who knows who? - in order to qualify for the franchise. A 16 year-old will vote according to what they feel is in their best interests, the same as we all do, and there are plenty of people capable of getting that one wrong, regardless of age. A line has to be drawn somewhere, but if a 16 year-old is old enough to marry, pay tax or join the army, they're old enough to have a vote, in my view. We constantly preach the rights and responsibilities of citizenship to 16 year-olds, and younger, so making them wait for another two years to vote will only alienate them and make them feel their views are worthless. I say get them involved in politics at an early age, and they might just keep that interest into adulthood and so help to protect the rest of us from the career politicians that thrive on the ignorance of the cynical, fish-eyed 'adult' population.
Of course, if the Tories start offering free ringtones, then we might have a problem ...
Of course, if the Tories start offering free ringtones, then we might have a problem ...
I can guess why many of you want to lower the legal voting age to 16. The young teens at that age tend to be for the most part liberal minded. If you initiate a study, I am sure you'll find that liberal minded 16 year olds far outnumber the conservative minded 16 year olds.
Till these teens are old enough to clearly realize which direction they want their country to head in, they should not be voting. That is why I support keeping the voting age at 18.
By the way, had Quebec lowered it's voting age to 16 prior to the last referendum on seperation in 1995, polls/studies have shown that the seperatists would have easily won. This goes to show that it may indeed take the extra two years for the young voters to become mature enough to realize their true political leanings.
Till these teens are old enough to clearly realize which direction they want their country to head in, they should not be voting. That is why I support keeping the voting age at 18.
By the way, had Quebec lowered it's voting age to 16 prior to the last referendum on seperation in 1995, polls/studies have shown that the seperatists would have easily won. This goes to show that it may indeed take the extra two years for the young voters to become mature enough to realize their true political leanings.
Good points Nascar.
There are good points on the other side of the debate as well.
I am literally thrilled that at least some 16 year olds are interested in how the nation works.
But I voted "no".
If I'd voted at 16, I'd have voted for the Marxist-Leninist Party.
'Nuff said.
There are good points on the other side of the debate as well.
I am literally thrilled that at least some 16 year olds are interested in how the nation works.
But I voted "no".
If I'd voted at 16, I'd have voted for the Marxist-Leninist Party.
'Nuff said.
I know i wished it was lower as I missed the last Provincial election by half a year and the last federal election by a year and a half. I don't know if it would be a good idea though as the 18-25 year olds come out in very small numbers to vote as it is, and I can't imagine it getting better if the age was dropped even lower. Now if they taught anything about current politics in High School, I think that would help a great deal. At least at my High School, I didn't really learn anything until grade 11 in my french journalisme class taught by a very far left person (I can't complain though, he got me started on politics and got me thinking, plus he was an awesome teacher).
No. Sixteen year olds are not mature enough to make a decision like that, and they are too easily pressured by their peers- not to mention authority figures- which makes it very likely that parents and other adults would try to use youth to produce a vote in their favour.
Sixteen year olds may be able to work and drive, but that's because they're being taught the beginnings of adult life. It's like an apprenticeship. Until the process is done and you're independent, you don't have the right to dictate terms.
I highly doubt that the lack of voter turnout by youths eighteen and over currently is due to a lack of political involvement earlier on in life, so much as a seeming lack of real choice at the ballot box and overall dissatisfaction with the current political spectrum. Right now, what political leader is visionary, who has a real plan for the future of the nation? People will become more involved with the political process when there's something more to say.
Sixteen year olds may be able to work and drive, but that's because they're being taught the beginnings of adult life. It's like an apprenticeship. Until the process is done and you're independent, you don't have the right to dictate terms.
I highly doubt that the lack of voter turnout by youths eighteen and over currently is due to a lack of political involvement earlier on in life, so much as a seeming lack of real choice at the ballot box and overall dissatisfaction with the current political spectrum. Right now, what political leader is visionary, who has a real plan for the future of the nation? People will become more involved with the political process when there's something more to say.
This is just a pet peeve of mine...but its ...grammar. 8O
They should be allowed to vote. The decisions made will affect them in their young adult lives. They should have a voice in which way the country heads. As for them all voting Markist Leninist...I actually think they are more likely to vote conservative.There is a larger drive to conform at that age. ( No offense meant, and it is a generalization). Markists ideas are seldom presented in the highschool classroom. This usually occurs in college.
They should be allowed to vote. The decisions made will affect them in their young adult lives. They should have a voice in which way the country heads. As for them all voting Markist Leninist...I actually think they are more likely to vote conservative.There is a larger drive to conform at that age. ( No offense meant, and it is a generalization). Markists ideas are seldom presented in the highschool classroom. This usually occurs in college.
RU making fun of my inadqate speeling, Zen? :wink:
Obviously not everybody agrees that most teenagers would lean to left with their voting. The private member's bill on this (it got lost in the spring screaming match) had support from all parties.
All of the arguments against allowing sixteen year olds to vote could as easily be applied to those in their 40's or even 80's.
If there is a problem with young people having nobody to vote for that they feel represents them, then we are doing a poor job of educating them. We have several parties that would grow if the youth bothered showing up at the polls, and they can always start more.
Dropping the voting age would offer an opportunity to bring in education plans in the schools...not just to tell them about the Conservatives and Liberals with a minor mention of the NDP...but to tell them how the system works and teach them about using alternative parties to influence the platforms and actions of the major parties.
I've noticed an ongoing ignorance of the role of third party politics by the supporters of our two corporate-owned parties. Perhaps we should send everybody to classes, regardless of age.
