Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

[Oni-Paranoia]

Well, not exactly yet but we are quickly on our way.

In Lowell, Massachusetts, about 25 minutes ago, the council has approved to move our argument (that's what I'm calling it) to the State House in Boston, Massachusetts to allow 17 year old's to vote in municipal elections. (City and state wide)

I totally spaced out half the time because they decided to discuss the icy roads on Sunday for about an hour. So I lack juicy detail etc...

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P.s. I lack technical terminology within this post. Thoughts on this being approved and/or starting a movement for other cities and states?

[Rubin0]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

The biggest issue I have with this country (US) is that we can't seem to decide when someone is an "adult". Where I live you have to be 19 to buy cigarettes, 18 to vote, 17 to drive, 21 to buy alcohol, 18 to enlist in the army. Why is it all over the place? It drives me crazy. Basically you are asking people to vote on very serious issues concerning the welfare of the rest of the country, but you don't trust them enough to make decisions for themselves like buying cigarettes? You can be a war veteran at 18 but not be able to walk into a bar and buy yourself a drink? What?

[~HentaiXXX~]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

The reason things are like this Rubin is because the government is trying to focus on the different kinds of people there are. Not all people are going to enlist in the military, but quite a few more people will be drinking. I suppose they're trying to make it to fit a person's choice to do ONE of those things at a time, and not what they will be trying all at once.

I dunno if I explained that as well as I tried, but I hope you understand how I see it.

[Crashfan3]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

Oni, is that for national elections, or just state and municipal elections that the age limit is being reduced?

And I don't want to start a whole new argument here, but I agree with Rubin that they should focus on just one or two ages for those kinds of things. Where I live, the milestones are 18 and 21, nothing else in between.

[Yieldsign]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

The reason things are like this Rubin is because the government is trying to focus on the different kinds of people there are. Not all people are going to enlist in the military, but quite a few more people will be drinking. I suppose they're trying to make it to fit a person's choice to do ONE of those things at a time, and not what they will be trying all at once.

I dunno if I explained that as well as I tried, but I hope you understand how I see it.

on SOME level you could try to justify the disparity between different age of majorities in our country by citing its utility, but i think what's being driven at here is more a matter of principle - that it's somewhat sleazy to let your country's men die and fight for its sake but prohibit them from making basic life decisions like drinking.

[~HentaiXXX~]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

It's bad the way it is, yes. But I don't think the way we want it to be is going to be anytime soon, so I was just trying my best to understand why they had it the way they do.

Doesn't the brain become fully developed at 21 though? I thought that was the reason behind making that the drinking age?

[HoodedRaccoon]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

I really dont think they should do that because im 17 and I could choose one guy who (not saying any names)looks promising offering change but then doesn't deliver when someone older and wiser knows that person is a fraud and doesn't vote for that person and loses because young people all think basically alike and like the guy offering change. We dont exactly know what he is talking about but he makes it sound good.

[~HentaiXXX~]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

You have a point there raccoonman, but not ALL 17 year olds are like that. Most are very smart individuals who will take into consideration what the candidates have said.

or maybe they'll let their 17 year old "cool" attitudes take over and be like, "nah man i dun care"

[Oni-Paranoia]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

Oni, is that for national elections, or just state and municipal elections that the age limit is being reduced?

to allow 17 year old's to vote in municipal elections. (City and state wide)

;]

I really dont think they should do that because im 17 and I could choose one guy who (not saying any names)looks promising offering change but then doesn't deliver when someone older and wiser knows that person is a fraud and doesn't vote for that person and loses because young people all think basically alike and like the guy offering change. We dont exactly know what he is talking about but he makes it sound good.

This is where the problem resides. Just because someone might be older does not mean they are more sophisticated. You choose who you want because you 'think' they will be better than the other guy. If we can get political attention more into high schools, then we can definitely make some better choices.

Also, if you can drive, enlist into the army and have a diploma by 17, then you should be able to vote at least in the municipal elections. My girlfriend was a full-time teacher at the age of 17. Some people know what they're doing.

[Rubin0]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

I think this is a nice way to encourage younger people to vote, but I don't know many 17-year-olds that know enough about politics to be voting. Hell, most people my age don't know enough about politics to rationally decide what party they are in.

[MrGiggles]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

I really dont think they should do that because im 17 and I could choose one guy who (not saying any names)looks promising offering change but then doesn't deliver when someone older and wiser knows that person is a fraud and doesn't vote for that person and loses because young people all think basically alike and like the guy offering change. We dont exactly know what he is talking about but he makes it sound good.

The alternative was Sarah Palin, come on man cut me some slack

[HoodedRaccoon]

You have a point there raccoonman, but not ALL 17 year olds are like that. Most are very smart individuals who will take into consideration what the candidates have said.

or maybe they'll let their 17 year old "cool" attitudes take over and be like, "nah man i dun care"

I'll agree that there is a majority of 17 years old like that but its so small compared to the much larger amount of 17 year olds who really cant think for themselves and go with what everyone else does then tells everyone oh no I didnt vote for him/her.
Thankfully im one of the small majority that thinks political stuff out before resulting to "ine mine mine mo"

I think this is a nice way to encourage younger people to vote, but I don't know many 17-year-olds that know enough about politics to be voting. Hell, most people my age don't know enough about politics to rationally decide what party they are in.

Ya but alot of older people dont even care to vote because it takes time out of their day where younger peps wanna vote because we've made voting the "IN" thing now a days.

The alternative was Sarah Palin, come on man cut me some slack

I wouldn't like that outcome anyway it happened...I mean the candidates were just a bunch of whiners in my opinion.
We had a mysterious noble peace prize winner thats still a mystery to me how he won and we a cry baby POW guy.
And there vice presidents are an extremist and a no body.

[~HentaiXXX~]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

well.....damn

[DotKritic]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

19 to buy cigarettes, 18 to vote, 17 to drive, 21 to buy alcohol, 18 to enlist in the army.

In Texas: 18 to buy cigs and smoke, vote, and play the lotto. 16 to drive by yourself. 21 to drink and buy alcohol. 18 to enlist in the military.

well.....damn

Triple post?

[fido123]

Re: Voting age being lowered to 17?!?!

I think at a certain age being anywhere being around 20 give or take a few years people should be considered an adult and should be granted full adult rights.

I wouldn't like that outcome anyway it happened...I mean the candidates were just a bunch of whiners in my opinion.
We had a mysterious noble peace prize winner thats still a mystery to me how he won and we a cry baby POW guy.
And there vice presidents are an extremist and a no body.

Your argument against the Obama administration is basically you not liking Obama cause he was awarded a very good reward he had no say in (therefore you should really be looking at the people who award those things), and the fact nobody knew who Biden was? Should we just elect celebrities? How bout we just look at whether they'd do their job well?

Also please don't double (triple) post. There's the edit, and multiquote button.