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[URL]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4511267.stm[/URL]
What was your goal when you were 16? If you were anything like me, it was to get drunk, laid, stoned, play football, watch porn, and all the other things I never did. Having the chance to help sway a general election never crossed my mind. Obviously it's important for people of that age to be aware of how important politics is, but 16 is far too young to have enough of a grasp on the economical and social implications of an electoral system.
What's more, society has gone rapidly downhill in the last few years. I think the town I live in is the perfect place to see where things have gone wrong. Eight years ago I would have been 16, and I was polite to people. All my mates were (and mostly still are) polite people, and everyone I knew was capable of being decent in some way, even if it was never all sunshine and lollipops. This includes all years above and below me at the scum-bucket school I went to.
On the bus the other day I saw a group of 'young adults' playing with a dead rat on a stick. It made me laugh at the time, but when you think about it, that's not funny. Someone, somewhere, wants to give people like them the right to vote. I argue they should be impaled on sticks instead, then eaten by rats. Of course, they could grow up to be worthwhile members of the Human race, but that's my point - when they grow up. How would you like to find yourself standing in the queue to vote, next to the Hooded Ratpack?
What was your goal when you were 16? If you were anything like me, it was to get drunk, laid, stoned, play football, watch porn, and all the other things I never did. Having the chance to help sway a general election never crossed my mind. Obviously it's important for people of that age to be aware of how important politics is, but 16 is far too young to have enough of a grasp on the economical and social implications of an electoral system.
What's more, society has gone rapidly downhill in the last few years. I think the town I live in is the perfect place to see where things have gone wrong. Eight years ago I would have been 16, and I was polite to people. All my mates were (and mostly still are) polite people, and everyone I knew was capable of being decent in some way, even if it was never all sunshine and lollipops. This includes all years above and below me at the scum-bucket school I went to.
On the bus the other day I saw a group of 'young adults' playing with a dead rat on a stick. It made me laugh at the time, but when you think about it, that's not funny. Someone, somewhere, wants to give people like them the right to vote. I argue they should be impaled on sticks instead, then eaten by rats. Of course, they could grow up to be worthwhile members of the Human race, but that's my point - when they grow up. How would you like to find yourself standing in the queue to vote, next to the Hooded Ratpack?
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Paradox: wrote:
> I was parodying the web, it washed over you obviously.
And likewise my reply to you.
> I was parodying the web, it washed over you obviously.
And likewise my reply to you.
A friend of mine was a member of the labour party at 15/16 and could vote on issues within the party.
So there is a basis, but that seems like a good enough start to me without giving the vote to 16 yearolds.
So there is a basis, but that seems like a good enough start to me without giving the vote to 16 yearolds.
Totally agree. It's really cringeworthy watching people of my age holding political discussions. Take for example a friend of mine asked about the Iraq war: "bunch of knobbers" was his exact response. It's embarrassing, particularly when it happens in a classroom and all these uninformed twunts are spouting their parents badly-remembered witticisms and opinions. A girl today said she hated broadsheets because there aren't enough pictures.... If today's youth are the leaders of tomorrow then I honestly hope it never comes.
Black Glove wrote:
> The voting age, like the driving age, should be raised - to 21.
Come and be 18 in my village and say that.
(about driving age)
> The voting age, like the driving age, should be raised - to 21.
Come and be 18 in my village and say that.
(about driving age)
Sheesh!
You lot are so impatient!
We all have to start somewhere.
Being honest, 80% of my politics are just re-iterating Goaty and Light...
And although I'm more "informed" than I was 2 years ago, a few years from now I'll probably look back and think I was clueless now.
The sooner they have a chance to vote, the sooner it'll start crossing their mind, the sooner they'll start to learn about it. And it's not like most of them are going to be bothered with it anyway.
It just gives them the chance if they want it.
You lot are so impatient!
We all have to start somewhere.
Being honest, 80% of my politics are just re-iterating Goaty and Light...
And although I'm more "informed" than I was 2 years ago, a few years from now I'll probably look back and think I was clueless now.
The sooner they have a chance to vote, the sooner it'll start crossing their mind, the sooner they'll start to learn about it. And it's not like most of them are going to be bothered with it anyway.
It just gives them the chance if they want it.
Lets put it this way.
The people you call scum are going to turn 18 eventually.
They'll still be the same most likely.
Most people that don't care don't vote, so there's not too much to worry about.
And raiding teh driving age to 21?
That's stupid.
I'm 17 and I'm a better driver than half the people on the road.
The people you call scum are going to turn 18 eventually.
They'll still be the same most likely.
Most people that don't care don't vote, so there's not too much to worry about.
And raiding teh driving age to 21?
That's stupid.
I'm 17 and I'm a better driver than half the people on the road.
lcarus wrote:
> Hedfix wrote:
> Vote Labour and get a free ringtone.
>
> Summed it up nicely.
>
> On the same news page, there was a link to an interview on why a 17
> year old wanted to vote - and proved his point well. Thing is, most
> 16-17's (and beyond) don't exactly share the same interest in
> policies as he does, and most of those votes will be wasted on an
> uninformed choice at best.
Also, it's not like you magically become intelligent when you're 18.
Two of my friends were 18 on Monday.
Another one if 18 next week.
It's a bad example when you consider that the 2 that turned 18 on Monday are among the most intelligent people I know, but they get to vote whereas my other friend doesn't, but if he was born two weeks earlier, he probably would have been able to make an informed decision because he would have been 18?
> Hedfix wrote:
> Vote Labour and get a free ringtone.
>
> Summed it up nicely.
>
> On the same news page, there was a link to an interview on why a 17
> year old wanted to vote - and proved his point well. Thing is, most
> 16-17's (and beyond) don't exactly share the same interest in
> policies as he does, and most of those votes will be wasted on an
> uninformed choice at best.
Also, it's not like you magically become intelligent when you're 18.
Two of my friends were 18 on Monday.
Another one if 18 next week.
It's a bad example when you consider that the 2 that turned 18 on Monday are among the most intelligent people I know, but they get to vote whereas my other friend doesn't, but if he was born two weeks earlier, he probably would have been able to make an informed decision because he would have been 18?
I don't necessarily agree with the vote at 16, but under the current conditions it is hypocrisy not to have it... At 16 you can (legally) get married, start a family, smoke, join the Army, get a full-time job, pay taxes...
Yet you get no say in how the country is run. The biggest argument would be the taxes one (and possibly the armed forces one too). At 16 you can pay taxes yet get no say on how they're spent... Hardly fair is it? If they decided to stop taxing until you reached 18 maybe there'd be more of a case for not allowing 16 year olds to vote...
[edit] - No nitpicking saying how everyone pays tax due to VAT... You know what I meant...
Yet you get no say in how the country is run. The biggest argument would be the taxes one (and possibly the armed forces one too). At 16 you can pay taxes yet get no say on how they're spent... Hardly fair is it? If they decided to stop taxing until you reached 18 maybe there'd be more of a case for not allowing 16 year olds to vote...
[edit] - No nitpicking saying how everyone pays tax due to VAT... You know what I meant...
Think I'm with Strafio on this one. Idiots are idiots, but people who genuinely want to think are thinking already. Will they make the right choice? Who knows, but at least they're getting a good idea.
I do wonder about how much responsibility is thrown on kids though. But it's the 'choice' to vote. For every spakchild who's showing his mate his new ring tone, there's.. ok, possibly 0.2 of a child who's seriously thinking, searching, and trying to find an answer, and a solution. You can be married, have children, er.. play the lottery.. and yet you don't have a say in how the country is run?
I'd love to believe as soon as all kids reach 18 then suddenly they make the 'right' choice, know what they want, understand the changes and how it'll affect them. But.. nope, most are still morons I think.
For every asshat that votes Labour because it's what everyone else does, I'm sure there'll be another one that votes Lib Dems because they want to decriminlise cannabis. Both aren't exactly great reasons, but I just don't think it'll affect the outcome that much at all.
I do wonder about how much responsibility is thrown on kids though. But it's the 'choice' to vote. For every spakchild who's showing his mate his new ring tone, there's.. ok, possibly 0.2 of a child who's seriously thinking, searching, and trying to find an answer, and a solution. You can be married, have children, er.. play the lottery.. and yet you don't have a say in how the country is run?
I'd love to believe as soon as all kids reach 18 then suddenly they make the 'right' choice, know what they want, understand the changes and how it'll affect them. But.. nope, most are still morons I think.
For every asshat that votes Labour because it's what everyone else does, I'm sure there'll be another one that votes Lib Dems because they want to decriminlise cannabis. Both aren't exactly great reasons, but I just don't think it'll affect the outcome that much at all.
I know pleanty of idiots who are old enough to vote. They are more imature than some 16 year olds I know. There is athis stupid t*at in uni in his 20's who still goes to Pokemon card tournaments. I'd rather trust the kids with a rat on a stick than him. There are some 16 years olds who are smart enough to have a good say, and the stupid ones would either forget to vote or vote the same as their parents or whatever, so it wouldnt really matter I dont think.
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