USA Today: In 1971, the United States ratified the 26th Amendment, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. In retrospect, that may have been a mistake.
The idea, in those Vietnam years, was that 18-year-olds, being old enough to be drafted, to marry and toserve on juries, deserved a vote. It seemed plausible at the time, and I myself have argued in the past that we should set the drinking age at 18 for the same reasons.
But now I’m starting to reconsider. To be a voter, one must be able to participate in adult political discussions. It’s necessary to be able to listen to opposing arguments and even — as I’m doing right here in this column — to change your mind in response to new evidence. more
h/t Rob
Back when the amendment was being considered, it’s proponents argued that if 18 year-olds could be drafted then they should have the right to vote. My reply is that only 18, 19, or 20 year-olds who were drafted (or volunteered for military service) should be allowed to vote. As a bonus, this would have eliminated most under 21 aged women from the voting.
Yes, the 26th A. should be repealed. Different times today and an overwhelming number of reasons to support that.
25 isn’t nearly high enough. Keep in mind that when the Founders wrote the Constitution, the average life expectancy was 35. They set the voting age at 21 since, at that time, a 21 year old man in almost all cases was in every way a mature adult, and in all likelihood had been completely supporting himself and a family for several years.
I propose that the Constitution be amended to set the voting age at, say, one half the average life expectancy. These days, that would be 39. By that time, most, though by no means all, have been supporting themselves and living fairly responsible lives. They’ve also lived long enough to have seen the consequences of some bad decisions and thus developed some judgement.
The problem is today’s 18 year olds have the mental maturity of 11 year olds.
And the 25 year olds have the maturity of 1971’s 18 year olds.
While you’re dragging out the 27th A take the 17th A with you.
http://news.yahoo.com/senate-look-without-17th-amendment-095822973.html .
Opps. I meant the 26th A.
My 12 year old has more sense than these college eejits. And he knows a lot more history.
me personally, I could never get my head around the disconnect that you are not responsible enough to purchase alcohol but were responsible enough to vote, have sexual relations, drive a motor vehicle and smoke cigarettes.
http://moonbattery.com/graphics/backward-evolution.jpg
Voting age should be when they no longer can claim status to be on their parent’s health insurance…age 26.
I think voting should be based on being independent.
If you own property (a home, even with a mortgage) or a business, you are qualified to vote.
If you are receiving welfare or Gooberment entitlement of any kind, or are a renter, or a student (which usually includes the above disqualifications anyway), then you have a vested interest in the continued growth of Big Gooberment, and are NOT qualified to vote.
Weren’t early voting qualifications based on this?
NOTE: To all you Race Card Players, Haters and Baiters, NOTE that I have said NOTHING about Race, Religion, or Gender. So go stick it up your tailpipe and BLOW!
If we’re going to change the voting requirements, let’s go all the way. You have to own property to vote. You cannot vote if you are paid from any public treasury. (Police, Fire, and Military excluded.) The residency requirement for voting is one year, in all 50 states. Anyone who assists in any voter fraud or other illegal voting spends a minimum of 10 years in prison for the first offence and loses the right to vote for life. Second offence is life in prison without possibility of parole.
I believe that the ass clown on a hunger strike is 28 years old, and still in college. Yes for a masters, but I went to a real college, engineering only, and there was an athlete that graduated and got his masters in 3 years.
We know that this guy will never have to work with his father’s job. Maybe that is the answer, if you don’t work, AND pay taxes, you don’t vote.
How about ’employed’? That’ll raise the age up to about 35.
“To permit every interest group, especially those who claim to be victimized by unfair expression, their own legislative exceptions to the First Amendment so long as they succeed in obtaining a majority of legislative votes in their favor demonstrates the potentially predatory nature of what defendants seek through this Ordinance.” – Sarah Evans Barker – Judge, U. S. District Court
25 seems very reasonable to me, I don’t consider many young people adults now-a-days. Some never grow up, their actions and attitude proves this fact. As BFH had eluded to in an earlier headline college today is proving to be worthless.
Ain’t gonna happen. Most politicians in office today know they wouldn’t be there except for ignorant, unqualified voters, so it has about as much chance of passage as a bill putting Congress under Social Security. Two chances, actually: slim and none.
When my son was about twenty and in college, he was at fault in a minor fender bender. I asked my insurance agent when I could expect my son to grow up. Without hesitation, my agent said, “when he’s 25.” Then my agent went on to explain that insurance rates go down at 25 for actuarial reasons. Correlation? Causation? Who cares? Raise the voting age to keep children out of the political process.