There is a movement to lower the voting age to 16. In a New Jersey Star-Ledger guest column, We see the power of mobilized youth. Now lower the voting age, Rutgers-Camden professor Dan Hart argues the case. “Sixteen- and 17-year-olds,” Hart argues, “have the capabilities necessary to vote effectively.”
I left these comments:
Lower the voting age to 16? Aren’t the schools mediocre enough already?
You’ll get uneducated teenagers who haven’t learned to articulate their own viewpoints--in fact, likely haven’t even developed their own viewpoints--being sent out to vote. That’s completely backward. Far more important to a free society than the vote is freedom of speech. Foundational to free speech is the ability to think objectively and independently, so one can use one’s intellectual freedom most effectively. From what I’ve observed, schools don’t educate. They indoctrinate--especially on politically charged issues.
Given that America’s schools are dominated by a political action group, the so-called Teachers Union, this is not surprising. Giving 16 year olds the vote is in effect giving the teachers extra votes. Unless, of course, the parents de-program their kids, in which case the parents most likely get an extra vote.
Even politicized schools aside, politics has no place in the schools. On what basis do children form opinions that are actually their own? Informed political opinions begin with a firm and BALANCED foundation in political philosophy, not just civics. And in economics. Where do they get that? Most of what kids learn, especially about current political events, comes after the high school years, in their adult years when they begin to get real life experience. The schools should be focussed on training young minds how to think and analyze, and gain a love of learning. Schools shouldn’t be corrupted by politicization. If anything, it’d be better to raise the voting age to 21.
Related Reading:
Voting Rights are Not the ‘Most Fundamental Right’—or Even a Fundamental Right
Why It’s Time To Raise The Voting Age Back To 21—Robert Tracinski
1 comment:
If we raise the voting age to 21, we should raise the draft registration age to 21. Best and most correct of all, let's eliminate draft registration.
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