[andyt]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

Despite my hepness(or lack of it in BC politics) de Jong's logic is fatally flawed.

I agree there. You were making it some sort of federal Liberal thing, is all.

[Scape]

I don't think his proposal goes far enough.

We should lower the age to vote in municipal (and the most important level of politics) to 14 with a parental co-signer. Then we should gear the education system to get children aware of the issues regional so when they do vote they know who they will be voting for. Then repeat the process for the provincial vote at 16 but leave the federal vote at 18. This ensures a gradual introduction on the issues, civic duty and a basic knowledge of how the system works. This should be a teaching moment not to be lost as the system as it stands just dumps kids into the vote with little to no introduction. The result is apathy, disillusionment and dare I say curmudgeony stiffness to new ideas as I have seen aired in this thread.

Let's face it, most do not even vote even when they can. They look to voting like the unemployed look to getting a job in a bad economy. They have simply given up the fight and do not see why they should and can barley understand what is going on and the reason is the system does a piss poor job of selling itself as to why this process is so dam important. This isn't some make believe magic kingdom that exists regardless of their actions we need people to understand what civic duty is and why it is important. If enough people become apathetic to politics their weight will end up crushing us all.

As to those who think budgets and policy will be tailored to the whims of 14 years olds I would tell them they should 1st vote themselves because clearly a great deal of you are not. We need to get young citizens engaged in the issues not throwing them to the lions and hoping they figure it out. Youth voters have been avoiding the ballot in ever growing numbers as the stench of apathy from the adults is overwhelming.

[Zipperfish]

Scape Scape:

I don't think his proposal goes far enough.

We should lower the age to vote in municipal (and the most important level of politics) to 14 with a parental co-signer. Then we should gear the education system to get children aware of the issues regional so when they do vote they know who they will be voting for. Then repeat the process for the provincial vote at 16 but leave the federal vote at 18. This ensures a gradual introduction on the issues, civic duty and a basic knowledge of how the system works. This should be a teaching moment not to be lost as the system as it stands just dumps kids into the vote with little to no introduction. The result is apathy, disillusionment and dare I say curmudgeony stiffness no new ideas as I have seen aired in this thread.

Let's face it, most do not even vote even when they can. They look to voting like the unemployed look to getting a job in a bad economy. They have simply given up the fight and do not see why they should and can barley understand what is going on and the reason is the system does a piss poor job of selling itself as to why this process is so dam important. This isn't some make believe magic kingdom that exists regardless of their actions we need people to understand what civic duty is and why it is important. If enough people become apathetic to politics their weight will end up crushing us all.

As to those who think budgets and policy will be tabored to the whims of 14 years olds I would tell they should 1st vote themselves because clearly a great deal of you are not. We need to get young citizens engaged in the issues not throwing them to the lions and hoping they figure it out. Youth voters have been avoiding the ballot in ever growing numbers as the stench of apathy from the adults is overwhelming.

That there is a great post.

[Freakinoldguy]

andyt andyt:

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

Fucking idiot. Of course it's NO surprise it's a Liberal idea. They need all the votes they can bloody well get

Not too hep on BC politics, are you? And the BC Liberal (an amalgamation of all the right wing parties, including former Socreds and PCs) probably aren't that worried about getting votes because the opposition is busy self-destructing. Many people say they won't vote Liberal next time, but if the only other choice is still the NDP (as it was in the last two elections) they'll probably hold their noses and put them bac in power.

Hopefully, but doubtfully, this mess will result in a total shakeup of the political landscape, with more choices available.

You hit the nail on the head. Watching the news this morning they showed a poll that had the Lieberals Party of BC climbing and the NDP dropping.

So, it goes to show you that even, without a leader, a party platform, a policy or a fucking clue, you can still find someone worse off than you.

[KorbenDeck]

You can drive when you are 16, with parental consent.
You can join the reserves when you are 16, with parental consent.
You can be charged as an adult if you commit a horrible crime that makes you not fit to be a human.

Far as i see it though, if our legal system says we gotta treat you nicely because you are still to stupid to make the right choices (Youth Criminal Justice Act)than you are not smart enough to vote.

[Brenda]

You can not drink till you are 19, you can not buy smokes till you are 19, so why drive and vote at 16? Or, why not drink and smoke, and be tried as an adult period at 16?

[ASLplease]

i believe that the majority of cka isnt mature enough to vote, but I believe in the universal right to vote.

[ASLplease]

KorbenDeck KorbenDeck:

You can drive when you are 16, with parental consent.
You can join the reserves when you are 16, with parental consent.
You can be charged as an adult if you commit a horrible crime that makes you not fit to be a human.

Far as i see it though, if our legal system says we gotta treat you nicely because you are still to stupid to make the right choices (Youth Criminal Justice Act)than you are not smart enough to vote.

its a double edged sword, wouldnt you agree? if a person is going to be given the rights to act like an adult and do things like vote, then why do we need to protect the naive ones from credit card companies, etc?

[Gunnair]

Choban Choban:

TuavDan TuavDan:

I didn't think you could join the miltary until you were at least 17.If he wants to give these 16 years the right to vote, then we should try them in adult court if they break the law! This B.S. about other countries alowing people tovote at 16, well I'm sure they are charged as an adult .

I believe you need parental consent to join the military under 18.
I don't think the majority of 16 year olds are mature enough to vote, I do know that all I was worried about when I was 16 was where the tail was and how I could get some

One can join the military at 16.
One can learn to drive a car at 16.
One can vote with as much is not more maturity than many who vote in their 30s to 50s.

[Freakinoldguy]

If the morons give 16 year olds the vote, the flipside should be that holding an elected office requires you be at least a minumum 60 years of age.

That's the only way to ensure that some 16 year old dipshit with a skateboard and toque doesn't become our next Premier, for no other reason than his ability to influence the other hormonally challenged cupboard cannibals on facebook and twitter.

It'd also have the added benefit of keeping the twit politicians who think this is a good idea from being reelected for at least another 20 years or so.

[Gunnair]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

If the morons give 16 year olds the vote, the flipside should be that holding an elected office requires you be at least a minumum 60 years of age.

That's the only way to ensure that some 16 year old dipshit with a skateboard and toque doesn't become our next Premier, for no other reason than his ability to influence the other hormonally challenged cupboard cannibals on facebook and twitter.

It'd also have the added benefit of keeping the twit politicians who think this is a good idea from being reelected for at least another 20 years or so.

If a 16 year old dipshit in a toque and skateboard becomes premier, it won't be because of 16 year olds voting.

Fact is, I'd like to see something beyond the emotional kneejerk rant against teens that would be convincing that a 16 year old is somehow less immature than some dope smoking thirty year old high school drop out with a paper route.

[ShepherdsDog]

You can join the reserves at 16. The reality is that they won't allow you into the reg forces until you are 17 and you can't be deployed or volunteer for a mission until you are 18....In a sense, it's a graduated entry into the military.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

So let's see, we have consumer protection for minors that basically acts as a get of a contract free card, to protect them against fast-talking, double-talking marketers.
But we expect them to be mature/smart enough to discern a fast-talking, double-talking politician?
Good luck with that.

[ASLplease]

giving a 16 year old the right to vote might be compared to giving an adult the right to vote twice.

what the hell does a 16 year old know about politics? He will just vote based on the beliefs of his dad, or highschool teacher.

What issues do they really know about? educational funding? raising the min wage?

[Freakinoldguy]

Gunnair Gunnair:

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

If the morons give 16 year olds the vote, the flipside should be that holding an elected office requires you be at least a minumum 60 years of age.

That's the only way to ensure that some 16 year old dipshit with a skateboard and toque doesn't become our next Premier, for no other reason than his ability to influence the other hormonally challenged cupboard cannibals on facebook and twitter.

It'd also have the added benefit of keeping the twit politicians who think this is a good idea from being reelected for at least another 20 years or so.

If a 16 year old dipshit in a toque and skateboard becomes premier, it won't be because of 16 year olds voting.

Fact is, I'd like to see something beyond the emotional kneejerk rant against teens that would be convincing that a 16 year old is somehow less immature than some dope smoking thirty year old high school drop out with a paper route.

Maybe maybe not. Some of them probably are more mature than a bunch of lunatic 30 year old dope smoking freakazoids, but that's not saying alot now is it? It's quite likely a majority of them aren't and if you don't believe me just take a walk around the mall some afternoon when schools supposedly in.

If you want 16 year olds to vote, then by all means get your member of the Legislature to introduce it as a bill, but if they do allow them to vote, I'd like to see the drinking age reduced to 16, the age of sexual consent reduced to age of 16 and the age of parental responsibility end at 16, in other words I'd like to see them treated as adults since that's what this would make them.

I've got a better idea, how about no age on voting. That way no one can bitch about how mature they are and how they should be allowed to vote.

The battle cry won't be "4 more years" it'll be "4 years old"