CNN - "Let 16 year olds vote"

[Machismo]

So you are implying all old people are not mentally capable? Do your grand parents share this view? Further, are you going to say, hand on heart, that you were mature enough at 16 to make informed decisions? Were all your friends?

I'm saying that many old people are not mentally capable, which seems to be the argument against 16-year-olds.

At 16, I had already been working for 5 years, and worked 35-40 hours a week while being an honors student in high school. I had a car that I purchased with my own money, and was politically involved.

[Thekri]

A couple problems with attempting to make an issue out of something that isn't. First of all, this is an opinion. Opinions are fine things to have, and if you publish them then people get to look at them and decide if the opinion is a good idea or not. You don't like the idea, and that is fine, but we really don't have to create a conspiracy theory around it.

Second of all, your only real argument against it is because you claim 16 y/o are more liberal. If you base your decision on who should be able to vote based on the demographics of people that agree with you, that is a pretty obviously undemocratic move.

Third, if 16 y/os are all so liberal, you are going to be in serious trouble in 2 years anyway. I don't think 17 is a magical time of becoming more conservative.

[szechuan]

A couple problems with attempting to make an issue out of something that isn't. First of all, this is an opinion. Opinions are fine things to have, and if you publish them then people get to look at them and decide if the opinion is a good idea or not. You don't like the idea, and that is fine, but we really don't have to create a conspiracy theory around it.

Second of all, your only real argument against it is because you claim 16 y/o are more liberal. If you base your decision on who should be able to vote based on the demographics of people that agree with you, that is a pretty obviously undemocratic move.

Third, if 16 y/os are all so liberal, you are going to be in serious trouble in 2 years anyway. I don't think 17 is a magical time of becoming more conservative.

Sounds like Republicans are afraid of Democracy.

[Thekri]

Sounds like Republicans are afraid of Democracy.

*Sigh* I really wish they would stop trying to make conservative the opposite of free and just government. I still think you can be a conservative and a decent person, but these dudes are determined to prove me wrong.

[Theodarzna]

Not really. If anything I kinda is swayed by raising the voting age to 21-25 or limiting it to married people or people who've had children. Just for the sake of "Stake in the future" though that might be rough for gay people and sterile types. So some exemptions apply.

[Grapemask]

Conservatives, as always, are great at understanding context. That's sarcasm, because the context is that this is an opinion article. I encourage you to look back on even just the last month of CNN's published opinion articles - because they let pretty much any mildly decent human being with name recognition write an opinion article, you'll find articles defending or speaking out against every viewpoint in the world.

As usual, like most conservative cry fests, this is something we can roll our eyes at and shuffle away without even arguing the point they're making.

[szechuan]

when 16 year olds act more mature then A Sitting President.
What a world we live in.

[Sunseeker]

If maturity was an actual requirement to vote, not many people would be able to vote.

THIS.

Maturity, experience, wisdom, knowledge, none of this has any bearing on the ability to vote.

Voting has come to the point its at in large part because A: large groups of people got together and pushed for change and B: politicians seeing themselves on the losing side of a situation sought out new possible voting groups.

[szechuan]

THIS.

Maturity, experience, wisdom, knowledge, none of this has any bearing on the ability to vote.

Voting has come to the point its at in large part because A: large groups of people got together and pushed for change and B: politicians seeing themselves on the losing side of a situation sought out new possible voting groups.

George W. Bush won Florida by a margin of 537 votes, In fact
Adults who allegedly accidentally voted for Bush messed up because of one of the worst ballots imaginable, according to some sources About a thousand people claimed they messed up in that district.

Here's the original Butterfly Ballot.
https://i.imgur.com/7C2ZEWX.jpg

And a modern Graphic Designer Was Able to Easily Fix the butterfly Ballot, remember it was 537 votes that separated Bush from Gore.

[Post]

Not surprising that the news network that generally supports the side with most of the youth on their side would put up an opinion piece supporting younger voters.

[Garnier Fructis]

I'm sure that just because his opinion mirrors their own is a coincidence.

And you know his opinions mirror "their" own, how exactly?

[Cthulhu 2020]

Not really. If anything I kinda is swayed by raising the voting age to 21-25 or limiting it to married people or people who've had children. Just for the sake of "Stake in the future" though that might be rough for gay people and sterile types. So some exemptions apply.

I'm pretty sure "being a parent" isn't a very good measure. Especially in your case, "knowing what's best for your kid" is seriously lacking.

[Torto]

*Sigh* I really wish they would stop trying to make conservative the opposite of free and just government. I still think you can be a conservative and a decent person, but these dudes are determined to prove me wrong.

*sigh* this really is a banal statement.

By you logic not letting infants old enough to scrawl an 'x' into a voting slip is an attack against freedom. It is a question of maturity, and an overwhelming number of children aged 16 are not mature. I don't understand why that is a controversial statement. You gain maturity through lived experience, reading a lot at high school is not exposing you to life's experience. Attending school rallies protesting whatever doesn't make you an expert on life, you have to live it. This is why people prefer mature aged leaders to lead their country.

[Sesshou]

I'll agree to a 21 voting age, if the max limit becomes 70. 70 year olds who are jaded on life should not punish the rest of the nation based on their jaded perception of reality.

Deal?

Actually, that sounds pretty reasonable to me.

[GennGreymane]

I bet some 16 year old are more well informed, mature, and lets face it, intelligent, than most of the people who can vote on this boards.

[Torto]

And you know his opinions mirror "their" own, how exactly?

CNN is a left leaning organisation that went full retard hard left when Trump got elected. It's an open secret. If this 'opinion' piece had argued 16 year old children should be allowed to vote because they are against gun restrictions and they all want to start a Trump Youth Movement do you think CNN would publish it?

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Actually, that sounds pretty reasonable to me.

I sure it does, until you turn 70 and realise you are not a dribbling mess and can still make informed decisions. If this thread has shown me nothing else, it's that young leftists hate old people.

[NYC17]

I'm sure that just because his opinion mirrors their own is a coincidence.

You have some sort of statement from CNN showing they support this same sentiment, correct?

[Macaquerie]

CNN is a left leaning organisation that went full retard hard left when Trump got elected. It's an open secret. If this 'opinion' piece had argued 16 year old children should be allowed to vote because they are against gun restrictions and they all want to start a Trump Youth Movement do you think CNN would publish it?

If in the aftermath of a school shooting you actually saw students argue for looser gun laws and campaigning for Trump, that would certainly be outlandish enough to be newsworthy and is the exact sort of thing CNN would report on.

[Garnier Fructis]

CNN is a left leaning organisation that went full retard hard left when Trump got elected. It's an open secret. If this 'opinion' piece had argued 16 year old children should be allowed to vote because they are against gun restrictions and they all want to start a Trump Youth Movement do you think CNN would publish it?

I don't know why I even expected any sort of critical analysis out of you.

[unfilteredJW]

Not really. If anything I kinda is swayed by raising the voting age to 21-25 or limiting it to married people or people who've had children. Just for the sake of "Stake in the future" though that might be rough for gay people and sterile types. So some exemptions apply.

So, 16 year olds.