voting

[PunkyD20391]

Don't you think 14 years and up should be able to vote? Even if it only counted as a quarter of a vote?

[bernardo]

No.

By the way, your question is incorrectly worded - it should read "Do you think...", not "don't you think...".

[thecooler]

Frankly, half the population of the country should't be allowed to vote, as they simply vote the way their daily paper tells them to or according to the most basic self-interest. I don't think age has much to do with it. There is nothing wrong with the way the question is asked. The negative question is simply a matter of grammatical style.

[LeMarchand]

No. If you're 14 or so, this will sound clich�d: but when you're 18, you'll understand why. If you're older, I'd say ask yourself this question in a few years, and see what your answer is.

[football]

No. All of the above & there should be compulosry voting. With postal vote for those not able to attend (apart from prison). & lose the vote if not willing to vote or pay the fine for not voting. Spoilt ballot papers are a different matter.

[colinsvan]

in answer to your question - no. but i do think there should be debating forums/student councils and the like

[PunkyD20391]

I'm sorry bernardo, but I'm not asking about my wording of the question. I'm asking about voting. I just thought, maybe you should have to take a test to see if you know enough about voting or something like that. Because I mean, the president that we get in November, or whenever voting is, will affect my future. I know a lot of people my age are too immature about voting. But I've alway wanted to vote. I wish I wouldn't have to wait.

[LeMarchand]

It's not so much what you know about the electoral procedure as how emotionally mature one is at 14. I can remember those long ago days (just): I was 100% convinced that the views I had then were those I'd have the rest of my life. Age has proved me very wrong.

[bernardo]

To thecooler - the reason why I said that the question was incorrectly worded was because "Don't you think..." implies that one is expecting a positive answer, i.e. the questionner is assuming agreement when agreement should be asked for and not assumed.

[bernardo]

P.S. I think that on this occasion I am allowed to adopt a pompous and condescending attitude towards 14-year-olds who want to vote, due to the fact that I am getting very old very rapidly (I am a year older than I was yesterday) :-)

[number8]

Absolutely not: 14 year olds do not have the maturity to make an informed decision. The recent idea to allow 16 year olds to vote is a cynical exercise by the left to ensure they hang on to power - teenagers, as a rule, tend to have a more left wing point of view. I would go one step further: I feel voting is a privilige that people should earn, and am therefore in favour of some rudimentary test to discover the extent of the knowledge of people who wish to vote (I was asked by a friend what a hung parliament is - unbelievable).

[omblod]

In reply to Football's suggestion that voting become compulsory; surely we have a democratic right to NOT vote? Although eligible to vote for the past 12 years, I've only done so on a handful of occasions when given the opportunity to vote on or for something that I felt strongly about. Perhaps the fact that I live in Northern Ireland where voting often falls into tribal rather than party lines has coloured my views on this. As for voting at 14, I agree with LeMarchand's point - by the time I'm 50 I'll probably want voting restricted to the over 35s!

[saffstar]

Although I think 14 is too young to be given the vote, I do think that it's encouraging that at least some people of that age are interested enough in politics to want it. I agree, however, with the standard argument that it's wrong that people can be sent to die for their country at 16, but they can't vote for the government that sends them, I think that that issue should probably be addressed.

[PunkyD20391]

I agree with saffstar, even though I wish I could vote. I'll just have to wait. Also, bernardo, SOMETIMES I don't think age has anything to do with maturity. I know people who are in their 40s and I'm more mature than they are. I think maturity has a lot to do with personality. Not always age. Also, I am not 14, I'm 13. I just picked the age 14 because I heard it on a news channel that they were discussing it.

[female19]

no are you off you rocker they cant even do their homework let alone do some think that could consequence the country. jeez i worry about this country please dont go into politics