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Not really. I honestly think that getting teens to vote would provide them reason to pay attention in civics and government courses, considering it's they that might help decide in major issues that effect them.
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They ALREADY have that reason! After they're 18, they're given the opportuniy to "help decide major issues that effect them." A lot of high school seniors are already 18, so I'm not sure what moving it back a few years would really accomplish is increasing attention span in school. That's an entirely different issue, one related more to poor parenting than when they get to vote, in my opinion. I paid attention in my civics and government classes, and it had nothing to do with how soon I'd be able to vote. Add in the fact that major elections are on two/four year intervals, and you'd basically be providing nothing they won't get when they graduate, anyway.
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Imagine if teens were able to vote against Bush to end the war so they could join the military without having to go to Iraq. Wouldn't that be spectacular? Or,
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It becomes more and more clear that you want this becuase you really wish that Bush hadn't been elected. I'm totally with you, but I think that you'd actually make the situation worse. Conservative families typically have many more children (Bible belt, anyone?)
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Undereducated? They're learning in school now what most voters learned years ago and have since forgotten. I'd say that they could potentially be more informed than their adult counterparts. I was better to prepared to vote at 16 than both my parents (one of whom actually voted for Bush, and has since been disowned).
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I don't think knowing that there are three branches of the government, "checks and balances," and two Houses of Congress really does much to "inform" voters on the issues. I don't see how things learned in school about the Gov of the US really change political opinion at all.
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I believe it's from a book. Influence from adults will always be there to a point, but can you really look back at when you were 16 and 17 and say you'd vote for whomever your parents said? I mean some kids are just as likely to vote against what their parents say out of spite as a part of their individuation process (learning to become an individual often means rebellion against one's parents).
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No, but I was raised in a family that valued individual opinion and expression. I'm not naive enough to believe that this is common, or even close to the majority. Ask Fred Phelp's family if they'd vote the same way their Daddy does.
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He's a psychologist, so the expertise comes into play.
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That's great, except this is a sociological concern and not a pyschological concern. I really don't see how any expertise in the world could help tell us how future people will behave in a society. It's a guess. Maybe an educated guess, but a guess nonetheless.
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Children are fantastic at keeping secrets, especially from their parents.
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Says who? Did you just make this up, becuase you thought you were good at keeping secrets from YOUR parentS? You've got to consider the massive amount of people you're talking about, and how different they all are.
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have no clue where you get the idea that children are poor liars, and more so I have no clue as to why you'd think that so many parents would try to force their child to vote for someone.
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Becuase I don't live in the vacuum that you seem to think this idea will be implemented in. It's much more sensible t believe that parents will attempt to manipulate their children then not. What if, for argument's sake, you conceded that all parents would maliciously manipulate their children to exact a vote in their favor. Can't you see how terrible that would be? If you then work backwards out in percentages, what percent of parents would have to be doing it for it to still be a bad idea?
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Kids can't be unlawfully anything because "unlawful" means against the law. Children cannot be denied due process, cannot be falsely imprisoned, and in many cases can be covered by free speech and religion, though they should be covered completely.
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You didn't live in my house. Being locked in your room without dinner for being a "bad boy," and not being allowed to leave until you apologize is a denial of due process, and is imprisonment. My freedom of movement is denied, as are .. well, the rest of my Consitutional rights. A minor child is considered in the custody of parents at all times, and ALL of their Constitutional rights can be suspended by that parent at any time, provided no direct mental or physical abuse can be demonstrated.