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Record: 1 Title:
Too Young To Vote?
Authors:
Zelasko, Austin Gafford, Jacob
Source:
Current Events; 10/27/2008, Vol. 108 Issue 7, p7-7, 1p
Document Type:
Article
Subject Terms:
VOTING age YOUTH -- Political activity ELECTIONS TEENAGERS UNITED States -- Politics & government
Geographic Terms:
UNITED StatesReport Available
Abstract:
The article presents the authors' insights concerning the prohibition of 16-year-olds to vote in the U.S. One believes that the voting age should not be lowered to 16 since teens have limited knowledge in politics and were likely influenced by campaign materials. Another asserts that the voting age should be lowered to 16 because 16-year-olds are already interested enough in politics and could choose their own future.
Lexile:
780
Full Text Word Count: 520 ISSN:
00113492
Accession Number:
35299075
Database: Section: DEBATE
Middle Search Plus
Too Young To Vote? Do 16-year-olds know enough to pick a president? When voting booths open in Austria. Brazil, and Cuba. 16-year-olds line up to vote alongside the adults. In the United States, though, voters must be at least 18. Several efforts to lower the voting age to 16 have failed. Why is that? The U.S. voting age used to be 21. Then the United States entered the Vietnam War (1957-1975), and 18-year-olds were drafted into the military. Students at home fought to lower the voting age. "Old enough to fight, old enough to vote," they chanted. The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1971, lowering the voting age to 18. The National Youth Rights Association wants to lower it again. Most 16-year-olds can drive and be charged as adults if they commit crimes, says Alex Koroknay-Palicz, the group's executive director. Why can't those teens have a voice in their country's future?
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Opponents say 16-year-olds don't know — or care — enough about politics. Louisiana college student Joshua O'Neil wrote in a newspaper editorial that 16-year-olds given the responsibility to choose a candidate will "just vote for the 'hipper' one like people do with American Idol." Student reporters Austin Zelasko and Jacob Gafford cast their votes on the matter. KEEP THE AGE 18 I do not think the voting age should be lowered from 18. In the United States, teens' knowledge of politics is limited. Kids are influenced by campaign commercials. They want a candidate to win because of style and looks rather than the candidate's ideas. Some kids only support a candidate because their parents do. Adam Stoltman, principal of Alden (N.Y.) Middle School, says most children under 18 do not understand how government works. "It is only after their 13 years of formal education that we can be assured that they have been exposed to critical concepts in our government and the responsibilities of the politicians they will be voting for." he says. The presidential election is important. Until kids take it seriously, I don't think they should be able to vote. LOWER IT TO 16 If a 16-year-old can gel a driver's license, a 16-year-old can be interested enough in politics to choose a president. Ethan Grant, a sixth grader in Hurst. Texas, agrees. "The voting age should be lower because [kids and teens] have a future to choose for themselves." he says. There are adults who won't vote because they don't really know enough about politics or don't care about the election. Sixteen-year-olds are just as capable of learning about the candidates and the issues as those adults are. If a 16-year-old criminal is considered an adult, why is a 16-year-old who wants to vote just some dumb kid? Besides. isn't 18 a bad time to start voting? People at that age are worried about college and jobs. If they start voting earlier, it could become a good habit. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Should the United States lower the voting age to 16? Tell us at
[email protected]. PHOTO (COLOR): By Austin Zelasko PHOTO (COLOR): By Jacob Gafford PHOTO (COLOR) Copyright of Current Events is the property of Weekly Reader Corporation and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles
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