Voting at 16

[marshy68]

But crucially, as has been said above, you can't go on the front line until you're 18.

Still think if you can join you should have the vote.

 

[The Spanish]

If you can join the army and get shot for your country - you should be able to vote.

thats a very emotive argument.

what if you have served your country but end up in jail?

you can join the forces at below the voting age and no one has yet found it an issue. why is it suddenly one? As has been pointed out ad nauseum anyone who is in combat will be of voting age. skewing the entire voting age for the forces is nonsense and utterly led by sentiment.

 

[The Spanish]

Completely agree with you - I think the age to join the army should be raised. Personally 18 should be the universal age for all:-

Drinking
Smoking
Driving
Voting
Consent....
Army etc

But until thats changed if you can join at 16 regardless of front line exposure - you should have the franchise.

why?

 

[The Spanish]

I'm sure polls will show that many 16 and 17 year olds would be in favour of splitting from the UK and as has been pointed out, it's generally easier to drum up nationalism in the disaffected youth. This is precisely why they want it. Brainwash the kids into thinking that mean old mother England is behind all the bad laws they don't like and life would be so much better if the Scots were fully in charge of themselves, they're gonna lap it up. Whereas the educated and experienced older generations know full well that splitting from the UK would be an absolute disaster.

On a related note, does anyone actually know how Scotland proposes to stay afloat? For years they boasted about the strength of their financial services industry, with all the big banks in Edinburgh propping up the economy. Now of course those banks are bust and I can't see malt whisky exports being enough to fund an entire nation. The rate of unemployment in Scotland is higher than the UK average so they can't exactly rely on a wealthy workforce of taxpayers, and all those on welfare will need to be provided for, without subs from us down in England. Seriously, where is the money supposed to be coming from?

the Cypriot EOKA campaign against colonial role preyed heavily on teenagers and schoolkids and that particular tactic ended up with 40 000 turkish troops camped in their old homes to this day. nationalism generally ends in tears. if you recruit idiots the results are generally idiotic.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

They interviewed some students about voting at 16 in the Scottish referendum. One of them said when you are 16 your political views are fixed and you are unlikely to change them.

Not true! When I was 16 I knew exactly how to change the world and I couldn't understand how polititians and other people didn't know as well. Over the next few years reality set in and I realised it wasn't as simple as I thought and my political views changed.

Some people keep the same views as they had at 16 and some don't, but no way are they fixed at 16. That doesn't mean that 16 year olds shouldn't be allowed to vote, maybe they should. It's not that long ago (OK, it probably is) that voting age was 21. I certainly couldn't vote until I was 21.

At 16, some are mature enough to have some understanding of the issues, some don't. Mind you, at 60 some do and some don't. I guess that those who aren't unterested probably wouldn't vote at any age.

Personally I would keep it at 18. And maybe give old farts like me an extra vote to take advantage of the vast amount of experience we have!

 

[marshy68]

why?

Because thats my opinion. As i said early i would prefer the age to join the army to be raised as opposed to lowering the age to vote. Not sure what you point is about serving your country and then being in jail? Its no different for anyone regardless of occupation - if you are in jail you cant vote, probably will be changed soon as some guy is taking this to the European Court for Human rights. Its become a topic of debate as Scotland are proposing lowering the voting age to 16.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Why are free bus passes for pensioners protected despite spending cuts? Why do governments shit themselves when the housing market tanks yet there is a proposal to stop housing benefit for all under 25s? Why is unemployment disproportionately high in the 18 - 24 group? Because the older you get the more likely you are to vote. Dropping it to 16 is a gesture. Most of them won't turn up.

 

[The Spanish]

Because thats my opinion. As i said early i would prefer the age to join the army to be raised as opposed to lowering the age to vote. Not sure what you point is about serving your country and then being in jail? Its no different for anyone regardless of occupation - if you are in jail you cant vote, probably will be changed soon as some guy is taking this to the European Court for Human rights. Its become a topic of debate as Scotland are proposing lowering the voting age to 16.

so your reason for recommending that anyone in the armed forces regardless of age (or exposure to danger) should be allowed to vote, is that its your opinion?

 

[marshy68]

so your reason for recommending that anyone in the armed forces regardless of age (or exposure to danger) should be allowed to vote, is that its your opinion?

correct, with the caviate that the age to join the army should ideally be raised to 18. If not give 16 yo's the vote.

 

[Colossal Squid]

the Cypriot EOKA campaign against colonial role preyed heavily on teenagers and schoolkids and that particular tactic ended up with 40 000 turkish troops camped in their old homes to this day. nationalism generally ends in tears. if you recruit idiots the results are generally idiotic.

I don't disagree. It's a foolish tactic, but one that can achieve favourable results in the short term for Mr Salmond

 

[Pavilionaire]

It's ironic that in the same year the tide turns after 23 consecutive years of improving exams part of Britain decides sixth formers ARE now clever and sensible enough to vote.

 

[glasfryn]

Let's just hope they vote YES

yep the words turkeys and Christmas come to mind
Unionist all my life but hey if they want to go let them

 

[Superphil]

you can imagine the greens liking the idea of a voting age of 16. would similarly hoover up a nice number of gullible kids.

Exactly, when I was 16 I would have voted for the Greens, I was a CND Hunt Sabbing Vegetarian with orange and green hair and wore a cheesecloth 'shirt', saditionary trousers and half a kilt with blue suede winklepickers. I knew what I really wanted then!

Nowadays you'd be handing the right to vote to the likes of these:

 

[marshy68]

Exactly, when I was 16 I would have voted for the Greens, I was a CND Hunt Sabbing Vegetarian with orange and green hair and wore a cheesecloth 'shirt', saditionary trousers and half a kilt with blue suede winklepickers. I knew what I really wanted then!

Nowadays you'd be handing the right to vote to the likes of these:

did Jimmy Savile take those pics?

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

Exactly, when I was 16 I would have voted for the Greens, I was a CND Hunt Sabbing Vegetarian with orange and green hair and wore a cheesecloth 'shirt', saditionary trousers and half a kilt with blue suede winklepickers. I knew what I really wanted then!

Nowadays you'd be handing the right to vote to the likes of these:

simple- 16 for males, 18 for females

or NEVER for females

 

[The Spanish]

i have never ever believed the received wisdom that teenage girls mature faster than boys. just look at that.

its just another myth men let women perpeptuate like the 'higher pain threshold' bollocks, just to keep them sweet.

 

[The Large One]

Exactly, when I was 16 I would have voted for the Greens, I was a CND Hunt Sabbing Vegetarian with orange and green hair and wore a cheesecloth 'shirt', saditionary trousers and half a kilt with blue suede winklepickers. I knew what I really wanted then!

In my instance, I was far more conservative at 16. Thankfully I grew up, and realised that sort of attitude was all bollocks.

Besides, Phil, the only reason you don't vote Green is because you don't have the option to.

 

[stripeyshark]

No to voting at 16. Im 18 and trust me, it's a bad idea. That is all.

 

[Dandyman]

Having read through this thread, I am rather shocked to find myself agreeing with a lot of what Spanners has posted.

That said as there is not going to be a Devo Max option for voters in Scotland (which includes non-Scots) I suspect the economic arguments may come into play more and more despite the best efforts of both Butch Cameron to alienate those in Scotland and Salmond to win them to an idea of Mini-Norway.