Scottish Independence

[BanzaiCat]

JD,

It's not unfair, at least insofar as 'Murican 16-year-olds are concerned. Some, certainly, could make informed decisions. Some definitely cannot. But to be fair I suppose the same argument could be made for any age group up to the elderly.

My first instinct is to admittedly think kids just don't have the common sense to handle it. I'm not intending to be unfair, I'm just making a general observation. And yet again, I can't make that argument as there are plenty of 30-, 40-, 50-, 60-year-olds, etc., that don't have the sense God gave a thimble, either.

From your point of view...do you think 16-year-olds there KNOW that they have a lot in stake for an independent Scotland? Can they perceive the job opportunities and career paths available to them?

Me, I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up until I turned 31. I didn't get my Bachelor's degree until I turned 35. And what I do today (at 45) is only somewhat similar to what I got my degree in. My point being, I was a dumbass kid at 16 with no clue what I wanted to do; I let peer pressure guide me very very much insofar as what my friends wanted to do. Like I said - dumbass kid. I let that color my personal judgement of the age, though I do recognize what you are saying, and very much admit I have no idea what 16-year-olds are like in Scotland or the UK.

[JudgeDredd]

I don't know BC. I don't know if a 16 year old has any idea what's going on.

What I do know is you don't suddenly just grow wiser because you've turned 18. On top of that, the ones that can be arsed will vote - and if they can be arsed to vote, the likelyhood is they've done some investigation.

We are all told what we want to hear when it comes to election. Both sides, as happened in this debate, will embellish their promises. Both sides will skew things to fit their agenda. You could argue (as I did in this debate) that you just have to follow your head/heart. You really aren't going to get the truth from any one party.

Sorry - but I think, given 16 year olds are coming to the end of their education/beginning of their final education that they have a stake in what government is getting in power...the 16 year old is heading out to work. They want jobs to be there. The other 16 year olds are heading off to university - they have a need for tuition fees not to be raised/applied. And the ones going into further education want to make sure the ones coming in are going to screw things up for hen they've finished their education.

There's very high youth unemployment in the UK...and that's because, in my opinion, the UK governments turned their backs on a skill based work force and focussed on a service based work force. A lot of kids aren't as academic as others...the "forcing" of kids into university education was one of the worst policies governments in this country came up with...because they focussed on that, got rid of practical job opportunities and focussed on further education. Kids who aren't as academic aren't really going to do well out of such a policy and just want to head off into the working world.

Perhaps if 16 and 17 year olds had the vote, the politicians may well have been taking them into account.

Also - with an average turnout of 35% at polling day for General Elections here in the UK, that means, with the smallest majority, that 18% of the population choose what government we get in the country. I think that's piss poor. If 16 and 17 year olds want to vote, I have no reason to think they would make any worse a choice than any other age group.

As a whole, I don't know that I could argue 16 and 17 year olds are any brighter or otherwise than the US or any other nation for that matter. I'm just saying - they are living with the consequences of each and every government. I say let them vote. They can't do any worse than the people making the voting decisions now. :-)

[GDS_Starfury]

just about any 16 year old is an idiot.

[bbmike]

just about any 16 year old is an idiot.

+1.

[Boggit]

There are those that have the maturity at 16 to know their own minds, and those at 16 that know the minds of their peers, or what appears cool. I suspect that the decision to allow 16-17 year old to vote is because the majority are more easily influenced by emotive argument, rather than have the cynicism that older heads often have. I suspect the decision to lower the voting age was a calculated gamble in manipulation by emotive rhetoric. I am certain some 16/17 year olds did make a considered, mature consideration of the issues, but I'll bet the farm that the majority went along with their mates, and were heavily influenced by their peers to do the 'cool' thing.

While I have my doubts over the voting age, it was what it was. I do think that if you give people that age the vote then you should give them the responsibilities of adults too. At present (certainly in England and Wales) someone under 18 is treated as a minor, and the law is very lenient in consequence for their own protection, as the law deems that under 18 they do not have the same capacity as an 18 year old (an adult at law), and consequently need the protection of law for their vulnerability. Clearly the position of the law on the maturity of a 16-17 year to take adult responsibility is out of step with the recent voting rights. I have my suspicions as to why this happened, but if you're going to give new rights, commensurate responsibility should follow. My $0.02.

[Steelgrave]

just about any 16 year old is an idiot.

I think most of us don't start to get out head out of our ass...ets  until we break 30. Raising the voting age probably isn't an option though  ::)

[GDS_Starfury]

I dont know about 30.  lets say mid 20's.

[Steelgrave]

I dont know about 30.  lets say mid 20's.

I was slow.

[GDS_Starfury]

was?   ;)

[Steelgrave]

^Good days and bad, ha!

[GDS_Starfury]

to be fair Id say I had my shit together enough to vote.

the rest is highly debatable and still is.

[Steelgrave]

to be fair Id say I had my shit together enough to vote.

the rest is highly debatable and still is.

My first vote was for Reagan. So dumb 18 year old or not, I got that one right   8)

[Gusington]

My first vote was for Ross Perot when I was 18 in 1992.

[MetalDog]

My first vote was Ross Perot, as well.  Same year, too.  But I was not 18.

[GDS_Starfury]

 :(