Dems pushing for 16 year old vote
Democrats are pushing to pass a Constitutional amendment to allow 16-year-olds the right to vote. Think about that.
More than a dozen House Democrats this week proposed an amendment to the Constitution to allow 16-year-olds to vote in an apparent attempt to make it easier to enact left-leaning policies like gun control and pro-environmental measures.
Democratic Rep. Grace Meng of New York introduced a resolution that would do away with the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, which allows U.S. citizens to vote if they are at least 18 years of age. The resolution would replace that with new language that says: “The right of citizens of the United States, who are sixteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.”
When Democrats were in charge of the last Congress they did nothing to advance Meng’s proposal. But groups that supported the idea of a lower voting age also indicated they like the idea because it will help advance left-leaning causes.
I rermember when the voting age was dropped from 21 to 18, mostly because “if you’re old enough to get drafted you should be old enough to vote” (never mind that females weren’t able to be drafted. Maybe it should have been ‘males 18-21’ got to vote?) There was at least a trace of hypoocritical altruism in that, saying you wanted young folks to have a say in their own fate, and obviously a lot of people were sympathetic. This is just a rawly cynical power grab, like saying “we will make you citizens if you vote Democrat”. And they don’t even try to disguise it.
“Our young people, including 16- and 17-year-olds, continue to fight and advocate for so many issues that they are passionate about from gun safety to the climate crisis,” she (meng – Ed.)said. “They have been tremendously engaged on policies affecting their lives and their futures.”
“It’s our younger generation that will face the long-term consequences of our political challenges – like stymied action on climate change, gun violence, and reproductive rights,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. “We need to defend their right to vote.”
Personally, I would argue that with the draft gone and no plans to revive it, the voting age should revert to 21. Or maybe 25. But 16? If we’re going to do that, just change the age of majority: like making kids eligible for the death penalty, remove them from Mommy and Daddy’s insurance, and all the other perks of adulthood. Wait, wasn’t there a lot of student loan talk that these college kids were too young to understand their loan contracts? Guess that goes away, too.
I am sure that it surprises no one that Reps. Tlaib, Pressley, and Occasional Cortex support this as well.
THIS is what happens when your red wave is fumbled. Take heed.
Category: Government Incompetence, Politics
They’ve been trying to get the ERA ratified since 1972? I don’t think this ones that’s gonna fly either.
Name adjusted for your privacy.
-thebesig
Getting a little old but if I remember correctly, doesn’t it take at least two thirds of the states to agree to change the Constitution? I don’t think that’s going to happen.
Three fourths of the state legislatures, actually. And I, too, don’t think that’s going to happen.
It’s a monumentally stupid idea.
Virtue signalling in order to get the ignorant to support them in everything.
Da, comrade, is whole plan!
It’s very simple:
Whenever The Left loses anything, their answer is to change the rules instead of getting better. It will never get as far as a Constitutional Convention, but if it did they would not stop at 16. They’d say why not 12? And while we’re at it, let’s lower the legal age of consent to 12 too? If you can vote than you have sex with whomever you want. Amarite or amarite?
IF they drop the age to vote, then they are more mature, therefore, 16 year olds then be tried as adults. No more babying for their crimes.
Add smoking, drinking, and joining the military to the list of things that would have to change.
Hey, Germans lowered the draft age to 15 in World War II…
But in NY, you have to be 21 to buy a can of whipped cream.
We are so fucked.
If they can let the mentally impaired vote and serve in office, like the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, why can’t people who aren’t even old enough to drive in most States get to vote.
I started working at 15 and pretty much have been in one role or another ever since. Back then about 65-70% of the teenagers did work, most often while attending school. By the time I was 17 I was making enough that I would have been paying my own taxes, if the tax code had been what it is today.
Today only about 12% of 16-17 year-old kids work. The numbers that are self sufficient are tiny. Even at 18, the vast majority of kids that age are dependents. At 22, less then 25% of kids are finically independent. While this number seems shockingly low to those who joined the military, young keep in mind that even 40 years ago the numbers were only about 35% at 22.
Getting around to the obvious point which is that so long as they are dependents then the parents should best represent their interests. Once they get out there and deal with the real world, then by all means vote. But while living in the fantasy bubble they will make stupid choices based upon their perceived reality.
“ But while living in the fantasy bubble they will make stupid choices based upon their perceived reality.”.. Which is exactly the point. Dems only succeed when those incapable of critical thinking support them. Tyrants aren’t a big enough portion of the population to carry them (unless they’re the ones counting the votes)
At 22, I was a platoon leader in the 509th Infantry and had been completely independent of my parents since I was 19.
At 20 I was older than one of my my platoon leaders in RVN. He wore both the Ranger and Jungle School tabs. We were sitting around playing cards or something one day and the subject of age came up. When he mentioned his I jokingly called him “son”. You can guess how well that was received. Fortunately, being quick-witted (being quick-witted is easier if you only have half a wit to move), I recognized my faux pas as soon as it came out of my mouth and was able to apologize and declare that it wouldn’t happen again before he could say anything. Last time I saw him he was a Capt. at Ft. Benning. Sadly, I don’t even remember his name.
PS
Minimum age for OCS back then was 18 1/2, with a HS diploma or GED.
I was a rifle company commander at 23. Had my 24th and 25th birthdays in the bush in that job.
The replacement population/voters they imported are needed now.
p.s don’t forget to register or destroy your AR (ASSAlTZ GinZ) pistols.
Who’d mindlessly vote for gun control even though Mexico they fled is the most gun-controled and violent sh*thole ever (only gov’t and criminals have ’em, like Ch*tcago) just because Free Sh*t!
Not sure about that Anon… Somalia and some of the other places that folks like Omar come from are in the running too..
Okay, Somalia, etc. are more violent sh*tholes… but Ch*tcago still sux.
But 21 to smoke, drink or buy a gun ’cause they’re not mature enough…
And according to them, they should be able to choose their gender at age 5 and take medication for it, further proof that liberalism is a mental disorder!
Why stop at 16?
Anyone recall the movie “Wild in the streets”?
https://youtu.be/hmeTftBlOVY
Oh man! I (kinda) remember that. I mostly remember the ending!
https://youtu.be/GDKWTehsomk?t=47
Huh, can’t be trusted to sign a contract but they can choose their gender and now vote?
Wondrous times to be alive indeed…
My counterproposal:
Voting age is raised to 25 unless one of the following conditions are met:
For individuals who have not completed government service and whose work record is solely in the non-private sector (government or education), voting age is raised to 40.
Hmmm… let me add this. If an individual hasn’t worked at all then no voting at all.
Or we could always give the Heinlein model a try, service for citizenship.
ACT, Heinlein’s idea is what I first thought of, but figured I’d soften it a bit by allowing private sector full time employment to count for something. But now I’m thinking of some of the horror stories coming out of corporate HR departments, so maybe back to Heinlein’s model.
As I recall, one was not born a citizen. One obtained citizenship while serving in the military — and as a serving member, one could not vote — only after serving two years could one become a citizen and vote, hold office, etc. I think military service was broadly defined and included other positions in local government/community service.
Too bad we don’t have a “service requirement” after high school: red cross, police, community services (litter police on roads), transportation services, etc.
After having served with quite a number of “youts”, and having been one myself, I’ll stick with a minimum age of at least 21.
Ditto.
Also, I favor literacy tests.
But, but then how would the clueless low info voter be able to cast their ballots?
😊
When I was 16 I can honestly say that I wasn’t smart enough to figure out which end of my dick was the part the water came out of.
How old were you when you figured out it wasn’t water? 😜
Amen. Lasting as long as I have is more a matter of good luck and God’s grace than anything I have earned.
Well, they’ve already locked down the stupid vote. Now they have to expand it.
Stupid AND uninformed.
Here is an interesting article relating to this issue:
THE COLUMN: To Save America, Repeal the 26th Amendment | The Pipeline (the-pipeline.org)
Stupid Ideas of The Week Thread/Category started?
Most 16 year olds don’t do shit for their own communities, yet we want them to have a voice in national politics? Hah! Get real. Pandering at its finest — and the stupid shit they vote for now they’ll be complaining about in 10-20 years. Let them grow up first…
They’re basing this solely on fools like Hogg-Boi and that angry little troll Thunberg..
I think the Republican Party should support this effort. Once the amendment is ratified, all they will need to do is create a TicTok challenge where you vote Republican straight down the ticket and, voila! People all over the place will be voting Republican!
Of course, it’ll be the same group who were eating Tide Pods, so there is that.
Maybe the demoRATS are afraid that the millions of peeps coming over the mexican border won’t vote for them so hence the future brain washed 16 year olds will give them the vote to stay as a one party regime like the 1000 year 4th Reich that the country has now without even repeating a Night of the Long Knives getting rid of all the republican washington politicians.
I am fucking STUNNED they even offered to go the amendment route. If I ‘member correctly, any amendment put to the state legislatures has 10 years before it’s no longer viable (you know, like feti).
I assume two reasons for them proclaiming an amendment: signal their intentions to future voters, and because they know it won’t pass.
Not dissimilar to celebrities (Stephen King in particular) who clamor for higher tax rates but don’t bother to voluntarily give extra to the treasury.
Bottom line at the end to make a short comment long, it’s an empty gesture.
Of course it’s an “empty gesture”. It’s meant to pander to empty heads.