Voting age!

[jBirch]

That's the problem with "implicit" assumptions, isn't it? It's why the principle of Audiatur et Altera Pars exists: if one states ALL of one's premises one is less likely to be misunderstood, and ones thesis less susceptible to attack on the basis of unstated assumptions.

Ah. Never heard that phrase before, but the principal is sound. Just seems a little pedantic for an internet forum about politics. Seems kinda hard to constantly restate all of the implicit assumptions in English word choice. Like the "military" comment above. I would have thought it beyond obvious that we were talking about American Military but apparently, others read what I said differently and took my comments more literally.

Ah well, live and learn, eh?

What's your position on this whole voting age thing? In all the chaff, I missed it.

Take it easy.

[Inquartata]

Just seems a little pedantic for an internet forum about politics.

Pedantic?

Perhaps we haven't met; I'm Inquartata....

What's your position on this whole voting age thing? In all the chaff, I missed it.

I never weighed in. It's one of those arbitrary things---one has to pick SOME age, but none really has much logical justification. 18? Why 18 and not 17, or 19? Why not 21? Why not 30?

18 is as good as any, I suppose.

On a side note---why did the Founders specify 35 as the minimum age to be President? Because those younger lack the needed experience and wisdom?So why do they have the needed experience and wisdom to choose the President? Why not use 35 on that basis?

[Westley]

Most high schoolers are Bush Fans right now, while most college kids are kerry supporters. Judge for yourself who is more mature.

[Point_Left]

How old to vote? When is the average individual mature enough to be able to make an informed choice about running (or ruining) a country? I'd say 20. Why? I think most of first and second year Uni students are not mature enough to make these choices. Many of us are just getting out on our own financially, and realizing things like how much things are really worth. At 18 the average person has not had to look after their own needs-except in a few extreme cases. A few years of the semi-real world of post-secondary really opens your eyes. As for those who choose to go directly into the world of work, well, they should be far more mature. I know that I have matured a lot in the past year and a bit. Should I have been trusted with a ballot when I turned 18? No. Should I be trusted now? I'm not sure... Although I will be casting my second vote in about 20 days. (Provincial. This has been a year of elections. Canadian, American, many cities in Alberta, Albertan, etc. Starting to suffer from platform overload...)

When is a person an adult?