Liberty Bell

“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
–Theodore Roosevelt

Voting has always been a source for debate. Should women be allowed to vote? Should people of different race be allowed to vote? Both of those have been answered ‘yes’.

AMENDMENT XV
Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

AMENDMENT XIX
Passed by Congress June 4, 1919. Ratified August 18, 1920.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

And in 1971, Amendment XXVI ruled that:

The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen 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.

A recent article from the Guardien, “We can have sex, so why can’t we vote?”, explores the British voting age. Currently the British voting age is 18 - same as in America. While teens under 18 (in Britian) are old enough “to have sex, get married and join the armed forces with their parents’ consent, work and - crucially - pay taxes” they are unable to vote. Many adults believe teens are too immature or irrationaly minded to vote.

In 2003, teens led a protest in London’s Parliament Square. They were organized:

“These young people had organized themselves, leafleting at school gates, recruiting via email networks and cultivating the attentions of the media. Their understanding of how the news worked and their alertness to propaganda was impressive. These children were sceptical, but not cynical, and well informed about why they were there.”

Near the end of the article, the author mentioned:

“For a country that often appears to pride itself on how much it worries about its younger generation, we are remarkably bad at listening to what it has to say.”

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Unfortunately, I don’t have time to present my opinion right now . Hopefully I will be able to soon .