Posted on 03/09/2004 2:20:59 PM PST by Indy Pendance
Millions of California's teenagers would become the nation's first to vote under a proposed constitutional amendment introduced Monday by a 71-year-old state senator.
Sen. John Vasconcellos, D-San Jose, proposed the idea alongside three other lawmakers, saying the Internet, cellular phones, multichannel television and a diverse society makes today's teens better informed than generations of their predecessors.
Coming on the heels of an expected record low turnout among adults in the March 2 election, Vasconcellos would give 16-year-olds a half vote and 14-year-old a quarter vote in state elections beginning in 2006.
The idea, formally called "Training Wheels for Citizenship," first requires two-thirds approval by the Legislature to appear on this November's ballot.
The California suggestion comes 33 years after the United States lowered its voting age from 21 to 18, and amid a fledgling youth movement in the United States and other nations to lower the voting age. Supporters say Israel allows 17-year-olds to vote in local elections, while Austria and Germany allow 16-year-olds to vote in some local elections. A bill in California letting 17-year-olds vote in primary elections when they will be 18 years old for the general election has languished.
"People who are given opportunity when it counts often live up to it," said Vasconcellos, flanked by nearly 40 teenagers from across the state.
"When we gave the vote to those who didn't own property, then to women, then to persons of all colors, we added to the richness of our democratic dialogue and our own nation's integrity and its model for the world," he said, calling it time to further extend the vote.
A Republican colleague called it "the nuttiest idea I've ever heard."
Said Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Temecula, "There's a reason why 14-year-olds and 16-year-olds don't vote. They are not adults. They are not mature enough. They are easily deceived by political charlatans."
Student supporters said the idea could give them a say in issues such as education funding and bring new voices to a California electorate now largely dominated by older Caucasians.
"If we could vote, politicians would see us as votes, not just kids, and they would take our issues seriously," said Robert Reynolds, a student at Berkeley High School.
"We feel that many problems that are created in our community by the youth, such as vandalism, violence, gangs to name a few, are direct results of the youth striving to be heard and striving to have a voice, but being unable to share that in a positive way," added Mark Murphy of Santa Rosa, a Montgomery High School student.
Vasconcellos said the reason for not giving teenagers a full vote was "strategic. "If I said 16 full and 14 full, I think it wouldn't have much legs." But he added, "In my heart I think 16-year-olds should be given a full vote."
Co-sponsors of the proposal include Sen. Edward Vincent, D-Inglewood, and Assemblywomen Carol Liu, D-Pasadena and Sarah Reyes, D-Fresno.
These folks simply have way too much time on their hands.
All those pre-programmed voters just running out to pass school bonds or leftist legislation.
No one should vote until they have achieved their majority, and with that, hopefully, the priviledge of supporting themselves.
The voting age was only lowered to 18 because men that young were fighting and dying in Vietnam.
What are 14 year olds doing for their country ?
I would prefer dogs voting. Most of the dogs who have kept company with me over the years would have voted Republican. Most of them would have bitten the hand that tried to bribe them, all were faithful, did their doggy job and contributed to their upkeep. About the only time they ever whined was to be let out to answer nature's call and Pee or Poop, usually upon a Democrat.
The premise is absolutely false. Anyone who would compare the level of political discourse in the schools today, with what we had in America when very few people had more than a few years of formal education, will quickly realize how "dumbed down," our politics and education have become. Today's teenagers do not have a clue as how to reach the level of political understanding possessed by the average pre-teen, 6th grader, in 1900.
Of course, I doubt if any of these sponsors could explain the issues in one of Webster, Clay or Calhoun's debates; understand the Federalist Papers, or the causes of the Civil War, America's rejection of the League of Nations, or much of anything heavier than the cloudborne fantasies of the modern Left.
William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site
Quite frankly, if you don't file an income tax return or pay property taxes you should not be allowed to vote. You would have to be complete idiot not to vote for largess.
But then again I guess these are the people who would vote for Kerry and Fonda in 2004.
I was thinking the same thing.... Public Schools = liberal indoctrination centers...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.