MAINE: Panel Urged to Lower Voting Age (To 17)

PORTLAND (ME) PRESS HERALD ^ | Wed. March 19. 2003 | Paul CARRIER

[Uncle Jaque]

Wednesday, March 19, 2003

Panel urged to LOWER VOTING AGE (In Maine)

By PAUL CARRIER, Portland Press Herald Writer

Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

AUGUSTA — A legislative committee heard plenty of arguments Tuesday for lowering the voting age in Maine from 18 to 17.

[Uncle Jaque]

BREAKING:

Maine Lawmakers seek to lower legal voting age from 18 to 17.

(See full Article in PPH for details)

This issue was brought up last Evening at a County GOP Committee Meeting, where State Representatives reported on it.

Needless to say, this bill is strongly supported by the Democrats, and a bunch of High-School age citizens showed up in Augusta to lobby for it, as well as a few Teachers.

Although the MEA (Teachers' Union) is apparently not publicly lobbying for it, I for one highly suspect that if they did not have something to do with it are at least intereste, shall we say, in it's outcome.

In the Article repeated connections are mentioned with the War in Iraq, and how Students have "strong opinions" about it. I'll bet they do!

One "Concerned" Teen denied any "indoctrination" from Teachers and claimed that Students are "Well informed" and Teachers "help them to make up their own minds on issues and do not try to indoctrinate them".

Right.

The group of about 20 teens alluded to a strong interest in politics and their sense for a "need" for "political shakeup" in America.

Now I don't know about you, but somehow I read that as "Terminate the political carreer of our current, illegitimate President and restore the KLINTONS to the White House."

Am I being paranoid here?

While "Poll-Watching" during the last elections at our Town Voting Station, at least one (I think 2) School Busses pulled in with what I assume were every voting-age Student from a couple of High-School Civics Classes. The troop of Students filed in - I'd say there was about 25 or 30 of them - Registered and voted. Of course we have no idea of HOW they voted, but do you have any doubt? Personally, I somehow don't think that those School Busses did the Republican Party any favors last November.

This Lower-The-Voting-Age Bill had NO opposition in the House, and is expected to pass through Committee without opposition as well.

Since it will require an ammendment to the Maine State Constitution, however, it will have to go to a Statewide Refferendum and be passed before becoming Law.

According to Federal Statutes and Constitutional standards, a state may not INCREASE the minimum age for voting, but there is no mention of REDUCING it.

If and when (as there is a strong probablility that it will) pass refferendum, we wonder how long it will be before we're told that anyone old enough for a legal abortion (ie: old enough to become impregnated in the case of a female or to inseminate a female if male... what's that, about 11?) should be granted "Sufferage". Don't put anything past this crowd of Democrats up here in Maine!

As we all know, "Dirigo" means "We lead the way", and in this case I rather think we shall. Those of you in the remaining 49 States should keep an eye on your State House, as I will be very surprised if similar Constitutional ammendments are not coming to a Legislature near you any time now.

And then we can all look forward to seeing a whole fleet of yellow school busses in the parking lots of Polling Places wherever Elections are held.

No doubt if any of these concerned and politically active young Public-School Patriots has trouble reading the Ballot, a Teacher's Union Member Chaparone will be more than willing to accompany them into the Voting Booth to assist them in any way they can.

Don't you suppose?

[browardchad]

You may want to read this:

Announcement Regarding the Breaking News Posting Category

[Blood of Tyrants]

The can't buy cigarettes or beer or legally enter into a contract. Their parents are still responsible for the damage they may cause. They may not marry without their parents' permission or get a Tylenol from theschool nurse without the parent's written permission.

But there are people who think that allowing them to pick who represents us in government is a good idea.

Yea, right.

[billorites]

The average Maine voter is already dumb as a turkey dropping.

[Sacajaweau]

Isn't AGE a Federal issue?? otherwise states could pull it down to 16 or 15 or 14 or would it only apply to local elections??

[goldstategop]

Let's lower the age to 16. That makes more sense since that's the first time teens drive.

[goldstategop]

The 26th amendment ratified in 1971 only specifies that the federal government and the states may not deny 18 year olds the franchise. It does not set a minimum voting age.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A 14 year old could get a "permit" when I was growing up in Iowa. I went out and totaled my dad's Buick.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Why not make the legal age 12? Kids are doing at twelve what my peers and only hesitantly did at 21.

[niteowl77]

Why not lower the age to four? It would make for delightful little soundbytes of adorable tykes telling us how it is nice to share and be kind-- just like (insert Democrat candidate here).

[Salvation]

Oh, Please! </sarcasm off

[The Great RJ]

As a teacher and father of a 17 year old daughter, I can tell you from first hand experience that kids of that age do not have the maturity or judgement to vote let alone be trusted to drive safely.

My daughter and her friends are largely ignorant of politics and current affairs and would probably be more swayed who to vote for by what the candidate was wearing or how their hair looked

[duzystopa]

I think the voting age should be 21 minimum and also voters should be American citizens and have paid income taxes at least once in their life.

[goldstategop]

ahhhhhhhhh youth. MTV voters are perfect Democrats. ;-)

[SMASH IMPERIALIST LIBERALISM!!]

Wazzup, like, 17-year olds should totally be able to vote. Like totally! Peace out.

[Sacajaweau]

That's the same thing as saying 18 minimum. It would take a constitutional amendment and I don't think that's going to happen. I thought it was 21 until about the 60's.

[Uncle Jaque]

RE: "I went out and totaled my dad's Buick."

I'm sure he was reeeeal happy about that! ~{8>{D$$$

Perhaps those of us still hanging on to life up here in Maine had best fasten our collective seat-belts; this whole bloomin' STATE is about to get "TOTALED"!

Does anyone remember back in the '70's when the same argument was advanced; "Old enough to fight = Old enough to DRINK!"?

How long was it before most States started running out of body-bags for all of the drunken Teens who promplty went careening around the highways and byways mutilating themselves, each other, and anyone or anything else unfortunate enough to get in their way? And how long was it before the legal age to buy or consume booze was put back up to 21?
How many States still let you buy beer or cigarettes at 17?...18?

But we can rest assured that High-School Students (or drop-outs for that matter) can and WILL VOTE much more responsibly than they drink, now can't we?

Can't we??

Oh; for those who might want to work the venerable "Old enough to fight; Old enough to ______..." conundrum; when and if 17 (by Parental Permission) and 18-year olds "fight" in the context of the US MIlitary, they are (if things are anything like they were when I was in the Army) under the close and nearly constant supervision of competent (or so we hope), trained, ADULT Officers in a very controlled and structured environment, where they are held accountable to strict military standards of conduct and demeanor.

But do they PARTY under close, responsible adult supervision where you live?

Will they VOTE under close adult supervision?

Oh!; Wait!!!; I suppose that most of them probably shall, actually; their TEACHERS!

Never mind, then.

[Thinkin' Gal]

This is obviously an attempt to hustle high schoolers to the polls, while they are still under the spell of the commie public school system. The demoncrats want these naive, impressionable and brainwashed kids to vote, before they escape into the real world and risk getting a clue.

The dems must really be unstable and paranoid, because most voters in Maine remain perpetually clueless. They won't be satisfied until people like Baldacci get 100% of the vote, kind of like Saddam or Arafat.

[sharktrager]

My initial reaction was that this is a stupid idea.

But if we are going to try them as adults, it's kind of hard to justify denying them the rights of an adult.

[snooker]

>>>The average Maine voter is already dumb as a turkey dropping.

now now, don't be so harsh. The bill also called for raising the grade level for all college graduates to at least second grade proficiency. So the two can work together.

Got to find the D-hole or you can't vote.

snooker