State 29 posted this link to this Des Moines Register article about lowering the voting age. The premise seems to be that it would get high school kids more involved in the political process.



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My response: And that's a good thing? Voting is a responsibility, and if nothing else the whole 2000 election should have taught us it is something to be taken VERY seriously. I understand that many high school kids have well-reasoned opinions for their age. So do many grade school kids. Key concept: for their age. It takes a certain amount of maturity and life experience before one should be allowed to vote, to drive, to fight in a war, to sit on a death penalty jury. Simply being intelligent and/or wanting to participate is not enough. If you think I'm exaggerating with the grade school kids idea, look at this quote from the article:



"Germany is looking at allowing people to vote from the time they are infants, with parents helping until age 12."



How many constitutional issues can you spot in that sentence? What if the five-year-old voter wants someone different from Mommy? Can mommy be sued for pressuring the child? Could campaigns slip brainwashing political advertisements into Sesame Street? What about sending the entire under-5 population the latest $2 trinket in a massive ad campaign? Would that be legal? What happened to a secret ballot - have we violated Jr's constitutional rights? Speaking of ballots, would they now need to be understandable by a two-year-old in order to be legal? Could we keep the polls open past their bedtimes? What would Germany do when Barney won the chancellorship? Would "I Love You, You Love Me" become the new national anthem? Being it's Germany, would the average adult voter think that was actually a good idea, in order to make up for the mistakes of the past?



My own opinion: Pick an age. Eighteen, sixteen, whatever. Do a little scientific research and just choose one. Let it be the drinking age, voting age, driving age. One side of it, you are a legal child. Even if you're very, very mature. The other side, you are a legal adult. Even if you're very immature. Of course it will be arbitrary - deal with it. Any age cutoff will necessarily be arbitrary. But at least we won't have this silly graduated system that allows for the voting and soldiering to occur a full three years before the "kid" can pop a beer.



Then, while we're at it, stop babysitting the adults. (Are you listening, University of Iowa administration?) Stop allowing them to bring lawsuits based on "undue influence" or "pressure" by peers, bartenders, the fast-food industry, etc., absent evidence of fraud or a diagnosable mental defect. Allow them to hear the song "In Heaven There Is No Beer" without worrying about the corrupting influence on their morals.



Just my 2 cent's worth of a vent.



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