Kids Should Vote | Teen Ink

Kids Should Vote MAG

By Anonymous

     Global warming, stock market plunges, housing market at an all-time low, bird flu, and Americans dying in Iraq! When you’re a kid it feels like you’re letting adults plan your future. Adults are voting, but their votes affect the next generation. We are the ones who have to live with their decisions.

In our multimedia-based society kids are exposed to more information than ever. Television, Internet, and satellite news are available 24/7. Polar ice caps are melting, our troops are dying, and people are starving as we watch live. My generation is more aware of what is going on in the world than previous ones. My generation is more likely to be offspring of single-parent families, multi-racial families, and openly gay parents. The world has changed, society is different from when our parents grew up.

Kids are more socially and politically aware; so why can’t we take part in the political process? What would the political environment be like if kids could vote? Perhaps SUVs would be illegal - if you don’t get 35 miles per gallon, you’re off the road. Why are our troops dying in Iraq if no weapons of mass destruction were found? Perhaps we would bring the troops home now, if kids had a say. How come Katrina victims still need help, while we turn away economic aid from other countries? I would vote to accept help from foreign countries. Why does it matter if we agree with their government or leaders if they want to help? Also, my generation doesn’t care who makes up a family. I would vote that families are people who love and care for their children.

My hope is that because children of my generation have more knowledge, they will make the right decisions. My fear is that kids are so busy memorizing Red Sox stats, so concerned with Britney at the VMA Awards or with beating the newest video game, that they may not pay attention to what will affect their lives. On the other hand, don’t some adults focus on these less important things too?

Perhaps only the politically aware should vote, whether they are 14 or 104. If you don’t know how your vote will affect everyone, or how a candidate will govern, then don’t cast a vote. I guess kids couldn’t do any worse.



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This article has 65 comments.


pieceoflight said...
on Jan. 21 2009 at 5:43 pm
Um, children should not be able to vote. It'd cause major problems, since kids have a tendency to think EXACTLY like their parents. "My parents said Obama is a terrorist." "Seriously?" "Oh my god!" And then everyone has that opinion.



Children aren't mature enough to develop their own opinion, we aren't even that intelligent yet. Just wait your turn like the generations before did. The old suffrage age was 21. Man up.

on Dec. 25 2008 at 4:52 am
I Think You Make A Good Point But Alot Of Teens Have No Idea About Politics And Stuff. Teens Could Vote We Could Mess Up Alot Of Stuff IFf Half Of Us Dont Know What Were Doing.

L.I.B.King said...
on Oct. 11 2008 at 3:57 pm
Outstanding article! Kids who are 14 year old should able to vote. We could able to make some decision about were we live. As we grow up, we have a lot of responsibility. As this age we should able to know more about government and democracy. If you ask any 8th grader this, they won’t able to tell you any good. We are responsible for our future, and we have to do a better use out of it. This way, the place could be a better place for the kids of the future. We can help.

L.I.B.King said...
on Oct. 11 2008 at 4:00 am
Outstanding article! This is good that kids should able to vote. Kids who are 14 year old and up, can have responsibility to take part in voting. As this age we could learn more about government and democracy. As we grow, we should able to know this. But if u ask any kids won't able to tell you anything about democracy. We need to about our own future.

on Sep. 9 2008 at 11:58 pm
Great article! Though, it is a little nieve. The government cannot allow SOME kids to vote and not others- who are they to decide who the politically aware are and are not? Your arguement is legitimate, but not truly fixable by our own government. Only education and awareness can help here.