Hi Class! With a provincial election approaching, there are many issues related to citizens who are not permitted to vote because they are under the age of 18. What is the ideal voting age? Explain. Additionally, you are expected to respond to the questions linked to your response.
Post your views by the end of class Monday.
I think you should be at least16 to vote because then you are mature enough to make your own and mature decisions witch is what you need to vote I think. The issue is that we have to sometimes pay for things that we do not want to do like some kids don’t want to do like some kids don’t want to go to school but they have to pay for it I mean if they don’t want to do it then why would they pay for it if they could just take an on line course for free. And some people have phones that they don’t use but yet they still have to pay for them witch is kinda stupid because if you don’t use something you shouldn’t have to pay for it.
Thanks for your response Serena. Does someone’s age guarantee an acceptable level of maturity?
Quick Fix:
– witch (rides a broom)
– which (click the link)
no but they should at least have some level of maturity when they are that age. Most people are.
The age should be 11 years old! Why? Because kids are becoming more mature at the age of 11. They’re also starting to kind of know more about politics. Kids should be able to be heard to. We have ideas to! You never know some kids may have brilliant ideas.
You are right Gabby, kids have great ideas! Sadly, these ideas are often ignored because they do not come from adults.
If an 11 year old could vote, should an 11 year old be allowed to become the Premier of BC or a MLA too? Imagine making $100 000 per year as an 11 year old!
Quick Fix:
– use ‘too’ when you mean ‘also’ or ‘as well’ (We have ideas too.)
I agree that the actual voting age should be 18 because by then most people are mature enough to make the choice they think is best. But I also think that we should make a law that allows grade tens to vote for mayer so that the government can see how that age thinks for later years. The ideal voting age would be 17 because that is in between your driving age and the now voting age.
Thanks for your post Drew. Why do you think most people connect age to maturity (the older you are the more mature you are)?
Well there was a study done on risk assessment and males don’t have full risk assessment until they are 25. Where as females have their full risk assessment when they are 18.
Thanks for your reply Drew. Do you have the link to the study? I am curious about it.
No sorry, my mom told me that bit.
I think people under 18 should be able to vote at 15 were there might understand the rules and responsibility of voting for stuff in a thing that is involving all of Canada and is a path for are future.
Is it possible Dylan to decide when someone is ready to vote? For example, before someone is allowed to drive, there are tests to pass. Should there be a test to pass before someone is allowed to vote? Is that democratic?
My opinion is Kids should be able to vote but there should be an age limit like you should have to be at least 15 to vote so we don’t have immature kids voting for someone that made something they want legal. Kids are very smart and deserve to say their opinion and if we can’t speak it we need someone to let kids vote. I think it would make Canada, B.C and Kamloops all a better place
Thanks for your thoughts Kelsey. Why are age and maturity linked? Not all adults are mature, and some kids are. What are the positives of changing the voting age to 15?
I think you should be 15 because your are more capable to look after your self then when you are a kid. And if kids vote at 15 they have a better chance of getting what they think is right.
What impact would there be if teens started voting? For example, would there be a greater push to increase minimum wage?
Maybe but kids could fight for what they believe in because it impacts their future and how much they get payed for jobs or how much homework they have a night like in grade 8 if you had 80 minutes of homework, grade 9 90, grade 10 and so on.
I feel the voting age should still be 18 because they are more mature at that age. People that are younger than 18 don’t care much. They just care about there friends and stuff. They would just vote for that person because they think they are cool. At 18 they become more interested in the government and care for who they are voting for.
Thanks for your thoughts Jada. Do you think adults vote for the ‘cool’ candidate too?
Quick Fix:
– friends belonging to them = their friends
In my opinion you should be at least 15+ because at 15 you’ll be mature enough to make decisions on your own and you’ll know a lot about politics and 3 governments (federal,provincial, municipal). It should be 15 because then if you can vote it won’t be as much as an effect on you then if you can’t vote. The government decides your laws and what school times and hours are so really its effecting all kids cross the nation.
Check out this link I found its all about the topic we are doing http://www.youthrights.org/voteproposal.php
Thanks for sharing your views and the link Melissa. Could you ever see a time when a teenager is elected to a position of great power such as mayor, MLA, or MP? What impact would this have?
yes I could see teenagers being elected great powers all they need to have is all the knowledge they should pass high school before being elected though so people know the are trust worthy and responsible and reliable.
In what instances can you see adults vote for a teen?
Well adults would vote for a teen who acts like an adult, For instances if I past university in 2016 then I would probably act like an adult and have all the knowledge I would need for politics and governments people would vote if I showed statistics and showed i were reliable and responsible.
You are correct in recognizing the link between maturity and success in university. Do you think adults could get past the fact that a candidate is ‘just a kid’ and actually elect a teen?
Quick Fix:
– passed (not past) university
I think that the voting age should be 16 or 17 because most people have a drivers license by that age and if they can handle that responsibility I think they could handle a election vote. Besides it would be fair to vote then because it effects everyone so anyone that age should be allowed to speak out for who they want to win.;)
Good point about the driving age and the voting age and the associated responsibilities. It is interesting that kid are entrusted to operate a car safely while not yet being allowed to vote. Why do you think kids can drive before they vote?
I think that we should be 16 to vote because at 16 you get to drive a car and you can be mature. I think you should be 16 because you have responsibilities you are probably in your last year of school you want to have all the opportunity you can. Kids drive that are 16 with there parents and 17 by themselves kids that are 17 are alone and want to be able to vote kids that are 16 still want to vote because they can drive.
Thanks for your post Sydney. Do you think parents look forward to the day they do not have to chauffeur their kids around?
Quick Fix:
– the parents belonging to kids = ‘their’ parents
***Students are usually 18 when they graduate from secondary school.
I think parents will be glad not to be having to chauffeur there kids around because we love to do so many sports.
Thanks Sydney – now click this link and practise there/their/they’re 🙂
I believe the voting age should be at the age of 15 because it would be. Before your drivers test and also when you get your. Drivers lessons you would be able to vote.
Thanks for your post Kobe. Why do you think kids can drive before they can vote?
I think it should be at least 16 because at this age they are getting jobs dating and starting to drive also thinking about every one else not only there selfs. There starting to handle big responsibility .
Thanks for your post Kaleb. Which responsibility is the greatest: driving or voting?
Quick Fix:
– they are = they’re (They’re starting to handle…)
– use ‘themselves’ (not there selfs)
I believe u should be 17 because if u were 10, 11, 12 or 13 u might have the wrong idea
on what we need
Thanks for your post Tyler. 17 seems close to 18, so why not leave the age as it is?
Quick Fix:
– Avoid slang (and texting format) for schoolwork. Use ‘you’.
The voting age should be 16. By that age you have become more interested in things in the news, and on the internet. In British Columbia, we start learning to drive at 16, a good age, your becoming taller (to reach the pedals), and smarter, to learn more about what your doing (same as voting).
You raise a good point Jillian about students being more interested in the news. Certainly when they get a job and see who determines the minimum wage, the taxes on gasoline, and the cost for university tuition, they become interested.
Why do you think teens are allowed to drive before they are allowed to vote?
Quick Fix:
– you are becoming taller (you’re)
The government probably doesn’t feel like “kids” under the age of 18 are mature enough. They must feel that because we still live with our parents we are influenced by them and their ways, so they want us to be out and experience the real world by ourselves, not being influenced by anyone else.
You make a great point about the need to experience more. What is the difference between a parent’s influence and an outsider’s influence? Does the degree of choice/freedom change when one no longer lives at home with mom/dad?
I would imagine sixteen years would be an appropriate age for voting since most teens own a vehicle around that age. Although I do see why the chose the age of eighteen for a minimum voting age because the government would assume the age group would understand more of the issues and dilemmas properly than the younger teenagers. After all I would still say sixteen because you are able to own a car at that age, so why can’t you vote?
You raise some good points Shaleyea. (I think one can own a car before the age of 16 – they cannot begin to get their license until 16 though.)
Would the fix then be to change the driving age to 18?
I think it should be 16 because you can drive and also you should be mature enough then.
Good point Jaxson, however when you have seen a group of teens driving in a car, how would you describe their levels of maturity?
I think you should be at least 15 or 16 years old to vote because people can drive or they’re close to driving a car. And it will effect the younger people that it will the to the older people .
Thanks for your thoughts Jacob. Do you think younger voters will care for and look out for older people?
Quick Fix:
– “And it will effect the younger people…” (use affect)
– Click here to read about affect/effect.
– Try to avoid opening a sentence with ‘and’. Using ‘in addition’ or ‘furthermore’ are a couple of good options.
I think it should be 16 because at that age you are able to drive and you are really close to adulthood so then you should start taking on you’re own responsibility so you can learn to vote and get into politics start acting like an adult so it’s easier.
Good points Spencer. How do you think 16 year olds will approach issues like health care (especially for the elderly) and economic topics (taxes). Do they have the appropriate background knowledge?
Lastly, could you see parents or grand parents voting to elect a 16 year old? Explain.
I think you should be able to vote at thirteen because we’re starting to learn more about politics and by the time we are that age most of us would be mature enuff to know who to vote for and not vote for somebody just because they think that person is cool. and we have allot of ideas too but the government won’t listen to us because our ideas didn’t come from another adult and to them were still kids.
Thanks for your thoughts Kayla. Why do you think the ideas of kids are often ignored?
Quick Fix:
– use enough (not enuff)
– allot vs a lot (click the link to learn the difference)
I believe that we should be at least 18 to vote. The reasons are that the people that are 18 would understand more about the problems that the government has been debating what to do. And for the people that are 16 may not apprehend to the problems that the government have to debate. Also the people that are 16 they would still be in school.
Thanks for your post Emily. Hopefully people are still in school at 18 (graduating high school) and moving on to post secondary education. Do you think it is acceptable for people 18 and older to be responsible for laws that impact 16 and 17 year olds?
Quick Fix:
– use comprehend (to understand) rather than apprehend (to capture)
I think it should stay the same. the reason for my indifference to most people is that I find that it is a age that you reach a general maturity.
Thanks for your thought Jake. Does this mean drivers and baby sitters require less maturity than voters while lottery ticket purchasers require more maturity?
I agree that you haft to be 18 years old. Mostly because 18 and up are more mature then younger teens. Its a great age for voting. Not like 16 years old that’s not mature enough for voting. 18 and older should always be the age limit for voting in elections. Its a great thing that the government chosen 18 and older what a great discussion.
Thanks for your thoughts Cassie. Does this mean you must be more mature to vote than to drive a car?
Quick Fix:
– you have to be (not haft)
– use ‘than’ when comparing (greater than, more mature than, taller than…)
– it is = it’s
I think that you should be sixteen to vote because you should be Mature enough to take voting just as seriously as you would driving. The young people in our country should have a say in what laws will be pasted if it effects them and lots of teens need to have a voice in voting.