Comments on: Taxes, representation, and the voting age http://www.lokkju.com/blog/archives/67 The many projects of Lokkju, Inc Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:58:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1
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 By: Darren Vandervort http://www.lokkju.com/blog/archives/67/comment-page-1#comment-67651 Darren Vandervort Thu, 08 Jul 2010 06:15:30 +0000 http://www.lokkju.com/blog/archives/67#comment-67651 I have been thinking about this topic a lot since seeing the same episode. I bring it up about every month or so with new people I meet. The response is invariably the lack of maturity to make such decisions. I don't see that as a stumbling block, voting requires effort, if a teenager takes it seriously enough to vote they are probably as well informed as any adult. I have been thinking about this topic a lot since seeing the same episode. I bring it up about every month or so with new people I meet. The response is invariably the lack of maturity to make such decisions. I don’t see that as a stumbling block, voting requires effort, if a teenager takes it seriously enough to vote they are probably as well informed as any adult.

]]> By: You're kidding, right? http://www.lokkju.com/blog/archives/67/comment-page-1#comment-65298 You're kidding, right? Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:01:19 +0000 http://www.lokkju.com/blog/archives/67#comment-65298 The freedom to work as a minor is a wonderful privilege. The right to vote is just that, a "right." As responsible adults we teach, instruct, and mentor our under 18 population to prepare them to make the best possible decisions they potentially can make. Even if a precocious seven year old became a Lemonade stand mogul earning $50,000 a year, the experience and intelligence making that possible doesn't necessarily translate into a responsible voter. The real world demands that we make practical decisions about how we govern ourselves. The requirement to pay taxes based on income does not translate into a right to vote. If it did, there would be a host of classes of income earners who be voting on national and local issues that have little to do with their personal affiliations and yet would affect the rest of the citizens who do. Dan The freedom to work as a minor is a wonderful privilege. The right to vote is just that, a “right.” As responsible adults we teach, instruct, and mentor our under 18 population to prepare them to make the best possible decisions they potentially can make. Even if a precocious seven year old became a Lemonade stand mogul earning $50,000 a year, the experience and intelligence making that possible doesn’t necessarily translate into a responsible voter.

The real world demands that we make practical decisions about how we govern ourselves.

The requirement to pay taxes based on income does not translate into a right to vote. If it did, there would be a host of classes of income earners who be voting on national and local issues that have little to do with their personal affiliations and yet would affect the rest of the citizens who do.

Dan

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