This is my idea: lower the voting age. Besides suing and bribing, voting is the most important tool we have as citizens in a democracy. And it’s being wasted and underused. I know it sounds crazy to give 16 year olds the right to vote. But we already let them drive, and that causes infinitely more destruction and death in our society.
First of all, I would probably agree that many 16 year olds are immature, uneducated, and basically retarded. But I would say that same thing about most 18-24 year olds too. I honestly don’t think that an average 16 year old is significantly more retarded than an average 18 year old.
Second it would force schools to educate students about politics, current issues, and voting. The whole point of compulsory education is to prepare citizens to be active participants in our country. That really isn’t happening now. But if high school juniors and seniors were voting if would basically force the curriculum to adapt. Education could be useful.
Third, if we had the opportunity to train kids in important social issues we could train them to be life-long voters. If we actually want significant social change and progress, if we want a more democratic country, if we want social justice, we need to educate and enfranchise the masses. This should be instilled in people from an early age.
