Now this is going overboard
 

Updated: 11:38 AM EST
California Lawmakers Propose Voting Age of 14
By JIM WASSERMAN, AP



AP file
Students who support the idea say politicians would take their views more seriously if they were allowed to vote.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 8) - A proposed amendment to California's constitution would give 16-year-olds a half-vote and 14-year-olds a quarter-vote in state elections.

State Sen. John Vasconcellos, among four lawmakers to propose the idea on Monday, said the Internet, cellular phones, multichannel television and a diverse society makes today's teens better informed than their predecessors.

The idea requires two-thirds approval by the Legislature to appear on the November ballot.

"When we gave the vote to those who didn't own property, then to women, then to persons of all colors, we added to the richness of our democratic dialogue and our own nation's integrity and its model for the world," Vasconcellos said, calling it time to further extend the vote.

A Republican colleague said it was "the nuttiest idea I've ever heard."


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Said Assemblyman Ray Haynes: "There's a reason why 14-year-olds and 16-year-olds don't vote. They are not adults. They are not mature enough. They are easily deceived by political charlatans."

Student supporters said the idea could give them a say in issues such as education funding and bring new voices to the California electorate.

"If we could vote, politicians would see us as votes, not just kids, and they would take our issues seriously," said Robert Reynolds, a student at Berkeley High School.

I teach the Jr. & Sr. High School kids.
 

The vast majority of Jr. and Sr. High kids have absolutely no political savy. The kids I work with don't know the difference between a liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican. They would vote for the person who "looked the coolest". They are so immature now days, let them grow up. Eighteen is old enough for them to start voting. Now the ten percent who are politically savy, I think its sad they can't vote. But, my experience tells me that today's kids aren't ready for voting, yet.

They are politically, intellectually more immature than my generation. They may have decent computer skills, and know more about sex than I did but when it comes to the real issues of life they are a much less mature generation than mine.

Keith

The statement attributed to Robert Reynolds makes your point Keith, exacery. Young Robert is so naive that he thinks the supposed politico advocate wants anything more than a block of votes he can take to the poles. And apparently he thinks that the politico would do more than to offer up warm and fuzzy meaningless claptrap specifically for teen consumption.

Talk about a cruel betrayal, deception and blatant mining for the vote mother load, yikes, this one has to go to the top of the list of ugly politico works of chicanery.

Scamp

Jeez...

Ohhhhh I think Kerry is more of a hottie than Bush...No Bush is hotter!

Thats what would be the discussions would be, just replace the names with whatever. I'm sorry I think most kids are stupid.....I was a stupid kid for sure. 14 year old???? there worring about if they'll get a pimple or something. People need to get a life!

Voting at 14
 

And next year someone will suggest voting at age 8. The drinking age should be done away with. It's that, equal rights for all, being taken to it's logical conclusion.

Stay healthy,
Andy

Hmmm Andy.....
 

Eight? Naw, that may be too old. A parental proxy vote; one more for each parent, in the second trimester though eight years of age seems more likely I?d say. Hmmm, maybe I should shush up on that thought as Marin County, Ca, will surely grab on and run with it. :D

Or maybe just the intent to conceive at some time or another will be an acceptable prerequisite for the proxy vote franchise, stranger things are happining ya know. :ek:


Scamp :cd:

I'm a full-time student at a CC here in MA and after the Super Tuesday primaries I took a personal poll amongst my classmates on whether or not they voted. The only one who did vote was a 75 year old woman who is monitoring the classes. Now these kids are between 18 and 22 years old and none bothered to go to the polls and some 14 year old wants the vote...(as the kids say) Oh, Please!

Duh!
Do I want my 16 year old to vote? H No!

She doesn't even know who Tom Petty is! You think I'm going to let her decide who the president should be? She'd probably elect Evanescence for Pres. and FiftyCent for VP!

Yep, someone here has already said California is a foreign country, just attached to the US by a thread. Well, I reckon they should allow everyone that wants to live and stay in California to vote, drink, smoke pot, shoot up and by all means do any damn thing they please. Now the rest of us are gonna sit back drink, beer, fish, hunt and party the day California falls off into the ocean. But then we may want to try to keep it afloat, after all all this inteligence will be going to waste.

What a crock of caca!!!
A mind is a terrible thing to waste, what a bunch of wasted minds. Not the 14 and 16 year olds. The dumb A$$ that even dreamed that this could be reality. I bet he is a Berkley graduate, him and O'leary were probably buds.
LOL FDLOL
theemperor