This essay argues out whether the voting age should be lowered to thirteen. The age thirteen was picked because it is a time when a child should start thinking more about becoming an adult, and it is a time in a person’s life when the Jewish faith says a child becomes an adult.
Argument
People that young are too easy to manipulate
On the whole, people are easy to manipulate, especially when it comes to fear, as that is how George Bush Jr was able to run for two terms as oppose to just cheating his way in one. People that are younger are even easier to manipulate and that will only increase the amount of fear based media and pressure when it comes to voters.
Counter argument
People should be protected from manipulation
It is unfair to say that younger people are easier to manipulate when older people and mentally ill people are also easy to manipulate. The real answer is to make it impossible to manipulate the voters in any way, as that would means older and younger people may vote more fairly.
Counter-counter argument
We do not live in a society where such protection is possible
There is no place in the world that has come up with a way of stopping one group or one person from manipulating another person or group of people. Whilst manipulation is possible with older people, it is still more likely to happen with younger people, which is why they should wait until they are old enough so they may vote.
Argument
Representation is the only way to have a voice heard
This is from the historical evidence showing that a group of people are often treat poorly until they are represented in the government in some form. At the moment, there are no 13yr old ministers or senators, but if a younger person were able to vote then that person may vote for people with younger persons needs in mind.
Counter argument
Younger people do not need representation as that is their parents’ job
It is the job of the parents to fight for the rights and the wellbeing of their children. This is currently the case, as political candidates will often pander to the “breeders” and offer policies and attitudes that address the needs of both parents and their offspring. There is also the fact that the needs of younger people would be represented twice. The parents would still be looking out for the needs of their children, and the teens would also be looking out for their own needs. This would double the size of a certain group in unfair proportions to other groups.
Conclusion
There were some points that were missed from this essay as they are too difficult to conclude upon, such as if parents would influence the votes of their children, and people having children so that they have a bigger team of voters, etc. The arguments issued within this essay seem to point to the fact that voting ages should not be lowered.
