Ahead of the Lords vote on allowing 16 and 17 year olds the vote in the EU Referendum, Liberal Youth member Isabelle Cherry, who’s 17, says why this is so important to her.
A 16 year old says: “I think we should remain in the EU because membership gives us a say on how trading rules are set up”, to which a 46 year old replies: “you don’t know what you’re talking about because you’re 16”. If the 16 year old’s argument was said by an older member of the community, the point would be scrutinised and debated, and ultimately taken seriously. Does who the person is validate, or in this case, invalidate their argument?
There would obviously, and quite rightly, be outcries of blatant discrimination if the 46 year old’s response was “you don’t know what you’re talking about because you’re a woman” or “because you’re black”. How come it is acceptable to reject the argument of the 16 year old on the grounds of their age, as opposed to the credibility of what they’re saying?
Are we silenced because you believe us to be too ignorant to vote? Then let’s also remove the vote from that person who can’t even name the prime minister, and that person who’s voted Conservative 3 terms in a row because they don’t know what the other parties are. They have a right to vote because they’re human, so what about us? After all, it’s our future as much as yours.
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10 Comments
Isobel, we have to draw the line somewhere, and society has determined that it should be 18. As you rightly point out, there are many competency tests that so-called adults would fail, but there it is. Life isn’t fair, unfortunately.
18 is the generally accepted age of adulthood. Were voting age to be lowered, then a whole raft of responsibilities that go with the right to vote would have to be attached to it.
I should also add, as someone closer to 46 than 16, that all 46 year olds have been 16 but no 16 year olds have been 46. Not fair, I know, but there it.
all 46 year olds have been 16 but no 16 year olds have been 46
More to the point, all sixteen-year-olds who survive for a further two years will get the vote.
The idea that discriminating based on age, a temporary condition, is anything like discriminating based on a permanent condition like sex or skin colour, is ludicrous.
I remember my niece having a tantrum in front of her mother and myself: “You don’t know what it’s like to be 16!”
“you don’t know what you’re talking about because you’re 16”
And nor do I at 52 years of age. I think I can argue well about principles (death penalty, mutual respect and rights) but EU trading rules are outside my knowledge. EU trading rules are technical stuff so I have to rely on experts to break down the arguments for me to understand. If we take another example, climate science, experts have to analyse data and convince others that the data are useful.
When I am a half-buttocked-expert on a topic, I guffaw at broadsheet newspaper explanations. I take a long walk, drawing deep breaths. I tell myself that the writer tried to compose a good story.
When I read a story about EU trading laws or climate science, I’m not an expert. I hope that the journalist understands the story. If the topic is important to me, I’ll try to find a different writer — somebody who I can trust.
That’s it — trust.
It’s trust that matters.
Isabelle I think you’re spot on, as a teacher I can whole-heartedly say that 16-17 year olds are perfectly able to make such decisions, even if they don’t realise it themselves. I’ve heard 15-year-olds give more cogent arguments on the matters of life better than any 50-year-old could and quite frankly, it worked in the Scottish Referendum, why not the EU one?
Hi Isabelle – 16 & 17 year olds should definitely be given the chance to vote in the EU referendum just as young people did in the Scottish referendum. Sixth forms should be giving students the opportunity to learn about the in/out arguments and encouraging healthy debate. This is your future and I hope you all get the chance to vote.
Isabelle could Liberal Youth start campaigning for this vote following on from the party’s success in the Lords, using social media and any other methods to get enough signatures to force a debate in the Commons? Otherwise Cameron will just ignore the House of Lords decision. Please also see my comments on the post about campaigning as I have ME repeating them is too exhausting.
Following on from Sue’s suggestion, how about organising a petition on ‘Change.org’.
Hi Isabelle … it’s me again!
There are already several petitions on Change.org asking Cameron to change his stance on whether 16 & 17 year olds should be able to vote in the EU referendum. I do hope our Liberal Youth are supported in every way by party members and encouraged to campaign loudly on this issue. What a vote winner!