Law Vs. Voting

In today's United States one of the most important freedoms we are allowed is the right to vote. By voting you are in affect controlling your future, through the medium of a political candidate. However, in order to vote you must be 18 years of age, as is set by the 26th amendment. Before the 26th amendment though the voting age was 21. This angered numerous people who were either in the armed forces or had loved ones in the armed forces though, because one could join the army at 18 and die in battle for a war they never got a say in. This prompted the adaptation of the 26th amendment in 1971, in large part due to protesting during the Vietnam war. (H.R. Rep. No. 37, 92d Cong., 1st Sess. (1971)) If the legal age for voting has been transferred from 21 to 18 without any problems, who’s to say it shouldn't be shifted lower?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/05/vote_or_die

This argument to shift the voting age lower becomes especially convincing when you consider the reason that it was lowered the last time. It was lowered because soldiers wanted a say in choosing the candidate that would ultimately affect their well being, but similarly shouldn't teens who are able to work or even old enough to be charged with a crime be able to vote on a candidate that would affect the taxing of their money or the creation of laws that might affect them. Our country was founded on the principles of no taxation without representation. Why should we choose to ignore this concept that was so essential to the creation of the U.S. because of a person's age? It seems only logical to have a voting age that allows all persons that are affected in some way by the choices of a president to be able to vote for or against said president. Lowering the voting age also makes sense because in recent years younger ages have become increasingly active in elections and had an increasing sway on the outcomes, as is seen in the following video:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glNZ_THfeow

 These teenagers are also going through government classes at this age of 16-17 and have a strong, working knowledge of the foundation and inner workings of our government.

http://www.twolevelsup.typepad.com/

 Decreasing the voting age relates to this class because it has to deal with both the Constitution and the Vindications of the Rights of Men, which are both texts we have looked at quite thoroughly. In the constitution, voting is found in several different amendments but it is the 26th that relates entirely to lowering the voting age, stating that it should be moved from 21 to 18. In a Vindication of the Rights of Men there are several parts in which Wollstonecraft talks about how people shouldn't be discriminated based on age. One of the main ideas of her book the extension of the rights to vote. Wollstonecraft was a strong advocate of suffrage for all minorities.