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| Delegate Bill Frick |
The bill would allow the Montgomery County Council to change the rules on who was eligible to vote.
Critics of the bill say it would violate the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Maryland Constitution, and give those who haven't taken on the responsibilities of citizenship the same privileges as those who have.
Supporters say it would have a positive impact. Former Takoma Park City Councilman Seth Grimes says a similar change that municipality made in 2013 has worked out well. 16 and 17-year-olds had a 44.8% turnout rate in the city's 2015 elections, and 71 non-citizens voted as well, Grimes said.
13 comments:
This is a fantastic idea. Naturally, the school board elections have no impact on Landon or Holton-Arms where my children attend school, but I think it would be to the benefit of all public school children in Montgomery County if smart, progressive, well educated teens like mine were involved in making decisions for them.
So should 16-17 year olds be allowed to smoke and drink? And would this be the new age of consent?
@7:24 Are you really equating smoking and drinking with putting their intelligence and education to good work to help less fortunate children?
Non-citizens have no business voting. That's a perk of citizenship. Period.
Agreed.
The right to vote doesn't *necessarily help less fortunate children does it?
Certainly not equating the specific actions of smoking and drinking and voting, but the point of discussion would be as you mentioned an issue of whether their "intelligence and education" is at a level high enough society deems capable of understanding their decisions and consequences. Partly why age of consent is 18, smoking is 18, and drinking is 21. We already decided as a society here that any younger and it's not old enough for those things.
And independence from parents, ability to sign up for military without parental consent, financial rights of an adult, etc....
And to be tried as an adult, being in an adult prison, etc...
I understand the idea, but there are a lot more consequences and considerations to go along with being an adult.
@11:28 I would argue that a 16 year old Landon or Holton-Arms student is better suited to understand decisions and consequences than a product of public schools at any age. My children know what effective education is because they have experienced it.
The input of my children on the election of Montgomery County School Board leadership would certainly benefit all students who attend public schools. Their input will likely be of even more benefit than that of an adult, provided that adult went to public schools and has never tasted progressive education.
@12:16 I would argue that the over privileged, under educated children (likely with behavorial issues) who attend Holten Arms or Landon have no business voting for school board members, and probably shouldn't be allowed to vote in general. Their inflated sense of self-worth with absolutely no common sense or understanding of basic economics among other things would give them a hugely skewed view and they probably lack the logical thought process to coherently form their own opinion. They should probably focus their energy on learning to better drive the family Tesla without killing innocent pedestrians while they drive drunkenly around Montgomery County.
@ 5:38 PM is stuck in 2006. Tesla's self-driving features are so advanced that you never need to worry about bringing a designated driver again.
Agreed.
Rather not have ass clenching tighie whites have a say in public elections. Sorry.
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