When do you become an adult?

Victor

When do you become an adult?

There is a current debate in the UK (I think promoted by the LibDems) to have the voying age reduced to 16, seeing as so many other adult choices are available to 16 year olds. should there be a similar debate in Ireland?

UK:
Become President: N/A ?
Become a MP: 21 ?
Purchase alcohol: 18
Purchase cigarettes: 16 ?
Get married: 16
Have sex: 16
Vote: 18
Leave home: 16
Join the military: 16
Work (day): 15 ?
Work (night): 18 ?
Leave school: 16 ?

Ireland:
Become President: 35
Become a TD: 21
Purchase alcohol: 18
Purchase cigarettes: 18
Get married: 18
Have sex: 17 (generally, but not universally)
Vote: 18
Leave home: 18?
Join the military: 16 (apprentices), 17 (others)
Work (day): 16 (some exceptions)
Work (night): 18
Leave school: 15

scipio_major

So what exactly would the advantages of being able to vote at 16 be? What proportion of the population is between 16 and 18 anyway? And what proportion of them actually would vote?

Oh yeah: would reducing the voting age increase the power of radical parties as the more "mature sensible" parties don't seem to appeal to young people?

Fade to Credits
Scipio_major

smiles

I honestly doubt that the majority of 16-18 year olds (and beyond even) would have enough sense to vote properly, myself included, i'm only a kid in they eyes of the law really :P

<< Fio >>

Aspro

I honestly doubt that the majority of 16-18 year olds (and beyond even) would have enough sense to vote properly, myself included, i'm only a kid in they eyes of the law really

You're not giving yourself much credit now, Smiley, are you?

I had the same political opinions at 16 as I do now (obviously more enhanced, but from the same roots) and I would have liked to vote at 16.

Not that there was anyone worth voting for in the Dublin South constituency in 1992, imo, but anyhow.

If I was old enough to leave school and make a decision about my economic future, I would have appreciated having a choice about my political one.

Shinji

If you're going to let people leave education and go into the workplace at 16, you may as well let them vote. That said, I'm not convinced very many of them would bother...


And besides, this isn't an argument for lowering the voting age. It's an argument for raising the minimum age for leaving education.

smiles

Originally posted by Aspro
You're not giving yourself much credit now, Smiley, are you?

It's smiles (no offense, but i know someonw who has "Smiley" :P ), i'm just being honest, i'd like to think that i'm pretty well informed, but i wouldnt be sure i'd make a good choice.

Originally posted by Aspro
I had the same political opinions at 16 as I do now (obviously more enhanced, but from the same roots) and I would have liked to vote at 16.
[...]
If I was old enough to leave school and make a decision about my economic future, I would have appreciated having a choice about my political one.

Maybe you would have, and i'd like to think that if i could vote now i would (i'm 17), but i do know a *lot* of 16 year olds who if they got to chose who would run the country would have Dustin right up there, in all seriousness!

Maybe I am putting 16-18 year olds down, but it's just my opinion, a lot of people dont mature enough until they're in their 20s!

<< Fio >>

Xterminator

Some people never mature, thats a fact.

The monster raving looney party had some quite good showings in the last UK poll for example.

i think you just have to pick an age where most will have there sense around them .

I know kids seem to be maturing earlier than say 30 years ago, and thus there might be a arguement for lowering the age.

However i'm not sure that enought 16yr olds would be mature enought to make it a sensible move. But then there are a lot of 18 and older voting candidates who probably arent up to the task either.

X

dantaylor

Some people never mature, but some people just don't WANT to become adults... I am about to turn 27 and I feel as much like a kid as ever! I actually read an interesting discussion recently about how "adults" don't even exist anymore-- we all wanna stay young forever!

*Honey*

Victor wrote: »

Leave home: 18?

Not many 18 year olds leaving home these days... not many 28 year olds for that matter!!

BroomBurner

I am 100% against lowering the voting age.

I think 18 is as good an age for becoming an adult. 18 may even be a little young, but it's a good compromise.

FTA69

Victor wrote: »

Ireland:
Become President: 35
Become a TD: 21
Purchase alcohol: 18
Purchase cigarettes: 18
Get married: 18
Have sex: 17 (generally, but not universally)
Vote: 18
Leave home: 18?
Join the military: 16 (apprentices), 17 (others)
Work (day): 16 (some exceptions)
Work (night): 18
Leave school: 15

In Ireland you can get married at 16 as well. I left home at 17, best decision of my life.

D.S.

I am not sure lowering the age would yield any distinct advantages. I doubt a significant portion of 16-18 year olds would actually vote. More worringly, would they vote properly?

I'd prefer to concentrate debate on how to tackle voter apathy and get more into the polling booth...

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

brianthebard

Victor wrote: »

Ireland:
Become President: 35
Become a TD: 21
Purchase alcohol: 18
Purchase cigarettes: 18
Get married: 18
Have sex: 17 (generally, but not universally)
Vote: 18
Leave home: 18?
Join the military: 16 (apprentices), 17 (others)
Work (day): 16 (some exceptions)
Work (night): 18
Leave school: 15

If we're making our own "wish list" of how we'd change these if given the chance, then I think the ability to be elected President or TD should be reduced to 18 in both cases, the age of consent should be reduced a year or two, the age at which one can join the military should be raised and the age at which one can leave school should be raised, or at least a provision made to enrol kids in a fetec or similar course after the junior cert if they wish to leave before 18.

GuanYin

Old thread. Stay dead.