(LibertySons.org) – The city council in Newark, New Jersey, has just approved a radical change in the voting age. From now on, 16 and 17-year-olds in the city will be able to vote in some elections.
Newark Wants To “Expand Democracy”
On January 17, Newark City Council voted on a measure sponsored by Council President LaMonica McIver, which proposed giving 16 and 17-year-old minors the right to vote in school board elections. The measure was passed unanimously –- but some are worried that this is just the thin end of the wedge.
The text of McIver’s bill stated that the teens “are already entrusted with significant responsibilities, such as driving, paying taxes, and working.” It argued that because they’re allowed to do these things, they also deserve the right to vote –- and singled out school board elections because they have a “direct relationship” with teens. After the vote, McIver said, “We support expanding our democracy.
Other council members also lined up to support the legislation. Councilman Lawrence Crump claimed that today’s teenagers should be allowed to vote because they’re “much more mature, much more advanced” than his generation was at that age, although anyone who’s ever looked at TikTok might disagree.
Councilwoman Louise Scott-Rountree said there’s Biblical justification for letting teens vote, while Councilman Dupre Kelly insisted a healthy democracy depended on minors being able to vote.
There was only one dissenter, Councilman Carlos Gonzalez. Although he voted for the measure, he vented concerns that minors could be allowed to run for election next and wondered if this was a slippery slope that would lead to the voting age being lowered even more. Focusing on school board elections, Gonzalez said he doesn’t think minors have the financial knowledge to play a role in school board budgets.
It’s already clear that many of those who voted for the measure are using it to push far-left policies. Councilman Michael Silva complained that minor illegal immigrants won’t be allowed to vote, claiming that illegals “need to have their voices heard.” Councilman Patrick Council said the change was necessary because of “systemic racism” and insisted it would help with issues like gun violence.
Many Western countries are under pressure to lower the voting age. In Scotland, 16 and 17-year-olds can now vote in local and Scottish Parliament elections, and the left-wing Labour Party and Scottish National Party (SNP) are pushing for the age to be lowered in national elections too. However, the SNP has accidentally highlighted the biggest problem with the proposal.
Under new Scottish justice laws, under-25s should be spared prison for anything except the most serious offenses because their brains aren’t fully mature. Opponents argue that if 25-year-olds don’t have mature brains, we should be raising the voting age, not lowering it. Here in the US, we don’t even let 16-year-olds drink beer; many Americans will struggle with the idea of letting them help decide who runs our country.
~Here’s to Our Liberty!
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