Sometimes there is wisdom in doing nothing
High school students should focus on high school, not politics.
Do you remember what you were doing when you were sixteen? Do you remember ever thinking back then: “Gee, I really wish I could vote?” I certainly cannot. I was too preoccupied with not failing my classes so I would not lose my Nintendo and TV-watching privileges to worry about what some old geesers were doing in Washington, D.C. I also distinctly remember holding different views about some things than I do now. For example, back then I did not realize that abortions were killing the unborn.
Because democrats and RINOs think the government always has to appear to be doing something, we get massive spending bills that make it possible for your gas stove to be outlawed. This level of immature thinking is reaching epic proportions. Did you know that the government spent $118,000 on a grant to research whether a metal glove, akin to the one worn by the computer–image-generated character of Thanos (the bad guy in The Avengers movie franchise), would actually make a snapping sound? Don’t believe me? Watch Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) address that very thing on the Senate floor here. Sometimes there is wisdom in doing nothing.
To my point, here is the latest useless attempt to look busy: Lowering the voting age from 18 to 16. Yes, you read that correctly. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) has introduced House Joint Resolution 16, which states:
Section 1. The twenty-sixth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
Section 2. The right of citizens of the United States, who are sixteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.
H.J.Res.16 Sections 1-2
With the Republicans holding a (slim) majority in the House, this resolution to amend the Constitution will more than likely go nowhere. In fact, it is highly possible that this is a “soft” issue that was promised in the campaign trail. Now, when the resolution fails to go any further, Meng and her cohorts can go back to their districts whining about those evil Republicans, and how they need more “donation” money in order to stop them.
About 7 months ago, I posted a video on my Rumble channel about Democrats proposing the increase of the legal age to purchase all firearms from 18 to 21. I find it very interesting how Democrats argue that 18 year old persons are not responsible enough to own a hand gun, and with the next breath say 16 year olds are responsible and savvy enough to vote. It is absolutely laughable!
What we need is more maturity in Congress, not less. Maturity does not have to translate to old age, either. The nation had been doing fine since the Constitution took effect in 1789. From then, until the 26th Amendment was passed and adopted in 1971, the voting age had been 21. Politicians then argued much like they are doing now: that young people’s voices should be heard, and lowering the age would somehow fulfill the promise of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
These immature politicians, however, refuse to consider that a 21, 18, or, hell, even a 16 year old from the 18th Century was vastly different from folks of the same age today. Take, for example, one of our Founders and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Jay. By the time he was 19 years old, he had graduated from college and he was practicing law. How many 19 year olds do you know today that have graduated college with a (useful) degree and are making a living with it? Contrast that to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who supposedly graduated from college in her mid-20s with an “economics” degree, and was (poorly) tending bar before miraculously being elected to office, and is now co-sponsoring this idiotic resolution.
The expectation of a certain level of maturity is one of the reasons the Founders required 25 years of age to be elected to the House and Senate, and 35 years to the Office of the President. Instead of amending our Constitution to allow children, who barely know what they want from one day to the next, to vote, we should be raising the age limits to serve in government to 35 for Congress and 45 for President, and imposing term limits of 12 years in Congress; this would give a maximum 6 2-year terms to Representatives, and 2 6-year terms to Senators.
To the point I made at the beginning—about holding different views at 16—, I would add that it could lead to disaster if children were allowed to vote; not disaster for ourselves, but for them. Just because a 16 year old feels like something is right does not mean they have fully considered all the ramifications of their decisions to know that something is right. A 16 year old does not possess enough life experience to do so. And, contrary to the myth pushed by shows like 90210 and Dawson’s Creek (or whatever the hell they are watching these days), neither do they feel the pressures of the real world like folks who are older and have families do. They may vote for something at 16 that will have a huge negative impact on the 30, 40, or 60 year old versions of themselves.
Perhaps, however, that is exactly the Democrats’ and RINOs’ plan.