The Youth of the Nation
Vernon Ng | Mar 15, 2004 | Comments 0
Hey nerds: remember the three-fifths clause in American History class? If you don’t, basically, the value of a black man’s vote was raised from nothing to three-fifths that of a white man’s. How ridiculous was that? How did they decide on that number?
Though it was ridiculous and seemingly unnecessary stepping stone to complete suffrage, it was a step in the right direction, nonetheless.
California State Senator, John Vasconcellos (D-San Jose) is proposiang a measure similar to the three-fifths clause for 14-17-year olds.
In Vasconcellos’ proposal, votes from teenagers between 16-17 would count as 1/2 of a vote, and votes from teenagers between 14-15 would count as one-fourth of a normal vote.
To voters and legislators, I say, quit the foreplay, and give all kids the right to vote already. Given the right to vote,
children probably wouldn’t exercise it anyway–it’s hard enough getting college-aged students to vote (an Associated Press sampling revealed that only 8 per cent of individuals aged 18-24 voted in the 2000 presidential elections).
Rock the vote, schmock the vote. When compared to young adult voting statistics for 2000, voting in the 2004 presidential primaries declined in California and New York among other states, despite the heightened media attention.
Still, despite the very likely event that few children would actually excercise their right to vote, if it was given to them, some may exclaim that children are impressionable and too easily influenced by the political leanings of their superiors
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Filed Under: Opinion
