To think people are very rude to talk to my teenage daughter this way?

[lotspot]

My 17yo daughter has a keen interest in politics and is a member of the labour party and has frequently volunteered to help the council candidate during the run up to the elections

On Thursday she volunteered (this is all her own choice - dh and I don't discourage or encourage we just support her decision) to sit outside a polling station taking polling numbers for the labour party

I have no doubt that she was very polite to people as this is what she is like, and she has told me that some people were chatting to her as they came out -but she was quite angry at what some (elderly - the time she was there meant it was mainly retired people voting) people said to her when they asked her who she was representing/who she would vote for -she was quite happy to share that she would have voted labour

A lot of people made references to her age with comments such as "well she'll learn with age" and "she wouldn't know any better I suppose"

I know if dh had been there he'd have turned round and said atleast she's not set in her ways but dd is too polite lol she seethes quietly instead but AIBU to think it's rude to suggest her age makes her opinion invalid?? Is it not wonderful that teenagers are passionate about their opinion and taking an intrest? Part of me thinks maybe I'm over reacting though??? Enlighten me lol

[lotspot]

Woops sorry that was longer than I intended!!

[Unicornvomit]

older people love to tell younger people that they are wrong and naive and will learn

she might well change her political leanings as she gets older.. some politicians even defect to different parties

you are not the same person at 25 or 25 or 45 as you are at 17, she will change as she grows up and it won;t be her politics necessarily, but her views on all sorts of things.. and there is nothing wrong with that

i think YAB a bit U as she is only 17 and in 10 years could well have a v v different view of politics. i would never , ever vote labour again, but if you had said that to me when they came to power i would have laughed!

well done though for her getting involved and doing something worthwhile ..

[TheOddOne]

How soul destroying. People are arseholes aren't they? It's a wonder anyone goes into politics with attitudes like that.

Well done to her. lotspot's daughter for PM .

[edam]

It is rude but I think any Labour party worker/supporter has had a rough ride recently. I remember some grumpy old man at work saying much the same to me when I was 21.

The only person outside my polling station was a Tory. Not my party - but I still went and found out my polling number for him (hadn't got my card) just because my parents used to canvass in local elections and it's a thankless task.

[wonderingwondering]

I imagine your daughter is far better informed about the what each of the parties stand for than the majority of those voting. It is irritating, but that is life. I'm afraid that in my experience, being a young, informed woman in an 'adult' world means that you have to 'prove' yourself in a way that an older person (or articulate young man) wouldn't.

[PuppyMonkey]

I think she's just been a bit of a victim of the current situation tbh. But good on her for showing an interest that's what I say!

[Meglet]

Yanbu. But old people can be jolly rude sometimes. Its probably too late for them to learn manners.

Your dd sounds more mature than them .

[TrillianAstra]

IF she'd said any other party there would just have been a different bunch of old people saying that 'she'll grow out of it'.

[piscesmoon]

I think that your DD sounds more mature than them too. I think she would have got comments whatever her age. If she wants to keep a keen interest in politics it was probably good training-she will get worse! Good for her.

[georgimama]

What TrillianAstra said. Anyone who doesn't agree with her political leanings might say the same. I actually strongly object to parties attempting to exit poll in this way, so I might well have been ruder, not because she's 17 but because it's none of her business.

[nametaken]

LOL if you dd wants to become involved in politics she's gonna have to develop a very thick skin.

[Podrick]

The people outside my polling station were VERY PUSHY about getting my number and made out it wasn't an optional thing and that they were officials. I realised on the way out that they weren't. I still feel very angry about the experience so I am not suprised that your child had some bad comments - I think it was unrealistic that you would expect otherwise.

[katiestar]

Yes some of them are really agressive when you say you don't want to give them your number.

TBH I don't think they were being all that rude.they could have said much worse.And its true at 17 she hasn't got a huge amount of life experience on which to base her political views.

[MrsMattie]

YANBU. However, I'm being a hypocrite, as I was sorely tempted to have a bit of dig at the old bint with the big blue Tory rosette standing in the doorway of the polling station. Felt like saying 'Wouldn't you know, it's the true blue rinse brigade...not exactly 'New Tory' are you, love?', ....but managed to bite my lip.

Politcs can bring out the nasty side in people

Btw, your DD sounds fab. How marvellous to be so engaged with politics and up for volunteering at such a young age. You must be extremely proud.

[jambutty]

Katiestar, at 17 she's been through school, the health care system, probably knows what her parents do and can see the difference between those in society and the world who are well off and those who are less well off. And gosh she probably reads newspapers too. I think there's an argument for saying that as a 17 yr old she probably has views less sullied by the bias and bigotry of others than she will have in 10/20 yrs' time. I think the fact that she was patronnised because of her age says more about the people doing it - who would no doubt be deeply offended if she'd suggested that their age had affected their judgement - than it does about lotspot's DD, who I think sounds cool and a daughter to be proud of. YANBU, Lotspot .

[madlentileater]

No, YANBU, and well done to your daughter. It's true that she might have expected the odd comment but rude that they relate it to her age.
I think young people get a very bad press, and probably these people would be the first to complain about teenagers being apathetic etc etc, people are sometimes so stupid, and I suppose it doesn't hurt to learn that too!

[independiente]

YANBU, it's really heartening to hear of a 17 year old who's interested in something other than their facebook account.
Of course we all change as we get older, that's neither here nor there. The point is she's informed herself, she's made a decision, and she's not apathetic. Bravo!

[SomeGuy]

YABU, that's politics, people will insult and belittle people of opposing parties. She has no right to expect special treatment, it's just the way things are. They are members of the public with no duty to her at all.

[DaddyJ]

That's politics.