Age of consent, voting, betting,smoking and games

[McHappyPants2012]

To me it seems daft that a 16 year old can have sex resulting a baby and to be able to play the lotto.

But can not buy cigerettes, alcohol, vote, bet and some games.

Iabu to think every thing so be 18

McHappy I married at 17 without parental consent in 1991 so the law must have changed since then. Back then (god that makes me feel reaallly old) it was parental consent for 16 yr olds and 17 yr olds could marry freely without consent

oh frig ...I got married in 1990

what do 16 year olds know about anything? I don't see why we should give them the vote, I would have voted for anyone who talked about legalising pot at 16

I would have done the same at 18....

"I would have done the same at 18..."

I know some who'd still do the same at the age of 30

I remember talking about the monster raving looney party at school when I was about 13 or 14, there is no way I could have been trusted with a vote at that age!

If schools educated teenagers about politics more, then it might not be such a bad idea to allow it at 16, but they don't.

Outraged I get your logic, but being over the age of 18 doesn't guarantee people knowing any more about politics than a 16 year old. There are a lot of people hugely ignorant about it - they still get the vote.

What I have never understood is that you have to be 16 to have sex but 18 to watch it.

That's true, but society has to begin to trust adults to be adults at some point, and unfortunately it would be wrong to deny hugely ignorant people the vote.

Maybe 16 and 17 year olds should get half a vote!

You can marry at age 16 without parental permission. Just not in England and Wales (not sure about Northern Ireland).

You can work, pay tax and NI but not get to vote - that seems very unfair.

Child actors can start earning at about a month old - I wouldn't give them the right to vote.

Just because there are plenty of idiots over 18 who can vote isn't a good argument for giving even more teenage idiots the vote. Isn't your country in a bad enough state?

So the governmen deems an 16 year old capable of having a baby, yet unable to vote.

Some 16 year olds work more hours a week than some adults, and go to college to study full time. I would say that that's quite a stake in society.

cigerettes, alcohol, vote, bet and some games.
Those are all things invented by man.. you can take them away or have them ..but you can't compare them to a biological urge which happens way before 18. Teenagers will get it on.

Votes for thirteen year olds? Hell no. A thirteen year old is too much under the influence of their parents or other adults at that age.

But voting is about being influenced. For everyone.

A thirteen year old doesn't have the experience or skills to question properly.

The way you vote has been proven to be closer to that of your parents the younger you are, and it changes as you age and gain independence.

for all those saying its legal to smoke at 16.

this is not law seriously its not,no matter how many teenagers tell you otherwise.

the law states you cannot sell or supply tabacco products to a under 18yo and if a under 16(either just been upped to 17 or about to be) yo has possesion of tabacco products and smoking papers in a public place a police officer/park keeper/ LA enforcement officer in uniform can seize and dispose of said items.

this dosnt make it legal to smoke it just means there isant much they can do about it, however should a younger child with parents consent smoke and issues are raised about it,its something that can be bunged on to bulk out asbo stuff (and what ever other name they also use for it these days).

totally side tracked back on track. i think it should be left as is especially with regard to sex yep an age of consent wont stop a couple who are 13/14/15 from having it if they want but it very much does protect any under 16 from a grotty adult (i mean a proper adult in a sex offender way not a missguided just 18yo with a willing 15 yo gf,yep its also wrong but its not quite the same) from pressure it means we all would quite rightly say 'dirty grotty criminal sex offender' poor victim lets support then and protect them from more harm. rather than oh shes 13/14/15 hes 50 but its legal.

I do realise that my ideas of universal teenage suffrage aren't wildly popular. But what surprises me are the reasons given against the proposal, seeing as most of them apply to adults; or the concerns have been worked through successfully in another democratic country.

The UK is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but you wouldn't know it a lot of the time.

Only one reason needed really: they are children. Children don't have the mental capability to reason like adults, their brains are not fully formed, they are impulsive and reckless and irresponsible. These are not people who should have a hand in adult decision making. Because they are children. Even when they are teenagers.
Personally I'd raise the voting age before I'd lower it. And make it compulsory to vote.

Women were infantilised when it was argued they should not have the vote.

Yes. But that is relevant how?

Treating women like children and denying them the vote = bad.
Treating children like children and denying them the vote=good.

You see the difference?

It's the 'mental capacity to reason like adults' argument that seems hollow (yet familiar).

Anyway, like I said, I realise I am ahead of my time flogging a dead horse here. You would appear to have the votes on this one.