I don't support giving a 16 year old that we literally do not trust to drive voting rights. Sorry not sorry. You all know damn well 16 year olds are a goddamn pile of running hormones with no real life experience.

Again, you don't trust this person to give sexual consent but they can make policy?

And yes they are exceptions and adults dumb as rocks, it doesn't mean you should add more clueless teens to the mix. Now don't at me and get off my lawn.

[–] DillyDaily@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

We do trust 16 year olds to begin learning to drive though.

I would be completely open to the idea that at 16 you have the right and option to vote, but voting is not compulsory until you turn 18.

That way 16 year olds who aren't interested or ready or comfortable placing a vote don't have to, but those that are already politically active, interested and informed about voting can do so.

Across the whole there really isn't that much developmental difference between 16 and 18, there's a pretty big cross over between the more "responsible" 16 year olds and the "irresponsible" 18 year olds. I know that's not really an argument, but the fact is that many 16 year olds are just as informed, and just as responsible as the rest of the voting public.

Many 16 year olds work and pay taxes, they study in an education system managed by the department, they can begin joining the army, they might be looking at university and signing on for HECS debt before they turn 18 depending on their birth month. These are systems built on policies by parties that these young people had no say in, and it directly effects them.

[–] IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

And yet if we asked should 16 year olds be allowed to consent to sexual activity we would get a resounding no. We feel that they are not capable of handling sex but can make policy?

I'm sorry, I feel for young people and I do my best to vote for my daughter, but having literal children ain't going to fix shit IMO. Probably just have kids voting down parental voting lines anyways. Like family members won't pressure them.

Again I emphasize but this isn't the way.

[–] Kanzar@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

??? I thought age of consent in Australia was 16?

...just checked depends on the state but uh... Yeah we do let some 16yo decide if they want to have sex. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[–] IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world 0 points 7 months ago

So I was unaware, and I guess that's their choice to make. I'm not sure I'm okay with saying it's okay for an adult to have sex with a 16 year old but that's their choice I guess.

[–] gerbler@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

I trust politically interested 16-year-olds more than I do politically apathetic septuagenarians.

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 2 points 7 months ago

you don't trust this person to give sexual consent

Umm, age of consent in at least most of Australia (I only checked the 3 most populous states, and all of them matched) is 16.

From what I've seen of adults, I have no reason to believe the average adult is any more aware or any less susceptible to lies than 16 year-olds.