would anyone like to offer a rebuttal to my idea?
but I also favor offering a complicated civics exam. and anyone who can pass it, whether they're 4 or 17, should be eligible to vote.
I would. Who exactly would write this civics exam? The goverment backed school Authority? I would hope not or else it would be children swallowing the gruel they learn in school and make it actually needed for an important aspect of citizenship. Also it would alienate those who don't do well in a civics exam and thus turn them off the political process even more then it would already. In others greater an even greater division between the "informed" (Whatever that is) elite and the "great unwashed". It's a horribly elitist idea..
And that's not to mention that who is more likely to fail a civics test? Some spoilt Paris-Hilton wannabe whose daddy spends buckets load on private education for his "princess" or some black kid from Rural Mississippi whose parents think education is holding him back from doing proper jobs; like menial labour.
fair points, although I think the overt tone of anger is horribly misplaced - I'm hardly some elitist class warrior.
to address some of your questions, I'd prefer the test to be standardized by the states (or perhaps the federal government, but that causes problems).
my main motivation is to give the youth some power in the process, as we are too easily oppressed with no conceivable ramifications. such as laws against buying cigarette lighters. or midnight curfews. or being treated like prisoners in public schools. the list goes on. this probably would change nothing, but, a hypothetical: if this made the electorate 5% under-18, and Candidate A defeats Candidate B 50.1-49.9% with candidate A taking 75% of that voting bloc, perhaps that would send a message.
the classism is a valid point, certainly. I reconcile it with this being temporary, as everyone over 18 would be eligible to vote anyway. I just prefer some standard of merit being used instead of some arbitrary age keeping the youth (even the intelligent, well-informed youth) as prisoners of the state until they hit some stupid deadline.
the working class is f
ucked anyway, and will be until they revolt; either, through the ballot box or though violence. sadly, probably neither. might as well take one oppressed group (under18) out of the dark, even if it arises fears that another may be more thoroughly raped.
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