Proposition 18 would lower the voting age to 17 for people who will be 18 by the time of the next election.
Whittier 360 opposes Proposition 18 because it would lead to unconstitutional mob rule and other regrettable consequences.
Too often 17 year olds just simply don't have a full understanding of the issues or candidates they are voting on. Often they make their decisions based off either stereotypes or false information shared by their friends on social media rather than looking for the facts from diverse sources, including sources they don't agree with. Not all 17 years do this but the vast majority do.
Our nation long ago decided that people younger than 18 were not mature or knowledgeable or even responsible enough to be allowed to have a direct voice in our constitutional republican system. In countries around the world where 17 year olds were allowed to vote it has led to civil wars, anarchy, and in many cases, totalitarian dictatorships because the 17 year old voters would often vote for they thought was the coolest candidate rather than who was the right candidate and they would often base their votes off who their friends liked rather than doing their own non biased research on the candidates. Non biased research means you look at both sides equally and requires visiting sites that present information that is outside your own line of thinking and which present information you might disagree with.
The other problem is that 17 year olds are highly impressionable so if an adult they admire or follow says "We can save the world by having someone kill President Trump", the 17 year old demographic is more likely to support that idea and to actually try to recruit someone to kill the President of the US just because one of their idols said on TV or on twitter that it would be a good idea. And there is strong evidence that the demographic has sought to carry out requests or suggestions made by their celebrity idols on social media which is dangerous because none of those celebrities are elected to office. They are unelected and unaccountable yet they have access to a dangerous mob of uninformed and immature youth whose loyalty to the celebrities could destroy America. The 17 year old demographic group is more likely to support dangerous and violent mob rule than other demographic groups.
The other problem is that even without celebrity influence or brainwashing, 17 years olds are more likely to be whimsical rather than thoughtful with their votes. They are the one demographic block that is likely to vote based on whether they feel personally insulted by a candidate or a supporter of a ballot measure rather than based on what the candidate has actually done or what the measure would actually do. This is because the egos of 17 year olds in the US tends to be highly fragile. If they are so fragile that they are trying to hurt each other or even take their own lives over petty insults, clearly they are not mature enough nor tough minded enough to be allowed to vote. They certainly are not independent enough. The typical 17 year old who reads this article will likely be offended by it and would seek to have it banned from social media and that just goes to prove our point about their mental fragility and immaturity.
Everyone in this country, from its very founding has had to wait because of this very reason. Because of the threat it presents to the United States' very existence, Whittier 360 strongly opposes Proposition 18. Vote no on Proposition 18.
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