Don't reduce the voting age
Adam Nichols
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Changemakers offers an entry point which allows young people to develop a sense of community spirit. This encourages them to become involved in more formal types of civic engagement.
We can’t try and shoe-horn the current disengaged generation into becoming engaged, active citizens who feel a keen sense of involvement with the politics of this country overnight. Reinvigoration and energy should be the focus to reinforce the idea that voting is a privilege of adulthood that should be associated with maturity and honour. Fundamentally we want young people to feel a need to vote.