Proposition Speech:
Chairperson, adjudicators, members of the
opposition, ladies and gentlemen, the voting age in Ireland MUST be lowered to
16 years of age.
People who are sixteen years of age are
fully active members of the community. We attend state-funded schools, use
state-funded hospitals and may rely on the state for financial assistance. What
the government spends its money on affects us greatly. Surely we have the right
to choose our government? We should be able to vote in order to influence how
much money is spent on our grossly underfunded
schools.
I myself am sixteen years old. I have a
part time job in the local supermarket. I am far from well paid, but the money I
earn is taxed nonetheless. I cannot understand how it is legal for me to pay
taxes, but not legal for me to vote! I am funding the government – shouldn’t I
get to choose them?
As I’m sure you’re aware, once a student is
sixteen years of age, they are legally allowed to leave formal education. We
sometimes think that people only become adults at eighteen years, but this
clearly isn’t the case. If you’re mature enough to be allowed to leave school,
then you’re mature enough to vote. Bizarrely, the fact that very few of us
choose to leave school at 16 proves my point even further! We’re sensible enough
to realise that our best option for the future is to stay in full-time
education. This shows we have the sense to be allowed to
vote.
The opposition have claimed that 16 year
olds might not take the responsibility of voting seriously enough. I completely
disagree! As we’re still in school, we’re being taught about politics and
democracy in lots of different classes like CSPE and History. This encourages us
to take voting seriously. As for the few teenagers who don’t, well – they’re
unlikely to show up at the polls! They won’t have any negative influence on the
election as they won’t bother to
participate.
Ladies and gentlemen, along with my team, I
have made it abundantly clear that the voting age should, and indeed must, be
lowered to sixteen years of age. The opposition have tried to blind you with
unfounded claims that are frankly insulting to all Irish teenagers. My team have
proved that sixteen year olds are mature enough to vote, and have excellent
reasons to vote. We are affected daily by decisions voters make. Please allow us
to join those voters!!
I urge you to propose the
motion.
Chairperson, adjudicators, members of the
opposition, ladies and gentlemen, the voting age in Ireland MUST be lowered to
16 years of age.
People who are sixteen years of age are
fully active members of the community. We attend state-funded schools, use
state-funded hospitals and may rely on the state for financial assistance. What
the government spends its money on affects us greatly. Surely we have the right
to choose our government? We should be able to vote in order to influence how
much money is spent on our grossly underfunded
schools.
I myself am sixteen years old. I have a
part time job in the local supermarket. I am far from well paid, but the money I
earn is taxed nonetheless. I cannot understand how it is legal for me to pay
taxes, but not legal for me to vote! I am funding the government – shouldn’t I
get to choose them?
As I’m sure you’re aware, once a student is
sixteen years of age, they are legally allowed to leave formal education. We
sometimes think that people only become adults at eighteen years, but this
clearly isn’t the case. If you’re mature enough to be allowed to leave school,
then you’re mature enough to vote. Bizarrely, the fact that very few of us
choose to leave school at 16 proves my point even further! We’re sensible enough
to realise that our best option for the future is to stay in full-time
education. This shows we have the sense to be allowed to
vote.
The opposition have claimed that 16 year
olds might not take the responsibility of voting seriously enough. I completely
disagree! As we’re still in school, we’re being taught about politics and
democracy in lots of different classes like CSPE and History. This encourages us
to take voting seriously. As for the few teenagers who don’t, well – they’re
unlikely to show up at the polls! They won’t have any negative influence on the
election as they won’t bother to
participate.
Ladies and gentlemen, along with my team, I
have made it abundantly clear that the voting age should, and indeed must, be
lowered to sixteen years of age. The opposition have tried to blind you with
unfounded claims that are frankly insulting to all Irish teenagers. My team have
proved that sixteen year olds are mature enough to vote, and have excellent
reasons to vote. We are affected daily by decisions voters make. Please allow us
to join those voters!!
I urge you to propose the
motion.