It Came from Boca Raton

Now, for an electoral, broadcasting version of…

Here’s to You!

So I raise my glass and say, “Here’s to you, NYRA-Southeast Florida!”

Now watch this video.

Just TRY and say that’s not made of awesome! I dare you.

That there is NYRA’s Southeast Florida chapter. Two of them were at our annual meeting (the guy who said “I am 16” and the girl who said “a say”). We’re proud of them! They’re like the new NYRA-Berkeley. They’re making waves and stirring up trouble because they dare to push for lowering the voting age. They’ve been met with ridicule and insults, but they push on. They rock.

Let me tell you, in late October, when I see that ad on TV, I’m totally going to squeal with delight, and I’m so not the type of person who squeals.

Oh, yeah, didn’t you know? That video will be NYRA’s first TV ad and will be on some DC-area cable channels around October 20 or so. Our awesome young chapter created this ad because, well, they’re awesome, and now we’re going to be putting it on TV. Hey, those of you thinking about the election! Don’t forget the people who’d love to vote but can’t because of some dumbass age limit!

That is just what it is. The voting age being 18 is a dumbass age limit. Not just because it’s an age limit in general, but because the line is drawn at a really stupid point. As things are, people get to vote for the first time when they’ve gone off to college or are otherwise in a very transitional phase. Often involves moving out of state and needing to register and perhaps get an absentee ballot. Yay, making things super complicated for first time voters. That’ll keep them interested. 🙄

Or, maybe, could start voting at 16, before all the transition and when you’re still in the same place you’ve been and known and get to vote rather easily. Perhaps starting so young, you’ll keep the habit. Hey, people are always whining that if you smoke or drink when so young you’ll just develop a lifelong bad habit. Let’s throw a good one in there! 😀

Perhaps then we’ll have a much higher voter turnout, among youth and eventually everyone, and wouldn’t be the laughing stock we are now with only like half of all eligible citizens actually getting off their asses and voting.

Alright, what moronic thing do you have to say about it? You think teens don’t know enough about politics or that they aren’t mature enough to vote? Interesting little “concerns” there and we could go round and round about how mature or knowledgeable teens are, or, better yet, we could just cut to the chase. Since when do maturity or political knowledge have a damn thing to do with voting eligibility? Do shallow, cliquey adult women still get the vote? Oh, yes they do! Do unemployed 33-year-olds who live in their parents’ basements and watch Star Trek reruns all day and think Hillary Clinton is the current vice president still have their right to vote? Oh, yes they do! No amount of maturity or political knowledge in a 17-year-old will grant her the right to vote, but rest assured her drunken abusive father can still cast his ballot. Isn’t our system just peachy?

Cut the crap, folks. Lower the damn voting age before I kick your ass. :doitnow: