Ever since Congress raised the age to buy tobacco and e-cigarettes to 21 by slipping it into the omnibus spending bill, people have been wondering why there’s such a discrepancy in when one is considered an adult in the United States. Earlier this year, 125 House Democrats voted to lower the voting age to 16, and some have argued voting is like “training wheels” for civic involvement and the age should be lowered to 13 or 14.
Jill Filipovic has posted her list of minimum age requirements for a bunch of things, and apparently it’s triggered conservatives:
Wow this thread has been so triggering for conservatives, I'm sorry a totally meaningless suggestion posted to https://t.co/2ljbF6XG77 has upset you so 🙁
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) December 27, 2019
Let’s see why:
It should be:
-16 to vote
-16 to drink
-21 to gamble
-21 to buy cigarettes
-25 to serve in the military
-30 to buy a firearm(The human brain doesn't fully form until 25 and risk-taking is higher for younger folks; criminality rapidly diminishes once people hit 30) https://t.co/GdRSLLylkB
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) December 27, 2019
And obviously 30 to get married.
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) December 27, 2019
Criminality rapidly diminishes once people hit 30 — is that when all the gang-bangers in Chicago stop buying guns illegally and submit to background checks?
The human brain, according to you, doesn't fully form until 25, and I accept that. Yet you want them to be able to vote, drink, gamble and smoke. That's irresponsible to me.
— Protect children and animalsⓋ formerly Teresa (@StudentOfDrA) December 28, 2019
"The brain doesn't fully form until 25"
"16 to vote and drink" pic.twitter.com/ypeMIgPWhZ— la basura (@fabulosantiago) December 28, 2019
— Starscream (@starscreamsix) December 28, 2019
Recommended
— Steve Dallas (@hodgepodge80s) December 27, 2019
Then voting should be well after 25
— Serotonin's Gone (@SerotoninsGone) December 27, 2019
Maybe it would be wise to raise the age one can be a member of Congress.
The human brain doesn’t fully form until 9 years after you want people voting?
— Nick Pappas (@NickAPappas) December 27, 2019
Easier to manipulate. That’s the plan.
— Gordon Plutsky (@GordonPlutsky) December 27, 2019
The brain doesn’t work great till they’re 25 but hey let’s get em trashed and give em a ballot.
— Chad Prather (@WatchChad) December 27, 2019
“The human brain doesn't fully form until 25 and risk-taking is higher for younger folks”
Sounds like a good argument against drinking at 16.
— Tsukkomi (@ljenkins314) December 28, 2019
Those 16 year olds won't have a fully formed brain for another 10 years, so let's give them booze & a ballot!
— Brian Cartwright (@blcartwright) December 27, 2019
You’d allow someone to vote even earlier before, you acknowledge, their brain is fully developed and drink…where they could at any point operate a motor vehicle or make other life-harming decisions. But they’re not able to gamble?
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) December 27, 2019
Risk-taking is higher…so by all means let them vote and drink ??♂️. Alcohol and their drivers license will sure help reduce fatalities.
— Eric Sweat (@sweat_ej) December 28, 2019
If the human brain doesn't fully form until 25, shouldn't that be the voting age as well?
— vanilla (@vanillakizmet) December 27, 2019
Dems don't want people with life experiences and their own thoughts at the ballot box. Better to get them in as early as possible.
— Fruhmann (@Fruhmann1) December 27, 2019
So, our brains don’t fully form until we are 25, but we should be voting 9 years prior? Got it.
— BlacklionCTA (@BlacklionCTA) December 27, 2019
Scientifically formed brain or not… at 16 you have nearly no chance at understanding the complexities of our society and the second order effects our decisions have.
— Josh Patkin (@JoshPatkin) December 27, 2019
Voters aged 18-25 are among the most liberal in America so it would make sense that their brains are not yet fully formed.
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) December 28, 2019
The right to vote should be the eldest age on this list. Make that whatever number you want. Our voting system is the most important thing in our democracy. I’m around 16 year olds everyday, they should not be voting on the leaders of our communities and country
— Jared Flanery (@jcflanery) December 28, 2019
If the brain is not fully formed until age 25, maybe voting and drinking at 16 is not a good idea.
— The Alaskan Patriot (@alaskan_patriot) December 28, 2019
I love booze and absolutely no way should 16 year olds be allowed to purchase alcohol. Be served alcohol by a supervising guardian? Maybe. But purchase for themselves? Absolutely not.
— Psychic War Vet (@Post_Punk_Prick) December 27, 2019
the fact that you sat down and typed out this whole tweet, then ended it with "the human brain doesn't fully form until 25" is incredible
— 16 Handles fan accou? (@BasedKashiBar) December 27, 2019
25 for military service is a horribly uninformed take. The military requires people in the prime of their physical condition (18-34) to be successful as a fighting. Not to mention it would be incredibly difficult to recruit from such a small population of Americans.
— Jeffrey Schmidt (@Schmidt12J) December 28, 2019
So you can drink before you can smoke, join the military before owning a firearm, gamble before you can take on student loan debt and vote before you graduate high school? You make no sense.
I also joined at 17 and served 10 years. Rarely did i see a new recruit over 25.
— Juan S. (@Krwdog24) December 28, 2019
If a person is old enough to go and fight in a strange country in the name of our country, they are old enough to do all these things.
Set the age, one age. If they are old enough to be sacrificed, they are old enough to do anything they want.
— Tickler (@Tickeller) December 27, 2019
25 to fight, and kill or be killed in the military, but 30 to buy a firearm.
?— Larry Gates (@AggieLarry) December 27, 2019
What you don’t understand is that in many places of the country, military service is the best option for people to get an education. If you can’t serve until you’re 25, then many people will have hope for a better future taken away from them
— Kevin (@Kevin230346) December 28, 2019
Young people with underdeveloped brains voting would be more detrimental to society as a whole than those same people with firearms. I've seen preteens handle firearms better than grown people handle politics.
And would it be fair to suggest that cops under 30 not have guns too?
— ?Alakazam? (@R_Alakazam) December 28, 2019
It should be:
-18 to vote
-18 to drink
-18 to gamble
-18 to buy cigarettes
-18 to serve in the military
-18 to buy a firearm— Public Defender (@warm_apple_pi) December 27, 2019
16 to buy a firearm
18 to gamble, serve in the military, gamble, smoke
21 to drink
30 to vote— Mike Brown (@mb2982) December 27, 2019
I'm sure it's already been pointed out, but alcohol can have a negative effect on brain development.
…and…it doesn't really make sense to legally allow high school juniors and seniors to get drunk.
*shakes head*
— Ruckus♚ (@king_ruckus) December 28, 2019
So you want kids whose brains are about a decade away from being fully developed to be voting on who our next president and drinking alcohol?
— Gina Florio (@FlorioGina) December 28, 2019
Probably at the same time
— TheQuestioner (@jojofoster64) December 28, 2019
So 16 is old enough to become debilitated by alchohol and to chose our leaders but not old enough to defend the country or scratch off a money ticket
Cool
— N64 Angry Goasts (@N64iac) December 28, 2019
55 to vote
— Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) December 27, 2019
Bring back must own real estate requirement
— blue check mark of tolerance (@t0lerantparad0x) December 28, 2019
25 to vote IF you own land, pay rent, or are a net taxpayer.
18 for pretty much everything else.
— Tactical Preppie (@ProlixRedux) December 28, 2019
With “triggering for conservatives” actually meaning “blue check mark gets laughed at by anyone with half an ounce of common sense”
— SubmarineDoc (@Submarine_Doc) December 28, 2019
this is one of your worst tweets. congrats.
— maybe: diane (@dianelyssa) December 27, 2019
Related:
‘Legit disturbing’: Campaign ‘lobbying’ Canada to lower the voting age to 8 so kids can vote on climate change https://t.co/oEUjvEcKMO
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 2, 2019