With a federal election approaching, the question of whether the voting age should be reduced to 16 is on the minds of some Edward Milne Community School students.

We spoke with three of those students to get their take on the voting age issue, and their views on the upcoming federal election. We also asked about the state of politics and what issues cause them concern.

Jacob Thomas, 17, a Grade12 student didnB次元官网网址檛 hesitate to list climate change as his number 1 issue.

B次元官网网址淲e already see the impact of climate change in the world, and itB次元官网网址檚 disturbing that itB次元官网网址檚 a reality that hasnB次元官网网址檛 been the cause of more action,B次元官网网址� said Thomas.

B次元官网网址淲e have some adults actually denying that itB次元官网网址檚 happening.B次元官网网址�

But other issues were equally important to Thomas.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 related, but our production of energy has got to change. Look at what happened in Fukushima and Chernobyl and itB次元官网网址檚 clear that nuclear energy is not the way to go. Those events were terrible but could have been so much worse. We got lucky.B次元官网网址�

Finally, Thomas spoke about the application of technology by governments to increasingly deadly arsenals.

B次元官网网址淛ust like that, it could spiral out of control. What would our future be then?B次元官网网址� he asked

Thomas is an advocate of the voting age being lowered, saying that many of the issues that federal candidates talk about are going to affect the younger generation more than anyone else.

B次元官网网址淭he issues will impact us, but we canB次元官网网址檛 vote and the adults who can vote often donB次元官网网址檛 even bother to cast a ballot.B次元官网网址�

That sentiment was shared by Tia Helfrich, another Grade 12 student.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 involved with Vote 16 B.C., a group that has partnered with the Dogwood Institute to prepare a bill for B.C.B次元官网网址檚 Legislature to lower the voting age in B.C.,B次元官网网址� Helfrich said.

B次元官网网址淭he youth today are just as concerned about issues and we know that everyone needs to be better educated about politics and the issues. There are 20, 30 and 40 year olds out there who know less about the issues than we (high school students) do and they get to vote while we canB次元官网网址檛. It makes no sense.B次元官网网址�

As to the issues that most concern Helfrich, she lists climate change as her primary issue.

B次元官网网址淚t matters to us. What is the world going to look like in 20 years? By then it might be too late to do anything about it.B次元官网网址�

Thomas Ruckli, a Swiss international student at EMCS, shares the concerns of his Canadian counterparts.

His emphasis, however, is slightly different.

While he shares the concern about climate change, he fears the rise of nationalism in places like Germany, the United States and elsewhere, including parts of Canada, as an immediate danger.

B次元官网网址淲e know what happened in the past, but now, in Germany, the U.S., and other places as well you have right-wing parties that are spreading what are really Nazi propaganda talking points,B次元官网网址� said Ruckli.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 disturbing to me that people saying such things can be popular.B次元官网网址�

But Ruckli shared the opinion that the voting age needs to change.

B次元官网网址淲hatB次元官网网址檚 wrong with politics is that we (younger people) canB次元官网网址檛 participate. If you canB次元官网网址檛 affect the outcome, why should you be interested?B次元官网网址� asked Ruckli.

B次元官网网址淎nd if weB次元官网网址檙e not interested now, will we suddenly become interested at 18?B次元官网网址�

Several countries around the world, including Scotland, Brazil, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Austria, have already lowered the minimum voting age to 16.

mailto:tim.collins@sookenewsmirror.com
Like us on and follow us on