Brandi Bellamy

English 102
Dr. Wynne
21 April 2017

Freedom. Liberty. No Senior Citizens Please.

The late Martin Luther King Jr. once said, We shall have to do more than register and

more than vote; we shall have to create leaders who embody virtues we can respect, who have

moral and ethical principles we can applaud with enthusiasm. Considering the fact that the

government is elected by The United States citizens, voting is an important right in our society.

It is true that those born between the years 1981 and 1997, also known as the Millennial

generation accounts for one-third of the electorate (Rouse). Millennials, regardless of their

views, are more inclined to respect each other and the values of the people that assisted in giving

them life. On the other hand, senior citizens are more veered towards the conservative side of

things. The contrast amongst the two age groups are apprehensible because times were much

different for them growing up. A policy change for voting in the United States of America

regarding those 80 and over should take place.

The results of banning the elderly from voting would encourage the younger generation

to fulfill their civic duties. Most young potential voters do not vote because they feel as if their

vote means nothing, when in reality that is not the case at all. They also feel outnumbered and

that there could be a possibility for them to be overshadowed. However, people who vote

between the ages 18-30 could more than likely reach an all-time high. This policy change could

have an inspirational impact on the younger generation, which would get them more interested in
politics than they are today. Without a doubt, the children in the future would have no choice but

to stay hip because the crowd of senior citizens would no longer control the vote.

I am a firm believer that when you are young, you are more idealistic, more willing to

throw caution to the curb and vote for a politician who appeals to your ideals. As seniors, I

believe they think they are supposed to be wiser, more hard-headed, skeptical, and not willing to

gamble their lives on radical promises for a rosy future. Senior Citizens outnumber the younger

generation at the polls because they vote in higher numbers and more faithfully than the younger

voters. The younger generation seems as if they do not appreciate the 26th amendment as much as

the older crowd and have a hard time treasuring everything the amendment stands for. I say this

because they do not get out and vote like the old folks do! So, why not just get rid of the 26th

amendment all together?

According to the Databank Indicator for Youth Voting, Only thirty-eight percent of

youth, ages 18 to 24 voted in the 2012 presidential election year. Voting should be taken very

serious no matter what age you are. Active civic participation is important for the future of a

nation and a healthy democracy (Gibson 2001). The older crowd tends to vote for people who

hold the same

values as them.

Although this is

common, the

downfall that comes

along with this

including the

outnumbering is that
they are more inclined to vote for someone who will still oversee our country even after they are

put to rest. A survey was conducted in a TIME Magazine article by Joel Stein based off the most

recent election. The results confirmed that people over 80 compared to the younger generation

and those between the ages 30-44 were: twice as likely to be against gay marriage, three times

more to be pro-Brexit, nearly 50% more likely to say immigrants have a negative impact on

society, half likely to support the legalization of marijuana, nearly five times less likely to want

to spend money on education, and even 60% more likely to vote for Donald Trump (Stein).

Although, it is possible for views to change as people grow older, the mindset of a senior is less

likely to improve toward progress.

In conclusion, the thought of going out to the polls and knowing that a particular age

group can make a change is quite invigorating. Also, knowing that America would not be

controlled by the votes of elders, eighty and over is an even greater feeling. By this time in

someones life, I am sure that it has been quite fruitful. While seniors are enjoying the time they

have left they should appreciate that their children and grandchildren hold the future in their own

hands. In the words of Shannon Davies, A whole new perspective could be held by our children

and grandchildren. With our very big vote out of the picture, a representative better suited for our

offspring could be allowed to blossom. With the younger generation being so advanced in

todays society it might not be the worst idea if we switched the election date and had the voting

polls on Snapchat only. LOL!

 WORK CITED:

Chesterton, George. "We should ban old people from voting." British GQ. N.p., n.d. Web. 17

Apr. 2017. <http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/eu-referendum-old-people-should-not-

vote>.

Davies, Shannon. "Shannon Davies." The University Star. N.p., 07 Mar. 2016. Web. 17 Apr.

2017. <https://star.txstate.edu/2016/03/09/why-people-over-the-age-of-65-should-not-be-

allowed-to-vote/>.

"What is Millennials (Millennial generation)? - Definition from WhatIs.com." WhatIs.com. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. <http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/millennials-millennial-

generation>.

"Why Old People Shouldn't Vote." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

<http://time.com/4457131/why-older-people-shouldnt-vote-and-other-ideas-unpopular-

with-my-parents/>.

"Youth Voting." Child Trends. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

<https://www.childtrends.org/indicators/youth-voting/#_edn3>.