How about a maximum voting age?

Every time there is a movement led by young people to change something, anything really, there are inevitably a bunch of conservatives demanding the voting age be set back to 21. In the past, some conservatives like Ann Coulter, have suggested raising it even higher. Such thoughts have reared their head ever since March for Our Lives took off.

Some have pointed to the recent “epidemic” of kids eating Tide Pods for YouTube as evidence that all people under 21 are stupid. Others point to a brain study that says the brain doesn’t fully mature until 25. To that, I am inclined to point to the numerous conspiracy theories that a decent chunk of older people believe in. Those folks getting caught threatening mass shooting victims because they think they’re “crisis actors”? They tend to be pretty darn old. The idiot who went to a pizza place and started shooting it up because he thought there were Satanic sacrifices occuring in a basement (that did not exist) was way over 21.

So why not have a debate on the maximum voting age?

Of course, we know that maturity isn’t the real reason that conservatives talk about raising the voting age. If maturity were a factor, no one who took Alex Jones or his fellow travelers seriously would be allowed within a mile of a polling place. How immature do you have to be to say that mass shooting victims didn’t exist and say that all the parents are in on a conspiracy?

The real reason raising the voting age is discussed is politics. Young people tend to lean further left since they haven’t bought into the status quo. To be more precise, they aren’t benefiting from it. Raising the voting age would undermine support for left-leaning candidates. But they always try to find “good reasons” for raising the voting age.

There are “good reasons” for a maximum voting age too

Young people aren’t the only ones with brain issues. As people get older, their brains decline. This is why adults with older parents often find themselves checking in on them to make sure they haven’t sent their money to someone in Nigeria, or worse, a televangelist. Maybe it’s me, but I don’t think the age group that has the most people who think sending money to a guy on TV will bring them healing should have control over picking who gets to use nuclear weaponry.

Then there is the fact that younger people have to live with the consequences of their vote. A lot of the people who voted in 2016 or 2018 will be dead of old age by 2020. They won’t be here. Why should their vote count the same as mine? If I vote for a screw-up, I’ll have to live with it. They’re out the door.

Of course, this would disproportionately affect the GOP. By and large, their support tends to be older. A maximum voting age would likely make them a regional party.

And I know, what some of you old folks are thinking: This would hurt the civil rights of old people. Old people pay taxes. You’d deny them representation based on prejudices because it would help your party.

To that I’d like to say one thing: Welcome to the point.