Too old to vote

Excellent posts POGS I am in complete agreement.

Whilst I live and breathe and retain my faculties I dare anyone to deny me the right to vote!

Older people are not inconsequential doddering fools to be ignored. The wisdom of age and experience is a valuable counter-balance to the heady but impractical idealism of (many of) the young

In 1973 me and my peers wanted revolution and to be heard. Thank goodness we never managed to revolt and gain any sort of power. We'd have been revolting, hopeless and unsure of what came next once we'd had our desire to out whichever government we were protesting about and of course Trots and Marxists would have capitalised on our innocence and enthusiasm. I believe the same scenario exists and would be applied today.

Long live youth and its enthusiasm and ideals, but let's not pretend the youth of today, because social media allos them to become active keyboard warriors, have any more of a clue about realities and what works than we had, many moons ago. They want fairness and a right to be heard, just as older people do.

Many older people still have working brains, active bodies and valid viewpoints. Only a tyrant would try to silence or repress them.

Breda and humpty
I will now put on my hard hat.

I do not know your ages obviously but the principal you are standing on is presumably what you say in your post humpty:-

" it should be restricted to, say, under 75 - people 75+ are not going to be affected for long by the outcome " ----

Does your opinion stretch to General Elections also as I see the ' principal ' behind your opinion has the same meaning ?

Will you self exclude yourselves from voting if/when or are 75 years old?

So you think that you should not have been able to vote in the referendum Breda ?
Well, you know yourself best I suppose.

Agree with you humptydumpty and thought that there should have been an age restriction on the previous referendum.

At 75 my DF had nearly 20 years of active community life ahead of him. I am 75 and I intend to be around for at least another 25 years, as fit and well, and socially useful as he was.

I have been worried about the danger this desire to divide and rule through using ' ageism' as a factor to be honest.

As for the repeated mantra the older generation should not count in political decision because they have no future is not knew and Brexit has shamefully given rise to this view by many.

Who remembers the Gransnet Jeremy Paxman thread and his crass words when saying over 65's should not vote?

I will stick my thought at that time.

POGS Fri 23-Feb-18 12:49:47

There are rich and poor people of 'all' ages.

So why are the older generation being accused all the time of being selfish?

There is a political will at the moment to divide the young and old , the old 'Divide and Conquer' game is a foot.

Did any of us believe when we were the youth of the day our parents, grandparents should be deemed as irrelevant and should have no input into how our and their lives were run by saying they should be stopped the right to vote at 65?

I respected the maturity, the fact my parents and grandparents had a life experience and knowledge I could never have because of the age gap.

I would have felt ashamed of myself to remotely think / believe in a democratic country the thought that once you hit your pension age you were no longer a citizen with citizens right to something so basic as a the right to vote.

Bus passes and rail fares are the small fry topics compared to the taking away of the right to vote and the lack of understanding age is not a definer of wealth but the politics of division is gaining momentum and it is a dangerous playing field.

POGS Sat 10-Feb-18 17:50:08

If a person believes Paxman has a point and they agree with him and are over 65 then it's quite simple , don't vote. Don't be a hypocrite .

If somebody feels they have nothing to contribute as to who or what they would vote for because they are over 65 then it's simple , don't vote. Nobody is forcing them .

The last 2 / 3 years has seen the most divisive , nasty politics I have noted for many years and it didn't start with the European Referendum although that has certainly exacerbated the bile. It started with some politicians using the generational/ class divide to their advantage on election , the old ' Divide and Conquer ' theory.

It isn't even done subliminally it is spouted loud and clear .
----

Exchange Paxman for Jamelia, 65 for 75 it matters not a jot.
The suggestion ' taking away an individuals right' to vote is bloody deplorable. I remain shocked how easy some can and will continue to diminish the role of you, me, our parents to further' their ' political/social ideas.

Fortunately ‘young singers’ have no political clout so nobody need worry what hare brained things they come out with.

Oh, humpty! What a very naughty question

Of course there shouldn't be an upper age cap on voting. From what I've read on Gnet over the past couple of years it's clear that there is absolutely no correlation between age and ability to differentiate between 'fake' and 'real' news. I also think that a great many people really don't change their basic views over the years; they just use their 'age and experience' to confirm their biases. This makes the 'age' argument redundant IMO.

Just read a Jeremy Clarkson article where he said that the voting age should be raised to 46 and everyone should sit an IQ test before being allowed to vote!
Extreme but...

I'm thinking , if so many 'older' people were thinking of their childrens'/grandchildrens' future, how come so many voted 'Leave'?

MawBroon that was my thought!!!

“No taxation without representation” springs to mind!

The main problem with this view IMO is it’s the start of the slippery slope. What next? Once you begin to restrict certain people, you could bring in all sorts of excuses to prevent them from voting. Disabled? Terminally ill? Mentally impaired? Etc...

Don't bet on it ! We'll no doubt still receive the usual ballot papers long after we're dead, the same as other literature finds its way through the letterbox because of the lack of communication to say that we are dead ! So the right to vote still continues else how can you tell them if you're dead ?

Over 75s may not live to see the results of Brexit but most will as it is likely prices will rise immediately and probable house prices will drop.
Equally most older people vote thinking of the future for their children (and the planet), not just for selfish reasons.
Do all very young people think of the long term when voting or just the next couple of years?
You cannot judge people by their age.

I think judgemental airheads shouldn't be allowed to vote! Not referring to anyone in particular, of course.

humpty probably the same ones who believed university fees would be scrapped

Oh the innocence of youth! It's like the way they always think they invented sex! I'm afraid any of the clearly reasoned arguments I read about politics (on either side) seem to come from older people.

If they take away our voting right at 75 I hope they will also remove any tax liabilities on investments, pensions and the totally out of date/unfair inheritance tax!!

True sunseeker but someone aged 21 now will live another 80 years before they reach 101, compared with 26 years if aged 75. More difference for them, no? Younger people may not nbe taken in by empty promises anway - what demographic believed the promise on the bus?

humptydumpty said "people 75+ are not going to be affected for long by the outcome "

Really? - how do you know - my mother is 93 and going strong - I had a great aunt who was 103 when she died. With current health care there is a good chance those over 75 will live for many years. Older people are also less likely to be taken in by empty promises. Many cultures actually value the older generation - unfortunately that is no longer the case in many western countries.

will that not mean no more Tory governments than? Dont they have an older demographic than any other party ? In that case I might agree .

OK about to duck - I do think that if we have a second referendum, it should be restricted to, say, under 75 - people 75+ are not going to be affected for long by the outcome whereas for young people it will have a long impact and is a massive decision.

Let them try it!!!
Grandparents (+non grandparents) all over UK, chained to railings and on hunger strike in prison.

Here's the article
metro.co.uk/2019/01/16/outcry-claims-people-age-75-shouldnt-get-vote-8350464/

It makes a good point that young people aren't guaranteed to live to see the consequenses either!