Breaking Political Boundaries

Prior to 1971 it was alright to serve in the U.S. military without having a say in, or influencing the people sending troops to war. Eighteen years of age was the minimum age that one could be drafted yet in order to vote, the age was twenty-one. The roots of the drafting age starts back in WWII when President Roosevelt lowered it to eighteen to boost conscription. But at the time all one could do was serve and die for their country, that was until the Vietnam War and the protesters that surrounded it. The protesters and anti-war radicals argument was to have more of a say in the country's policies and leadership. Considering most of the protesters and radicals were college age students (not 21 years of age) it was a logical direction for them to pursue.

The 26th had its up and down moments before finally becoming ratified. At first in 1970 it was seen as an extension of the 1965 Voting Rights Act which allowed 18 year olds the right to vote in all elections. Then on December 1, 1970 it was decided in Oregon v Mitchell that 18 be the age one was aloud to vote for national elections but not for state and local elections. It took 3 months from that decision for Congress to pass the specific text stating that the voting at be 18 at all levels of election. It was finally ratified July 1, 1971. (26th Amendment)

This was a huge decision for the country, the protesters, and the youth of American. It was a decision that still holds today and allows us to continue to vote as soon as we're 18. I can understand the argument against this amendment just as well as I understand the argument for it. 18 year olds demand respect because they want to be thought of as adults and because they are able to enlist in the military they should have a voting say in who is in charge of the country. On the other hand an 18 year old, for the most part, is barely out of high school and could care less about who is leading the country, let alone make an informed decision on who to put in office. It's something, I feel, to this day that we haven't been able to find the correct balance between the two and who knows if we as a country ever will.

http://www.deafvote.com/why_vote/26th-amendment-explained.html
http://www.usconstitution.net/constamnotes.html#Am26