Introduction
People aged 19 and older are eligible to vote in Korea. A country’s
legal voting age means the age that citizens can begin voting for
political leaders that will make crucial decisions for their nation.
The country deems that at this age its citizens are mature and responsible
enough to participate in the political process. Some say that the
legal voting age should be lowered to 16. Let’s see what Henry and
Ashley think about this topic.
Henry
(Constructive)
Sixteen-year-old Koreans should be given the right to vote. Many
16 year olds have shown that they are capable of doing amazing things.
For example, Kim Yuna was already winning international skating
competitions at the age of 16. Yu Kwan-Sun began fighting for Korea’s
independence from Japan at the young age of 16. Finally, the richest
teenager in the world is Nick D’Aloisio, who created Summly, an
app that made him a multimillionaire when he was just 16 years old.
Ashley
(Constructive)
Sixteen-year-old Koreans should not be given the right to vote.
Responsible voting requires maturity that 16 year olds simply do
not have. Voters must understand that their votes help shape the
direction of their nation. Sixteen year olds cannot grasp the importance
of this responsibility. They should focus on their studies, rather
than involve themselves in political issues. When they turn 19,
they will be mature enough to make these important voting decisions.
Henry
(Rebuttal)
Some 16 year olds have accomplished more in their short lives than
many older adults! There may be other 16 year olds who do not have
the maturity to vote. But there are also many older adults who do
not understand the importance of voting. We should let 16 year olds
vote and also educate them about the responsibility of voting. Educated
citizens who understand the importance of voting should definitely
be given the right to vote!
Ashley
(Rebuttal)
You have mentioned some extraordinary 16 year olds who have accomplished
great things at a very young age. However, not all 16 year olds
are like them. The majority of this age group still has a lot to
learn in order to assume the responsibility of voting. I think it
is a great idea to begin educating 16-year-old Koreans on the importance
and responsibility of voting. That way, when they turn 19, they
will be well-educated on how to vote responsibly.
Judge’s
Comments
The winner of today’s debate is Ashley. Henry listed the accomplishments
of some extraordinary 16-year-old Koreans to show that they are
responsible enough to vote. However, he listed anomalies, meaning
that he listed people that are outside of the norm. In order to
prove that 16 year olds are mature enough to vote, Henry should
have demonstrated that the average 16 year old has the mental maturity
to vote. Listing extraordinary examples does not help his case.