How old should you be to vote for a council or parliamentary representative? This topic is being debated at present.

        Take your mind back to when you were 16 could you have made a sound decision at that time?

        At 16 I had left home. I was working on farms as a farming cadet. I was an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) in the Normanby Home Guard – only as a Lance Corporal, but an NCO all the same.  We were preparing for a Japanese invasion as their armies swept South.

        Our Officer in Charge was a retired Major, farming on the Mountain Road in Taranaki.

        It was a true “Dads Army” – I am still a fan of that TV show as it brings back happy memories.

        When I was a lad you needed to be 21 to vote but I had my first vote at 18 because I was serving in the armed forces. Even young seamen boys got the vote if they were serving at sea during war years.

        I now support 16 for the new voting age.

        Kids today are more mature and better educated than we were at their age.

        Parents today are not as dominating as our parents were.

        We were caned at school and belted at home if we misbehaved – perhaps there would be less trouble if we did that these days.  I believe better education is the direction to go.

        Modern tech knowledge is much more advanced. Children today carry around the equivalent of the Encyclopedia Britannica in their cell phones.

        They are more able to vote for a candidate than we were at 16 – especially if taught some political science at school.

        Give them a vote!

Geoffrey Moss(mossassociates.co.nz)

“The years teach much which the days never knew.”