Constituent letter to Senator Dole against lowering the voting age to 18 and Dole&#039;s response

Constituent letter to Senator Dole against lowering the voting age to 18 and Dole's response

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Other Media: s-con_225_015_001_tr.txt

Transcription (Scripto): Read Full Text Only (TXT)
Extent (Dublin Core): 2 Pages
File Name (Dublin Core): s-con_225_015_001
Title (Dublin Core): Constituent letter to Senator Dole against lowering the voting age to 18 and Dole's response
Date (Dublin Core): 1969-01-21
Date Created (Dublin Core): 1969-01-21/1969-01-30
Congress (Dublin Core): 91st (1969-1971)
Topics (Dublin Core): See all items with this value Voting age--Law and legislation
Policy Area (Curation): Government Operations and Politics
Creator (Dublin Core): Dole, Robert J., 1923-2021
Record Type (Dublin Core): correspondence
Rights (Dublin Core): http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/
Language (Dublin Core): eng
Collection Finding Aid (Dublin Core): https://dolearchivecollections.ku.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=31&q=
Physical Location (Dublin Core): Collection 003, Box 225, Folder 15
Institution (Dublin Core): Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Archival Collection (Dublin Core): Robert J. Dole Senate Papers-Constituent Relations, 1969-1996
Full Text (Extract Text): (page 1)
Jan. 21, 1969
Dear Mr. Dole,
I am very concerned about the idea of lowering the voting age to 18. My husband shares my views. This frightens us very nearly as much as the fact that we may be on the verge of losing our right to bear arms and protect our home.
I am not against teenagers as we have four of our own, one of each sex over 18 and two girls under. However, we would most assuredly not turn over the managing of our home to them. We discuss the family matters with them but my husband and myself reserve the right to make the decisions.
I will agree, the 18 year olds today are much more learned in books than ever before, but certainly not in common sense or experience.
What has come over the leaders of our nation today that they are turning over the running of the schools and the lawmaking to the teenagers. Have they lost faith in adults?
I have heard the big argument that at age 18 they are eligible for the draft, therefore, should be given the vote. However, this is not exactly so. They are eligible, but they are not drafted until they are 19 or over, tho some do enlist, then they are put through months of training, which makes them much nearer 20 than 18. Which is a mighty big difference.
It is possible for any girl over 14 (most, even younger) to become a mother, why not lower the voting age to 14? This makes her just as much an adult as a boy being old enough to join the army.
I cannot possibly see how anyone can be eligible to vote until they have had responsibilities, held a job, and paid taxes, which very few 18 year olds have done. They could actually vote their parents into some dreadful situations because they listen, at this age, to what anyone but their parents tell them, and they are so very easily swayed to "join the group".
It seems that age and experience mean very little anymore, we have placed the young, untrained and unexperienced on the pedestal. I do believe the age of permissiveness in the home is now bearing its fruit.
Even tho they are better schooled than ever before, please, lets let them grow up before handing over the reins to them. I doubt that they truly even want this heavy responsibility.
Sincerely,
(redacted)
Great Bend, Kansas 67530
RECEIVED JAN 23 - 1969 BOB DOLE
(page 2)
January 30, 1969
(handwritten) Voting age (end handwritten)
(redacted)
Great Bend, Kansas 67530
Dear (redacted):
This will acknowledge your letter of January 21 concerning the issue of lowering the voting age to 18.
This is an issue which, according to recent press accounts, is before the Kansas Legislature and was recommended by Governor Docking.
I nevertheless appreciate your position on this question, but under the circumstances, you may wish to pass along your views to your State Representative and State Senator, who are both attending the current session of the Legislature meeting in Topeka.
Do continue to give me the benefit of your views, and if I may be of assistance in any way, please let me know.
Sincerely yours,
BOB DOLE U. S. Senate
BD: jc

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