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Voting Rights In America

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The United States of America: the land of the free and the home of the brave. Over the past 240 years of being a nation, the citizens and lawmakers of the United States has continually prevented groups of people from voting in this democratic system. After this 2016 presidential election, now is again the time to restrict voting rights, but this time for those 65 and older. The United States has an increasing number of elderly people that have growing conservative views, such as a growing hate for same-sex marriage. The United States needs change towards a more liberal society, without a move towards more liberals, the United States will continue taking away rights of United States’ citizens because of different beliefs, such as gay marriage. …show more content…
(Jones) To change this country and move it forward in a positive manner, the United States cannot continue to allow those over 65 to vote. As stated by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a professor at Harvard University with a doctorate in history, supporting that change is necessary, “A first-year student at a California university told me that to make history, people need to do the unexpected” (Bullock, Daly Goggin, and Weinberg 660). As the United States grows, the Millennial generation is coming to outnumber the baby boomer generation by nearly half a million. (Fry) The Millennials show themselves to be a more open-minded and accepting generation as well as a generation that sees the need for change to preserve the world as a whole. As can be shown by Gallup Polls from 2014, 48% of people over 65 years of age, the Baby Boomers and traditionalists, identify themselves as conservative, while only 28% of Millennials identify themselves as conservative (Jones). With the fact that 61% of people over the age of 65 voted in the 2012 presidential election, and only a mere 21% of Millennials voted (Brandon), looking at the numbers, the reality is that the conservative candidate is more than likely to win. As a country, if we ever want to see ourselves succeed and strive, we must amend the …show more content…
Dementia occurs in every one in five people over the age of 65, and the United States has over five million people voting with a type of dementia. (Alzheimer’s Association) With such an enormous number, having no ability to take away voting rights for voters with dementia is a huge problem. Without ability to test for mental capacity with these voters, they can be voting for someone or something unknowingly. Alzheimer’s Disease as well as other dementia’s can be tested for, but a mental capability is a test we have not yet developed for these diseases, and as stated by the the society who has been studying different types of dementia since 1979, The Alzheimer’s Association of America, “The choice is left to you as a caregiver or family member to determine the person's capability to formulate a voting decision.” A caregiver or family member may be so extremely indulged in their life of politics, that they force these problematic elders to vote in support of what the caregiver or family member encourages or even forces. These caregivers on average are 47 years old, (Caregiver Statistics) also holding a strong conservative view, with 35% voting conservative. Seeing as nearly 25% of elderly report caregiver abuse, there is the possibility that many of these elderly patients in need of care can be forced into doing

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