Sephora,
Covid is a uniquely shared experience, isn’t it? There’s been a great deal of discussion about how the pandemic is some sort of ‘great equalizer,’ leveling the rich and powerful just as it does the poor and sickly. And while we each experience this catastrophe differently, it would be untrue to say that we have a great deal of shared experience. I do hope it will be over soon; but until then, we can all commiserate together.

Dear Sephora,
It was really interesting reading two separate stories on COVID and how their community/state dealt with it, and how they not only contrast to themselves, but contrast to my experience in Utah, which up until recently hasn’t really been very well (if you’re curious how we’re doing right now, you can read this link https://kslnewsradio.com/1942893/gov-cox-covid-19-vaccine-may-be-available-for-all-utahns-sooner-than-expected/). I am also curious how the entire state of California has dealt with the Pandemic, aside from Berkeley. Anyhow, great post, keep it up, and I hope to read more about how our Union has dealt with this pandemic differently.

Dear Sephora:

I am really sad about the facts your report in your post “COVID-19 Around the world: Virginia, USA, because we all know the damage of the pandemic around the world and particularly in the US.

One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: ”A lot has changed.” You wanted to describe the actual consequences of the pandemic.

You talked about how professional sports had to stop. Have you seen this articles? As pro sports successfully restart, UVa and other college programs face more daunting COVID-19 challengesI thought you might be interested in this because of how it compares professional sports with college sports in Virginia.

Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because this is really important for me to see all the problem that the pandemic caused around the world.

Hello Sephora:

My opinion is that the people of Virginia in the world should take many precautions about the virus that, is very deadly. You should not say hello if does not matter. If it is your best friend or girlfriend, it does not matter first the health of each one of all because the pandemic is not a game in the country and the world.

Dear Sephora,
I believe that the pandemic balances the rich and powerful, as well as the poor and sick. And while each of us is experiencing a little differently but it affects all of us, it would be false to say that we have a great deal of shared experience. I hope all this ends very soon; and that everyone takes more consequence of what is really happening since every day many people die personally throughout this and learned that I must take care of myself since this is not a joke or a game less because I already experienced the pain and sadness of losing my relatives due to this pandemic, we can only understand and follow the health rules well.

I agree with you. I think that the younger generations have lived through a lot politically recently with shootings and protests. If we had the ability to put our voices in at an earlier age, we may be able to make changes sooner. A lot of older people do not believe in controlling gun laws or climate change just because of the times they have lived through. I think it would be interesting to see the outcome of the upcoming election if we had the ability to let younger people vote.

I disagree with you. Having a job and a driver license only can prove that most of the teen at age 16 has the ability to drive and do the work at places like restaurants or children camp. Even some of them are doing an internship at a hospital still doesn’t mean they are mature. Of cause, the height and depth of thought may not match the age, but we can’t guarantee the majority has a certain level to think about the problems comprehensively. Teenagers are easy to be led by the media or the adults around us.

Sephora, I really liked your post! Many teens have the right to be heard, and their interests should be taken into more consideration. Holding votes from teens allows politicians to disregard teens’ interests since they have no means to hold them responsible. This ought to change, as young people are more affected than everyone else by such problems, like long-term government debt, obesity, and school policies. Plus, because the youth is severely underrepresented in politics, the issues that concern them are often underrepresented.

Hi Sephora! I think this is a strong article with many different supporting reasons. However, I disagree with you in some parts. Your warrant to support your claim is that younger generations are mature like adults. There are SOME people that are mature, but there are A LOT of people that don’t have enough ideas about voting. Teenagers need to have more time to learn more about what is happening in the world. They might vote for someone without any idea, or they just want to. Even though there are some teenagers that are mature, I think they still need more time to know more about the world. However, it was a nice article. Keep it up!

Hi Sephora! I found your post very interesting, I have to agree with you that the voting age should be lowered. However I feel that it should be lowered to 17 rather than 16. The reason is, the time most teenagers are seniors in high school (age 17-18) most have matured and become very involved in politics and solidified of their beliefs. Meaning they know what they would want in their community. You said that since 16 year olds have the privilege to drive they should still have the privilege to vote. I have to disagree with that, looking from an older perspective most 16-year olds are very driven into the “teenage life” rather than focusing on what’s going on in the world, meaning they’re focused on their own life rather than the nation’s.

Sephora, I love your article. I like the fact that you used some other examples to show that 16-year-olds are capable of voting. Because in today’s fast-moving society, the age of 16 knows a lot more than it used to. So I think they have the ability to participate in the voting in the country. Because even a man of thirty has his faults. And I fully agree with what you said about “Voting is not just about choosing who the President will be, it’s about our future.” That is true. There are too many examples of people in this country suffering because of the failure of our President. I think you will like this: https://debatewise.org/27594-should-the-voting-age-be-lowered-to-16/ And thank you. It was a pleasure reading your article. I look forward to reading your article again next time. Your article is well organized, it is easy to read. And your point of view appeals to me very much.

Dear Sephora after reading your post I strongly agree with you that voting age should be lower but not to 16 at least up to 17 so those who are 17 and older will have better understanding of what’s going on and know who to vote for on their own. I also agree that those people at age 17 matter and should get the same voting rights as the older ones. Teen at age 17 are old enough to vote for whom they want to be president and should be left out. many old generation dont know whats going on now a days and if we lower the rate of age it would do us good to let age 17 people to vote and make a difference. I would love to see age 17 teens to vote for the next upcoming election.

Hi Sephora! I just read your article and I deeply agree with you. The fact that you mentioned driving, going to the military and having a job, it seems like a really important fact that we should change the law. You clearly pointed out that you are bias towards changing the age for voting, and I can clearly see why. I too, think that teen voices matter since a lot of the top news today is about them. Since I am a teen myself, I can safely say that this article can be true and thoughtful in different and many ways. To be honest, when I first clicked this article to read, I didn’t really think it was a good idea to lower the voting age, since teens can be a little playful and not take things seriously, but you have completely changed my opinion towards this topic!

Dear Sephora,
I am responding to your argument about lowering the voting age to 16 because I agree with the points you present in every way. You stated “ One reason why 16- year olds should vote is that they will be the ones who are most affected by our decisions today,” and I strongly stand behind this point. I believe that older generations who influence voting tend to not take into consideration the effects their voting habits will have on future generations. Also, different political parties sway away from allowing 16 year olds to vote because of the fear their “old school” ideals will lose traction amongst a group of liberal teenagers, eager to change the many social problems they first hand experience. This New York Times article (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/us/politics/voting-age.html) provides many perspectives relating to whether the voting age should be lowered, and relates the situation today back to when the amendment was made allowing 18 year olds to vote. The argument you present deserves to be heard by a wide audience in the hopes that it will inspire change into the long standing, and frankly outdated, political system. Thank you for taking the time to research and write about such a topic. I hope you continue to express your views about different areas in government.

Dear Sephora,
I am interested in your post because you made a lot of really good points about lowering the age for voting. You wrote about the responsibilities that 16 and 17 year olds have, in addition to saying why you believe they are qualified to vote.
One thing you said that stands out for me is: “ Around 40 percent of teen are working part time jobs or full time. Being able to get a job and do amazing at it takes a lot of responsibility and self-dicpline.” I think this is important because it shows how teenagers are expected to have the responsibilities of adulthood, and are meeting them. Teenagers are active citizens of the country and are directly impacted by the decisions of the government. Thus, this is important towards showing why they should have a say in these decisions.
Your post reminds me of something that happened to me. I have a part-time job myself, and have had one since I was 15. A lot of my coworkers are adults, and we do the same job, and a lot of my opinions are as developed as theirs are. Also, there are so many teenagers in the world causing huge changes, and they prove through these actions that they are capable of adult thinking. These examples help show that teenagers should have the right to vote.
Thanks for your project. I look forward to seeing what you write next because of how insightful this post was. It was very well informed and has helped me to formulate an opinion of an issue that I didn’t have much knowledge of previously.

Sephora, I found your post extremely interesting. I definitely agree with you but I can see some of the dangers of lowering the voting age. I think that if we were to make this change, then the education system would have to adapt and provide us with the opportunity to learn more about the candidates we are voting for. I agree with your point about paying taxes, TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! I am very happy to hear that young people are even interested in lowering the voting age, I think this in itself shows how involved and passionate we are.

I think you make good points about how because 16-year-olds can drive and work they should be able to vote. Although many 16-year-olds are mature enough to vote I think that most don’t know much about politics and need more time to learn. I think too many would just vote for who their parents are or vote for someone they know nothing about.

Hi Sephora! I agree that at sixteen, many, especially in this time and age, are introduced to many political, social, and economic issues throughout the world, whether it be through social media, people in the community, or school. In addition, there are only two years between sixteen and eighteen, and they are all school years. Some may enter college, but it would still be too early to make a difference. Whether sixteen or eighteen, kids are still in school or in the same environment for the most time and there doesn’t seem to be a major change for many people during that time period in their lives to make a difference in judgement.