Disenfranchising young voters not the way to restore national pride | Opinion

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is not afraid to think outside the box. But sometimes, he gets too far out.

About 10 days ago, the 2003 St. Xavier High School graduate, biotech entrepreneur and "anti-woke" activist proposed raising the legal voting age to 25. Ramaswamy is no dummy; that's why this awful idea that's sure to backfire at the polls, particularly with young voters, is such a head-scratcher.

His plan calls for a constitutional amendment (no easy feat, by the way) that would raise the voting age to 25 and allow 18- to 24-year-olds to vote only if they serve in the military, do civil service as a firefighter or EMT, or pass a civics test (the same one administered to naturalizing immigrants). Ramaswamy said America is "losing its national pride" and he wants to restore Generation Z's love for America.

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Sounds noble, but please excuse my cynicism. The more likely reason Ramaswamy wants to raise the voting age is because, increasingly, young voters' views on issues, such as racism, climate change, gun violence, same-sex marriage and the role of government are changing, even among young Republicans. And like the Millennials (born 1981 to 1996) before them, a majority of Gen Zers have a Democratic tilt, according to Pew Research Center surveys.

Ramaswamy's proposal is par for the course for a Republican Party that seems hellbent on finding ways to stop people who see the country differently from voting. Instead of presenting plans to expand people's rights, the GOP playbook seems to be focused on how to take certain ones away. For a party that claims to pride itself on liberty and freedom, its leadership sure has a funny way of showing it.

At 37, Ramaswamy is the youngest presidential candidate in the 2024 race, offering a fresh face and fresh ideas. But this sounds like a grumpy old man idea.

Ramaswamy's concern stems from a recent Morning Consult survey that found just 16% of Generation Z adults, ages 18 to 25, say they’re proud to be American and only 38% of all adults say they are "extremely proud" to be American − the lowest since Gallup’s poll began in 2001, pre-9/11. In a Wall Street Journal guest opinion, he notes only 23% of adults under 30 say patriotism is very important to them.

And he thinks disenfranchising an entire generation is the answer to restoring pride in America? Good luck with that, Vivek. Let me know how that works out for you in the primary.

Ramaswamy said reviving our lost civic pride "will require boldness." And making voting harder is a "counterintuitive" solution, he said.

Here's a bold idea: Instead of taking away their right to vote, let's restore young people's pride/love in America by actually fixing the problems they care about. Guns and climate might be good places to start. But that might be counterintuitive to politicians who would rather ban books and wage culture wars than actually do things to leave young Americans with a better country and planet than their parents and grandparents.

Lack of pride is usually rooted in a deep disappointment. Quite frankly, the boorish behavior of our government leaders in recent years and their inaction hasn't really given any of us much to be proud of. Demanding the U.S. be better is not unpatriotic. In fact, it's an appeal to the promise of our democratic republic, not a rejection of it.

Some of the concerns Ramaswamy raises are not without merit. Recruitment shortages in the military and police have been widely reported and are troubling. And there should be a greater emphasis on civics education. Less than half of U.S. adults (47%) could name all three branches of government, according to a survey by the Annenburg Public Policy Center. Young people should understand how our government works and have a robust knowledge of American history (and not just the whitewashed version anti-critical race theory backers are championing).

Depriving them of their right to vote, however, strikes me as an "unpatriotic" way to teach our youth about the 26th Amendment (ratified in 1971), which lowered the voting age from 21 down to 18.

Ramaswamy makes the case only 23% of Americans under 25 vote anyway. And perhaps he feels that 18- to 24-year-olds aren't mature or well-rounded enough to make informed decisions about who should represent them. However, judging by some of the ill-equipped (and I'm being generous with my language) politicians Americans have elected in recent years, bad judgment doesn't seem to have an age limit. Should poorly informed and educated older adults have to pass a civics test, too, or are they grandfathered in (no pun intended)? If you think a QAnon believer should be allowed to cast a ballot, then what's your beef with an 18-year-old?

Apparently Ramaswamy, who has called for expanded Second Amendment rights for Americans, including making constitutional carry the "law of the land," thinks 18-year-olds are fit to handle guns but not to vote. Once you start determining who can and can't vote by placing "conditions" on them, it can lead us to some dangerous places for our democracy. What's the next proposed voting test? Guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar? No thanks. Been there, done that.

Instead of opting for the "if you can't beat 'em, delete 'em" approach to public policy or politicians trying to pick their voters, how about making stronger arguments or proposing bold, new solutions that young people will gravitate toward and reflect changing times and attitudes? That's the best way to win elections, restore faith in government and get American pride soaring again.

I didn't think much of Ramaswamy's prospects of out-Trumping Donald Trump when he entered the presidential race in February, and his chances seem even more dubious now. Ramaswamy's campaign told me that he's not concerned that this proposal will hurt him with young voters, even Republican ones. In fact, he's "encouraged" and "up to the challenge."

Masking voter suppression as patriotism won't fly. Nor will it win Ramaswamy any more votes, especially from the young voters he wants to silence.

Opinion and Engagement Editor Kevin S. Aldridge can be reached at kaldridge@enquirer.com. Twitter: @kevaldrid.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ramaswamy wants to silence youth by raising voting age to 25 | Opinion