Every Sunday, "Back in the Day" looks at an article that ran on this date in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The items are verbatim, so don’t blame us today for yesteryear’s bad grammar.

In the past month, the amendment to lower the voting age to 18 has picked up much support from community and political leaders.

Today Gov. John A. Burns announced his support for it, and so did Hawaii’s complete congressional delegation, including three Democrats and a Republican.

In supporting the amendment which will appear on the Tuesday general election ballot, Burns said:

"With each expansion of the right to vote, the result has been a strengthening of the fiber of the society. In this light, we should welcome the opportunity to give our 18 and 19 year olds this right."

Burn said that youth today "share in the responsibilities, shoulder the burdens, and pay the price of adult law, but are in no way involved in the molding of the structure.

"Fortunately we have the opportunity to end this paradox on Nov. 3," he said.

"I urge my fellow citizens to vote yes on lowering the voting age."

Republican U.S. Sen. Hiram L. Fong, and Democratic U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, both said they supported moves in Congress to lower the voting age to 18.

Inouye said that he had co-sponsored a measure in Congress the lower the voting age.

Democratic U.S. Reps. Spark M. Matsunaga, and Patsy T. Mink, said they both favor it.

Matsunaga pointed out that while we have revised the age of bearing arms to 18, we have not revised the age to vote.

He said that about one-half of the Americans killed in combat in Vietnam have been between 18 and 21.

The professional staff of the YMCA of Honolulu yesterday issued a statement supporting the 18-year-old vote.