Reference no: EM132628202

Summarize and evaluate each of the following passages, concentrating mainly on identifying fallacies. Note: the passages may contain more than one fallacy.

"Voting Rights for Children"

There is a gaping inconsistency in the logic of our democracy in denying children this fundamental democratic right. Many argue that children haven't the intelligence and experience to vote in a meaningful way. This argument was used years ago as a reason for denying non-male, non-white people the right to participate in elections. Nobody's intelligence or experience is of more value than someone else's. We all bring our own attributes to the ballot box when we select a candidate.

Others may say that children don't work and thus don't really contribute to society and therefore shouldn't vote. Well, school is work. And with a double digit unemployment rate and people on social assistance, this rationale is also absurd. Would we deny the unemployed the right to vote?

Some argue that parents or guardians will manipulate or force their children to vote for candidates they themselves endorse. We as adults are constantly bombarded with messages and attempt manipulation by all sorts of media and institutions. Just as we learn to sort out our own beliefs from those of others, so will our children. The issue of pressuring children to vote a particular way would be discussed and become a topic of public discourse. Thus children would come to know their rights and practice these rights in the privacy of the polling booth.

It is time we broaden and enrich our lives by realizing that children's views merit substantial validation.

As quoted in Leo A. Groarke and Christopher W. Tindale, Good Reasoning Matters! 3rd ed. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press, 2004, p. 285.