Reference no: EM13202591

"For the following passage, write a short essay (500 words or less) in which you summarize the argument or arguments and evaluate them.

"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, nonwhite 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 dont work and thus dont 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 attempted manipulations 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. "