Should We Really Give Children the Vote?
Sixteen year old Vita Wallace is an activist for children’s rights. In her argument, “Give children the vote,” she attempts to show that an injustice has been made to citizens of the United States. Wallace’s major claim, or thesis (McFadden, 2003), is that citizens under the age of 18 shouldn’t be denied the right to vote on account of age. Rather, she argues, children should be allowed to vote at whatever age suits them individually. By saying individually, she is using a qualifier, words and phrases used to limit and modify the overgeneralization of claims (McFadden). It is important that Wallace uses the term individually, because she recognizes that an age limit would be inappropriate for
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Right away she discusses “Discriminatory laws” which prevent high school drop-outs from getting their driver’s licenses. This leads to her first minor claim that children are being “Punished for exercising one of the few legal decisions they now have” (Wallace, p. 145). With this statement Wallace is trying to connect her values of freedom, justice, and democracy to persuade the reader to agree that indeed children are being treated unjustly for dropping out of school. Her argument is weak here because she doesn’t account for other values of drop-out students such as personal responsibility or self-worth. Wallace argues that it’s okay for people to drop out of school because it’s their choice. While she argues that it’s their right to not be in school, she forgets that others have the power to take away special benefits, such as driving due to her actions. As my mother would say, Wallace seems to be confusing the words “right” with …show more content…
She then cites the Fourteenth Amendment saying that it is legal to change the voting age starting at state level. This is excellent information but once again is lost by the remainder of the paragraph. It is one of her stronger points, but doesn’t mention it until the last page. This seems like information that she should have included sooner. In general I thought the final page of the essay was difficult to read. I became lost in a jumble of information that I thought was poorly placed at the end of the essay when it should have been towards the front or middle. Wallace finally had a good opportunity to enhance her major claim, but she lost the audience due to poor organization.
Although Wallace used universal values in trying to persuade the audience the argument failed for three reasons. The majority of the paper fails due to overall lack of credibility and evidence. This is because she bases much of her argument only on personal experience. The final reason I found her essay unsuccessful was the overall choppiness of the paper due to poor organization. Overall, Wallace’s argument may have been more successful if she would have focused on actual evidence rather than
However, the good is outweighed by the bad in that this article has almost no factual support. Worley seems to be venting her thoughts without any outside factual support. It is difficult to label this article as effective due to the lack of any factual support and evidence to back up her arguments. That is exactly what needs to change in the article. Worley must use more sources for information to back up her points, then the article may be more convincing and worth
...old, xenophobic white men don’t want just anyone off the street joining them for intellectual discussions over Sunday tea . This is why Wallace advocates for students in high school and college to learn SWE; if students are able to present themselves in a more erudite and intellectual manner by using SWE, it can provide them with more opportunities to ascend the “social ladder” as they will have a stronger foundation for academic and professional success. Using SWE will not guarantee that a student will become a doctor or a lawyer, however, they will have the opportunity to expand their education and achieve that ranking if they wish.
Blanche Dubois provides as Williams’ core personage throughout ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. Her vulnerability in a changing society and monomania with her appearance, along with her mental fragility both cumulates pathos from the audience and draws in our attention. Furthermore, the contrast between a pure southern belle and a cheap seductress, as well as her relationship with Stanley, allows Williams to explore ideas relating to the patriarchal society of the time. As the play progresses and the audience observe Blanche endure an exigent predicament, we see her come forth as the conspicuous protagonist in the play and a victim of circumstance.
“The Streetcar Named Desire” shows how desire can become a vice for people’s lives and be a destructive force for others. Blanche was unable to hold her desire and as a result was forced out of her home and lost her credibility to save her future reputation. This was only made worse when Stanley’s inappropriate desire for Blanche made her situation worse as he took away all of her power and those she loved from her. It makes one think how easily one could choose to view reality based on desire or emotion; it helps to to understand how those choices can negatively impact a person and those around
In the early 1900s, premarital sex was far less common than it is in modern society. The culture of that time period valued virginal brides and condemned teens that had sex prior to marriage. In fact, “social ostracism awaited young ladies who did not wait for marriage” (Mass) However, social isolation was one of the lesser consequences that some believed could befall an individual partaking in premarital sex. Exceptionally religious families and institutions believed that sex outside of marriage was a heinous sin and that such an offense could be punishable by eternal damnation. Furthermore, before “the pill” was ...
Nicholas Carr has many strong points in his article. He successfully proves that what he has to say is worthy of his readers time, and that maybe we should all take caution to how much time we spend on the
In Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy he proposes several arguments regarding human perception. He begins this exploration by examining the principles that his beliefs are founded on. By doing this, Descartes is choosing not to question each of his beliefs individually; he is choosing to examine the foundation of his perceptions. Descartes proceeds to question where he has attained his knowledge. The answer, he decides, is from his senses. Descartes also determines that there have been instances where his senses have been deceptive. It is from this idea that Descartes forms his deductions for Meditations I, II, and VI, and begins to question the concept of dualism.
Tibbetts, Janice. "Reproductive Health Experts Warn Women Not to Abandon Birth Control." Canadian Medical Association Journal 185.11 (2013): E517-8. ProQuest. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
The first birth control pill, Enovid was approved by the FDA on June 23,1960 to be used as an oral contraceptive.3 This pill was remarkable in that it allowed millions of women controls over reproduction. The pill allowed women to separate vaginal intercourse from procreation for the first time.1 However, its introduction was meet and rightful so with a series of questions about the safety of the pill. This is well documented in The New York Times during 1960s. Most of these newspaper blogs and articles called for the FDA to further investigated “The Pill” while others questioned the reason behind declaring “The Pill” safe. Common headlines from New York Time newspaper around the 1960s include “Birth Control Pills ‘Safe,’ Drug Agency Reports Says” and “Health Report on “The
Descartes has presented the dream argument in his work, Meditations on First Philosophy. According to his argument, dreams mirror the experience of the person’s real life. Because of the uncertainty in the process of dreaming, Descartes describes the method of skepticism which distinguishes the truth from illusion.
A eighteen year old boy was allowed to vote for a president but he couldn't smoke. Eighteen year old should be able to buy tobacco. When you're eighteen you can vote,Join the military, and be treated as an adult for a crime. Most of the things that you can do when you're eighteen you can do when you're twenty one expects buying tobacco now and alcohol. There was a time before were eighteen olds could buy tobacco for many years , so why change it now.
In addition, the subject itself is of interesting nature as it concerns a concept that is immense and the answer to the question is complex and overwhelming to our minds and the best we currently can do is provide assumptions in philosophical terms. The dream argument is a concept that discusses, in essence, our subconscious, something that is of great interest to us as it is something that we lack knowledge about even though it is defining part of us. And according to Aristotle, “All men by nature desire to know.” (Aristotle, 350 B.C.E, p. 1), something that we cannot deny is that humankind has continually advanced throughout the years. Examples range from, technology like computers or machinery like vehicles. We could also look at our non-material advances like teaching. We human thrive on advancement and are always looking to know more and become more educated. In essence, the reason why Descartes dream argument is so compelling is because it concerns the things that we have always been doubting and in this case, the discussion is about humankind's existence. And that subject is one of the most interesting things that humankind desires to know. It is on par with discussions of how we came to be and the origins of our kind. This is why Rene Descartes dream argument, beyond doubt, is the most compelling of his skeptical arguments compared to his sense argument, which in actuality is connected to the dream argument, and his evil demon argument, which is a sound argument but for it to be true or more compelling than his dream argument you would have to believe and prove the existence of demons which are supernatural beings. In addition, Descartes argument is supported by another philosopher by the name of Sextus Empiricus, who says the same objects
Descartes believed that science had was the connection of truth towards one body and matter. One’s senses is connected to the science part of the body because the senses are a tool that is used towards and individual’s everyday doings. The senses also bring doubt within one’s mind because it is a natural feeling. Descartes explains, “This would all be well and good, were I not a man who is accustomed to sleeping at night, and to experience in my dreams the very same things, or now and then even less plausible ones, as these insane people do when they are awake (60). Descartes expressed that in one’s dream and awakening the confusion of one’s sense can block the thought of truth and reasoning. Descartes introduces dreams, a deceiving God, and an evil demon as ways of motivating this doubt in the accuracy of our sense
Everyone has the right to vote, or not to vote in the years we live today. People decide whether they wish to participate in the nation’s future or just walk aimlessly and allow it to take its own path. Over decades, centuries, our country continued growing but just recently did it allow all to vote as long as they call this nation home. Run-on Sentence: Over decades, centuries, our country continued growing, but just recently did it allow all to vote as long as they call this nation home. However, large amounts of people still do not vote in any politics. Today everyone should understand what differences a vote could make like what can happen, why it matters, and benefits of voting.