Give Children the Vote? I Vote No Essay -- Essay Critique Children Vot

Give Children the Vote? â€Å"What I suggest is that children be allowed to grow into their own right to vote at whatever rate suits them individually,† argues Vita Wallace as her major claim in the essay â€Å"Give children the vote† (1998, p.147). This is a thoughtful argument by Wallace, but I disagree with it. In this essay, Wallace presents her opinion, but the major claim could also be presented as a fact, judgment, or policy (McFadden, 2003). Throughout the essay, I see the interesting approach Wallace takes to try convince the audience. In my opinion she is unsuccessful. Wallace’s major claim, giving children the vote, is a good one and something many kids cringe about these days. She presents this argument in defense of kids, including herself, which she feels are being discriminated against. Wallace was home schooled, so she believes children should not be punished for choosing not to attend school. She continues saying, â€Å"Learning about discriminatory laws preventing high school dropouts from getting their driver’s licenses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1998, p.145) made her think about the unfair treatment of kids. Realizing all the rights children miss out on, Wallace focuses on the right to vote. She was 16 when she wrote this essay and feels ready to vote. In fact she states, â€Å"I think I would not have voted until I was eight or nine, but perhaps if I had known I could vote I would have taken an interest sooner† (1998, p.147). The qualifiers also play a big role in â€Å"Give children the vote.† A qualifier is a word or two that modifies the claim (McFadden, 2003). Wallace does a good job with the qualifiers, and makes the claim stand out a little better. Wallace’s major claim, again, is children should have the right to vote. But ... ...-election depends on the well-being of the voters† (1998, p.146). Here, again, she uses a statement that has no evidence and more importantly, doesn’t even focus on the issue of kids voting. Wallace has worthwhile ideas, but I believe she needs to develop her research methods and legitimate arguments. Unfortunately, she uses her own examples, reasoning, and analysis to argue for the claim to allow kids to vote. Credible sources or harder evidence might be more useful in Wallace’s case. References Clark, I. L. (1998). The genre of argument. Boston: Thompson-Heinle McFadden, J. (Sept. 12 & 14, 2003). The toulmin method: From classical logic to modern argumentation. Lecture. Buena Vista University. Storm Lake, IA. Wallace, V. (1998). â€Å"Give children the vote.† The genre of argument. Ed. Irene L. Clark. Boston: Thompson-Heinle. p.145-48