Pam Belluck Sixteen Ballot Box Analysis

226 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Role of youth in election process essay

Pam Belluck discusses and strongly criticizes voting age in her article " Sixteen Candles, but Few Blazing a Trail to the Ballot Box". She starts by referring to a day of a regular sixteen year old girl, who was preparing for a musical, then going out to eat with her boyfriend and last visiting the polls to vote. With the use of this type of claims and a very sarcastic tone throughout her writing, Belluck develops her position, arguing that young voters “lack of competence, maturity and experience”(par. 6) and for this reasons they are not prepared to vote properly. During her argument she exposes different opinions in this controversial manner of voting, describing the actions of supporters that believe that the young generations should be

Show More
Related

  • Is Voting for Young People? by Martin P. Wattenberg

    1907 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...adults compared to older adults were less likely to respond that voting was extremely important for good citizenship (133). He concludes that it is too late for the generation of young adults that do not feel voting is an important civic responsibility, however, that it is not too late to convince them that politics matter by showing them that they are giving their opportunity to make important decisions that may impact their lives to others who have different ideas. One may agree with Wattenberg’s idea that habits follow people throughout their lives instead of changing as they cycle in life. His personal accounts are an impactful way to illustrate the importance of building a sense of duty at a young age and carrying that responsibility throughout one’s life.

    Read More

  • One Woman One Vote Analysis

    429 Words  | 1 Pages

    The 1995 documentary, One Woman, One Vote as part of the popular American Experience PBS program. The film chronicles the women’s suffrage movement which started in the mid 1800s in Seneca Falls. The film also follows the work women which played major roles in the movement such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. The film begins with activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton facing controversy at the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention for her views regarding woman suffrage during. This was viewed as controversial by many seeing as women had previously never been able to vote and it was not something that many have given much thought to. It wasn’t until African-American abolitionist, Frederick Douglass spoke in support of equal voting

    Read More

  • Electoral College Dbq

    695 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Electoral College has been the favored method by the United States to elect the president for many years. When the College was first created in 1787 it was seen as an efficient and reliable way to vote the president into office. It has been more than 2 centuries since this method of electing was chosen and many things have changed in U.S. society. The Electoral College is failing to keep up with these advancements in society and a new method must be chosen soon.

    Read More

  • Voter Turnout Assignment

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    Voting is one of the citizens’ rights living in a country. In the past, not everyone can vote. Voting used to be for only white American men. However, our ancestors fought for that rights. Eventually, any American who are older than eighteen can vote, despite their race or gender. In addition, voter turnout is used to keep track of the voting. It is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election. Unfortunately, the voter turnout has been decreasing over time, and it means that there are less and fewer people who actually show up and vote. This essay will discuss the voter turnout in Harris County, Texas.

    Read More

  • Voting Age in Canada

    1821 Words  | 4 Pages

    The young as well as the older people of Canada seem to be in a deadlock. The question of if the federal government should or should not lower the voting age is a question debated surely around the dinner tables of families in Canada, as well as in the ranks of the government. Some people even suggest that the age needs to be raised. What would make people want the voting age to be lowered to an even lower age than the young adult age of 18? On the other hand how can the youth of Canada who have their own individual views be able to make a difference without being able to vote? Both sides provide for an intriguing look into the facts and resolutions for an appropriate way to either change the voting age or keep it the same. Throughout this paper I will look at and analyze the arguments of the youth who claim to be 'disenfranchised', as well as others who see the lowering of the voting age to be detrimental rather than an improvement to the Government of Canada's political process. In 1854, before Canada became a responsible government the only people allowed to vote were people who had a high value of land which they owned, and had a high income. Women and people with other ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs were also denied the right to vote. This did not mean that these people did not have their views and beliefs on who and what they wanted in their government but rather they were denied the right. These laws have changed since then drastically and Canada has become a democratic country (rule by the people). However, the frustration of not being able to vote and support their ideals and politicians does live on in the hearts and minds of thousands of young Canadians under the age of eighteen. The...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Ballot Or The Bullet

    1802 Words  | 4 Pages

    On April 12, 1964, Malcolm X stepped in front of a crowd of two thousand in Detroit’s King Solomon Baptist Church. Ministers initially attempted to prevent Malcolm X from using the church to deliver the speech at the last minute, as they had already estimated the potential for controversy (“Say It Plain, Say It Loud”). Many historians deem the speech, titled “The Ballot or the Bullet,” Malcolm X’s greatest performance. Only a month after departing from the Nation of Islam and joining the mainstream Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm X already recognized the vital flaw in the movement: the African American expectation of help from the white population. “The Ballot or the Bullet” aimed to point out that flaw and unite all African Americans through

    Read More

  • Electoral College Research Paper

    1757 Words  | 4 Pages

    I noticed that when one political party covers almost the entirely of the map, their party will continue winning the election for several years. Like how the election of 1932, the democratic party had about 88% of the electors votes and about 60% of the popular votes. The democratic party continued to win the next four elections.

    Read More

  • Voting Turnout Proposal

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    It’s very unsettling to know that there was a six percent decrease in young voters (ages 18-29) in the 2012 election compared to 2008 (Circle Youth data). In 2007 the National Conference of State Legislatures publicly released a report and data set on voter turnout in democratic countries. This is a quote from that report titled Getting out the Vote, “It should be noted that in 1972, 18-year-olds were added to the eligible voting population, thus decreasing the percentages. Nonetheless, voter tu...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of How The Vote Was Won

    1271 Words  | 3 Pages

    How the Vote Was Won introduces the role of brave women in their journey to success of the national suffrage movement. Mead writes about the success that was brought by the women in the western states, and gives the readers an insight on the struggles of racism and elitism that played throughout the suffrage movement in the western states. In eight perceptive chapters, the authors focuses on a few states in the west, in which she explains the successes or failures of the campaigns for woman suffrage. Mead also addresses readers with significant descriptions of how the woman 's suffrage served as both economic and political justice giving women the right to vote.

    Read More

  • Summary Of The Voting Age Of A Voter By Anya Kamenetz

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “You’re 16, You’re Beautiful and You’re a Voter,” author Anya Kamenetz states her belief that the voting age should be lowered to sixteen. Kamenetz gives several premises to her argument.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Ballot Or The Bullet

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    When giving his speech “The Ballot or the Bullet” Malcolm X spoke in a content and tone that made this speech very impactful to his audience and listeners which is still relevant today. Malcolm X was convinced that voting was the way to change racial prejudice in America. The Ballot or the Bullet is directed at African Americans and encourages them to stand up for their rights at all cost. He spoke with such knowledge, attitude and passion that put emphasis on the importance of African Americans being educated and educating themselves on politics. Malcolm X was a prominent spokesman of the civil rights era, his words when spoken were very potent and influential especially in the black community. Because Malcolm X was very direct in his speech, the audience responded positively and respectfully. “It 's time for

    Read More

  • Gubernatorial Election Analysis

    1055 Words  | 3 Pages

    In both turnout rate charts, the highest turnout of voters in November happens during Presidential elections. The second highest turnout rate happens during Gubernatorial elections, while the lowest turnout of all the elections happens during special Constitutional elections. Analysis of these rates over the span of 2001 – 2014 shows that more voters participated in Presidential elections. This is also the type of election that is the least frequent of the three election types analyzed. This suggests that voters are more likely to participate in elections that do not happen every year.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Ballot Or The Bullet

    1562 Words  | 4 Pages

    The year of 1964 was the peak of the American civil rights movement. There were two well-remembered activists within the civil rights movement. One was supporting civil disobedience, and one for revolution. Martin Luther King a Christian minister, pushed for a peaceful ending to the inequality of the African Americans, while Malcolm X, a Muslim minister, spoke in favor of self-reliance and violence if they didn’t get their rightful freedom. In Malcom X’s speech “The Ballot or the Bullet,” He declares that 1964 is the year of the ballot or the bullet, “liberty or death.” His main purpose of using aggressive language was to unite the African Americans in their civil rights battle against the government that was lead mainly by a white majority. He wanted to convince them that they could have more power as long as they all unite. They would have the power to put a president in the White House, the power to control their communities, and the power to get the freedom that has been denied to them. Malcolm X mentions in his speech that there are two ways that the “Afro-Americans” can get their freedom. Either the “white man” can give it to them, or they can take their freedom through a bloody revolution.

    Read More

  • Why Young People Do Not Vote?

    993 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although there are 44 million eligible young voters ages 18-29, in 2012 only 45% of them voted. These young people make up one fifth, or 21%, of the eligible voting population, yet they often do not vote. Voting is a tremendous gift. Young people in many other countries around the world have to fight to gain this right. In America, voting is often taken for granted by all age groups, but the youth take it for granted the most. In this paper, the reason why young people do not vote will be explored and solutions as to how to get them to vote will be proposed.

    Read More

  • Children Are Too Young to Vote

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the essay, “Give children the vote,” (1998) the author, Vita Wallace argues for the rights of children. Basing her argument on opinion, Wallace presents her own life to explain the gist of her argument. Being a 16 year old, Wallace shares her points of view from this stage in her life, the stage where she is not quite an adult, but feels like she is. Wallace is upset with the lack of freedom given to children, and her claim is focused on children voting. “What I suggest is that children be allowed to grow into their own right to vote at whatever rate suits them individually,” Wallace states (1998, p.145). In fact, Wallace believes she would have been ready to vote when she was 8 or 9, maybe even sooner.

    Read More

More about Pam Belluck Sixteen Ballot Box Analysis

Open Document