The author’s use of historic examples strengthens his argument by demonstrating that other groups achieved suffrage despite similar objections. By referencing the arguments against women's suffrage and the discriminatory practices used to disenfranchise people of color, the author draws a parallel to the current objections against children's suffrage, suggesting that such arguments are often rooted in prejudice and misunderstandings about the capabilities of the marginalized group. This historical context helps underscore the inconsistency and flawed reasoning behind objections to expanding voting rights, bolstering the case for allowing younger individuals to vote.
"Let Children Vote. Even 13-Year-Olds." by Laurence Pevsner Still, serious arguments against children’s suffrage abound. Eighteen to 21-year-olds already vote in dismal numbers - why should we give the vote to people even younger, who probably care less? Even if they do care to vote, children don’t have the intellectual capacity or the life experience to understand complex issues. Supposing you did stick them in a polling booth, they’re likely to vote exactly as their parents tell them to - essentially giving parents double, triple, or quadruple the votes. But we’ve heard these arguments before. A 1910 pamphlet from the National Association Opposed to Women’s Suffrage, for example, emphasized remarkably similar objections, such as “because 90% of the women ither do not want it, or do not care” and “because 80% of the women eligible to vote are married and can only double or annul their husband’s votes.” People of color have also suffered greatly on account of specious logic. Following the Civil War that should’ve settled the issue, white politicians and phrenologists trotted out “biology” to argue that a black person’s brain was inferior, and so black people weren’t capable of understanding the issues. The result was the literacy test, one of the most despicable stains on the history of our democracy. The Washington Post © 2016 The Washington Post. All rights reserved. Used under license. Question Use the passage to answer the question. How does the author’s use of historic examples strengthen his argument? (1 point) Responses by describing how other groups went about attaining the right to vote by describing how other groups went about attaining the right to vote by explaining that some groups are more likely to vote in elections than others by explaining that some groups are more likely to vote in elections than others by demonstrating that other groups achieved suffrage despite similar objections by demonstrating that other groups achieved suffrage despite similar objections by showing how views on suffrage are influenced by popular opinion by showing how views on suffrage are influenced by popular opinion
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