Rhetorical Activity 3

In her article, “Flex your young muscles: register to vote this election,” Alyson Murphy urges young people to take an active role in the 2008 presidential election. Murphy encourages young people to “[join] a club of one’s political party affiliation, [go] to political rallies or merely [register] to vote.” Appearing in the editorial section of the September 16, 2008 edition of the Daily Athenaeum, the article emphasizes importance of the freedom to vote in America and how young adults must take advantage of this freedom in order to help influence the shaping of the government now and in the future. Murphy believes that young people should make an effort to stay informed about political matters, especially those particularly relevant to the upcoming election.

After describing her own experience in examining the issues and debates surrounding the election, Murphy asserts that the first step in becoming involved is registering to vote. By stating that “voter registration has never been easier,” Murphy highlights the simplicity of becoming involved in politics. Murphy further emphasizes the importance of the 2008 presidential election by stating that it will be “absolutely epic and will go down in history, spanning race and gender, an economic downward spiral and a troubling war.” Murphy ends her article by explaining how the election is one place where young people truly have the opportunity to influence political decisions that will greatly shape the future. According to Murphy, the opportunity to vote “gives a voice to every American – young, old, black, white, male or female.”

The stasis of Alyson Murphy’s argument seems to lie in her belief that young Americans should make an effort to participate in politics by at the least, registering to vote. While opponents to Murphy’s argument may contend that one young person’s vote cannot truly influence an election, or that young people who are not thoroughly informed about candidates should not take an active role in selecting future office holders, the argument seems to rest at quality in that voting is a good thing and that all citizens should have a say in a democratic government. The argument also lies in policy whereas all Americans should fulfill their duty as citizens by voting in elections.

It is not apparent whether Murphy is attacking a particular position against the participation of young people in American politics. However, it is clear that her argument is attempting to refute any beliefs associated with the inability of young people to influence their government. Murphy argues a valid point by supporting her opinion with examples and outside sources. Murphy uses the website rockthevote.com to exemplify the positive influence that technology has had on information communication. This website not only helps young people register to vote, but also “includes information on the candidates and the issues, and also information on how to obtain an absentee ballot.” Additionally, Murphy refers to a quote in Time Magazine to enforce the importance of the racial and age differences among the presidential candidates. Although Murphy’s opponents may not change their opinions after reading her article, Murphy has likely still achieved stasis with these individuals.