Dear sophomores,
You’ve been working hard to inspire others to follow you, both as an expert on a specific research topic and as a speechwriter. Your dream speeches are an important contribution to our class, our community, and our world. Your thoughts and ideas can have wide-ranging implications to help ease suffering and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. All you have to do is imagine!
- Review: Make sure that your dream speech is just the way you want it, free from simple spelling and grammar errors, and full of those persuasive rhetorical techniques we have studied.
2. Publish: Click on the ‘leave a comment’ link at the top of this post. Follow the directions for uploading your ‘comment,’ in this case your dream speech. If you want, you can click an option to have your classmates’ comments emailed to you. I recommend this.
3. Read and reply: Once your classmates begin to upload their dream speeches, you can reply. Identify what you like about the speech; look for good examples of rhetorical techniques. Share other questions or ideas you have about the speech. Keep it positive. If you have a concern, you might consider speaking to that person directly rather than leaving a comment. Please comment on AT LEAST TWO of your classmates’ speeches. Also, our goal is to leave comments with each student writer, so everyone feels acknowledged for their ideas and hard work.
Thank you for all of your hard work and risk taking!
Kind Regards,
Mr. Coey
Deficit of the World
Poverty has existed since the dawn of civilization. Everywhere on Earth there are people struggling to rack up a couple cents to feed their hunger, pay off their debts, or simply to survive in this money-induced world. Lack of funds is not the only type of poverty to exist, but also the deprivation of the soul from the richness of warm emotions. Like the great Mother Teresa aforesaid, “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.”
I see people wandering the streets without shelter to reside in.
I hear the cries and groans of my afflicted people.
I feel the grief of not having enough, not being enough.
My people, we must not be greedy when we see charities being advertised. We must not be egotistical and ignore the needs of our people. We must not be hardhearted and refuse to give help. We must not assume everyone is perfectly fine on their own, clearly seeing outside your car window someone pleading for nourishment.
It hurts to see my people lying on the streets, ribs showing, and dressed with ragged clothing. It hurts to see young adolescents suffering from solitude and insecurity. It only takes one willing person to change the life of another. One helping hand to reach out and provide the help that others need.
Now is the time to ride from the clutches of shame that bounds us. Now is the time to put forth the effort in helping others. Now is the time to leave the past and hope for a better future of caring and nurturing.
I have a dream that one day mankind can feel the fulfillment of satisfaction and not the sorrow of scarcity. I have a dream that men will no longer be greedy animals but loving beings of joy. I HAVE A DREAM that the enslavement of meagerness that withholds us, will soon be eradicated.
I really like your choice of vocabulary and usage of metaphors to describe your subject of poverty. Good job~! 😀
I really like your description of poverty and showing diversity of what poverty is especially by proving your diversity with the allusion of Mother Teresa
I would like to begin by thanking you for taking the time to hear my speech. I’m honored to be here today to discuss a problem that has been going on for many years. We today, take a stand for our rights. For all the Women all over the world, it is time for us to take action and change the way we are living. Females have been domesticated to follow what the male has to say. This is a problem to our society, and we don’t live the same as we used too. We have a voice. Women are evolving for the better, not just staying at home and cooking for our husbands or taking care of their kids. We should be treated the same or better. We shouldn’t allow people to think less of us because of our gender. We the have potential to do greater things. However, we have been brought down so many times that we always second guess ourselves. And I ask myself, what is the need for men or anyone else to us brings down? What’s their motive to cause harm to other people? Women need to seek for success. We need to strive for our goals.
Now is the time to get educated. I see, in my family, that there is male dominance and there is a belief that men are supposedly better than us, and we as women need to be quiet and respectful to them. This is the problem that isn’t right. We shouldn’t be quiet, we shouldn’t let men control our decisions, we can’t submit to that oppression. Once one of my family members told me, “calladita te ves mas bonita.” This means, “you look prettier when you’re quiet.” In other words, my opinion was irrelevant, but now that I’m growing and learning nothing is going to stop from advocating for myself and the people who don’t have a voice. I want to see little girls playing with cars and playing soccer. I wish not see gender roles or any type of label telling you you’re wrong, or that you shouldn’t be doing that because it isn’t lady like.
Now is the time to change, now is the time to fight for our dignity and our respect. Women all over the world are being treated like objects as if they were animals. Like the great Malala said, “I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.” This young girl has been through so much hatred, but she is still helping us have a better tomorrow. I have a dream that one day, everyone will look at each other the same. I have a dream that we will all have a voice. One day the neglects and hatred for women will end. I have dream that women will have the opportunity to strive!
I like how your really strong respect towards women and how “women will have the opportunity to strive” phrase. Great work!?
Your speech is pretty good. I believe your Spanish quote held great power and I admire the fact that you included your own experience. 🙂
My People Struggle
I am glad and honor to be speaking in front of you today. To address the American issues of today’s society. I am surely one out of Thousands black Americans whose lives are in Jeopardy everyday. We live in a world that is filled of Hatred and inequality that needs to be fixed now
70 years later, us, Color folks are still burning in a fire pit of endangerment and hatred.
70 years later, we are still suffering from ongoing police brutality. Sadly, the same as our grandparents and great grandparents. 70 years later, we are still fighting for our rights to live as free black American. Free. The word free. Yes, This is a powerful word indeed. “Free” is like a breath of fresh air. America is concerned the free country. But is everyone actually free? NO! We will not be free until the blacks,Latinos, hispanics, Asians are broken from the shackles of inequality. We will not be free until our cries for justice will finally be heard. We will not be free until we have free trials like everyone else. Somebody asked me, “would I join the military and fight for my country?” I simply answered, “No. Why fight for a country that won’t fight for me”. We deserve equality. Especially, for all we have done for America.
I hear mothers crying of tears of agony because their child is lying in pool of blood. I feel the anger and hurt that has filled the negro heart of sorrow. I see protest and riots gone wrong because an unfair trial was played like an unfair football game. The civil rights leaders would be rolling in their grave,two times, if they knew that what they fought for, did not really change.
We’re living in a shameful condition that will forever go down in history. We have allowed racism to take over our society. Generations after generations, racism has been hidden like Cheshire from Alice and Wonderland. It’s hidden but becomes very noticeable now and then. But we can all feel the tension in the air. We have become the main victims of police brutality. Over the years it’s became worst. Police brutality never went away. Young Black men are constantly being torn away from their families and loved ones. Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, John Crawford III. These are only a few that were killed from the guns of judgemental police officers. Constantly hearing about these crimes are sickening . These questions are always on my mind. Is being black a crime? Is a White officer considered a hero for killing an unarmed black man? Do they expect us to be silent about it? Well, We have gone through to much to be silent. We have too much anger to be silent. We have to heartache to be silent. We have too much pain to be silent. We can’t sit here and be silent about it. Donald Trump says “Lets make America great again.” My question is, when has America ever been great?
Now is the time to stand up has brothers and sisters and fight for our rights. Now is the time to fight against police brutality. Now is the time to let freedom ring. Now is the time to have life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Now is the time to stand up and show the world that we are somebody. We are the people. We made America. We are America.
Judging
By Jason Yang
I have a dream that one day we will not judge others by their looks, but by who they are. As many of you know people judge others because of their looks, their personalities,
and their way of speaking. There’s no way to avoid that unless you change yourself, change their minds, and change your actions. It’s all up to you because you don’t have to fit in and be like others. In some cases judging someone can influence them to improve themselves, love themselves, and care for themselves.
I want my dream to flow like water that last forever so that everyone can feel it, see it, and treasure it. That is why I wrote this speech to convince you to stop judging people because no one is perfect. Judging someone too much can lead that person to suicide, depression, and antisocial. That’s mean. That’s cruel. In fact I get judge all the time so if you think you’re the only person who gets judge then think again, think for others not for you only. The world does not revolve around you.
I still have a dream that all will respect and not judge one. We should reach out for their hole of light that lies in themselves. To know oneself, we should give them love of respect. We should let them be their self because what is the point of living when you just want to be like everyone else. A phrase from a 1944 African journal American speech that I had always kept in my, ‘’Don’t judge a book by its cover’’. Don’t look on the outside, but look in the inside and know who they truly are.
second last sentence was “my heart”
I think your speech was great and straight to the point. It also had a nice flow and balance throughout the entire speech. Good work. And I like your subject. 🙂
Preventing Mental Illness for Everyone’s Wellness
Good afternoon, my fellow, passionate peers. Allow me to express my gratitude for your valued attention today. Today is a significant day for not only me but for us all. For this generation which holds the seeds to the next generation and the next and the next and so on. How we nurture these seeds is crucial to our communities and environment. Today I desire to speak of the cruelty and threat mental illness has on us as developing humans.
For countless of decades, since the birth of war and bloodshed, mental illness has made its mark worldwide. To this generation, it is an ubiquitous, or common, subject, especially for young adolescents such as ourselves. We suffer early stages of mental illness, for we are vulnerable to the bitterness of judgement from others and ourselves. Not only that, but we and those in our daily lives are also vulnerable to our violent environment. In 2016, to which I consider the year of unfortunate occurrences, there were myriads of suicides, forced sexual intercourse cases, and heinous acts and crimes. For instance, the elderly were robbed right in front of their own homes of security or a female college student who was forced into sexual intercourse, yet the culprit was not charged with the imprisonment of justice. Mental illness has taken its toll on our friends, neighbors, and families. I should know for one. I lost one of my friends to the somber hands of death by suicide.
Mental illness grows on the traumatic experiences one may possess or it may be genetic, a hand-me-down from one’s family bloodline. It could develop from a brain injury as well. There are a variety of ways one may attain a mental illness, for there are a variety of situations and individuals. However, no matter the difference, it can tear a life apart and disrupt those who care for one another just the same. Mental illness is like a parasite draining and manipulating its host as it plants its eggs on others. The parasite resets the mind to that of a mind of solitude and negativity.
Mental illness exhibits no mercy! I witness the tears of pure sorrow stream down the face of an abused, frightened child. I hear the screams and cries of a woman with severe depression due to the slow loss of her child to a shoot out. I feel the emptiness of those with a wavering will to live planning their own demise. Mental illness leads to unreliable judgement and even, insanity. However, not all is hopeless, for there is a chance. Although mental illness is to be lost and suffering like an earthworm stranded on concrete after a rainy night, we have a chance to prevent mental illness, and prevent it from bearing the fruits of anguish. There will be plenty of hardships but it’s to be expected. Just like William Shakespeare’s quote, “The course of true love never did run smooth.” To avert the seeds of mental illness, now is the time to give those who are neglected and abused the compassion and affection they deserve because “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is,‘What are you doing for others?’ ”, quoted Martin Luther King. Now is the time to lend the ear of consideration and share a hug of warmth because “The time is always right to do what is right.”, quoted, once again, Martin Luther King. Finally, now is the time to give the ill the cure of love and medicine of laughter. Because! Like the humble and knowledgeable Mahatma Gandhi once stated, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Only then, just as Martin Luther King, William Shakespeare, and Mahatma Gandhi wonderfully influenced the world, we, as the people who struggle everyday alongside our friends, families, neighbors, and those we’ve yet to intertwine fate with, only then will we be the righteous guide for our generations to grow upon and prosper with their owns dreams and goals. I, I have a dream that all communities and its people will come to the clear realization of the importance of each other’s existence and well being. Such as Walt Disney once said,”If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Tina , I love your speech a lot !! What I love most about it is the reference you made with Martin Luther king . Also I love how you’re topic mental illness touched me
I’m glad you enjoyed it and felt touched. 🙂
LOOK AT ME.
I have a Racial ethnicity
Everyone on the face of this earth does.
Do you see me?
I’m mixed with 9 nationalities
Stereotypically, i seem to appear mexican.
I mean aren’t i?
WRONG
What ever happened to the other 8
I’m tired of people making false accusations,
jumping to conclusions,
And when trying to pick a fight,
They seemingly choose the racial background,
People, lives, families, and even friends are still affected by this topic to this day.
Not too long ago, i was outside keeping to myself
Talking to my friends, and then a boy walked up to me,
Seemed to be 12, a few inches shorter than i am.
He asked my age, and i quietly said it wasn’t his business.
He told his sister what i had said, and it made her mad.
She began to say “Look at that mexican hoe over there on her phone.”
Her friends Snickered, and then said “Nah she’s White.”
I chose to draw my attention toward them, rather than the phone.
This placed me in nothing more but a black mood, and a pensive state.
That hurt, like they skewered my emotions and burned them to ashes.
It made me mad.
Personal Prejudice, i had only experienced it for a few seconds.
I was already feeling the pain and the agony
The injustice tyranny.
Friends, Family, and relatively close members of our society.
Racism has not come to an end.
This ongoing problem seems to have no solution.
Much like a bottomless pit.
The surface ceases to exist.
Elie Wiesel once said
“ No human race is superior: No religious faith is inferior. All collective judgements are wrong”
I believe this is a Motto we should live by.
“ by the people for the people”
We can make a change
We can make a difference
We can be the reason for racism at some point, to some extent, be put to an end.
We can be the reason that we will one day live in a nation where [people] will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” ( Martin Luther King Jr).
Join hands with me today, and we can make this nasty, bitter, heartbreaking topic come to an end. And we ourselves can make this Nation greater than it has ever been.
Something bigger than ourselves.
Alicia, I like how you did your speech on racism and applied a personal experience. Your motif “we can” is powerful and makes me want to help stop racism.
Alicia , I love how you used an personal experience about the little boy and sister !!! It was really touching how this society today is also tough on people !!
I felt that your speech had a very strong and powerful atmosphere to it. Almost as if you were putting your foot down and stating you’re done. Like literally. You greatly appealed to pathos. Great job. 🙂
Our Violent Nation
I am joyous just to be standing here in front of you all today. I am here emphasize our great dilemma. Our Country has come a long way to become what it is today. However, all of our conflicts are no longer outside our country, but within in. We, the people, has been perpetrating these absurd violent acts against our own. This self-harm we are doing in our country has been happening for as longs as it’s has been around, and yet we are still inflicting pain upon ourselves!
The types of violent acts we make upon ourselves make me question our unity as one “indivisible” nation. I see people divided by the color of their attire. I hear shouts and chants to end police brutality; to end racism! I feel for the families who has lost a loved one caused by this nonsense. Gangs are the reason why people fear on if they are wearing the wrong color, and so they attempt to camouflage like a chameleon blendings its’ color to avoid danger.
I hope for the day where the burning inferno of hatred is extinguished. No more hopeless waiting! Now is the time to guide the children to a brighter path other than them identifying themselves by the color of their bandanas. Now is the to train our policemen justly, so we the people will not tread in fear of the force that is meant to protect us. Now is the time to also improve our do justice system and to intensify our police enforcements on our cities for the wicked and evil. I am but one of many who feels this way, but “if we desire a society of peace, then we cannot achieve such a society through violence”(Bayard Rustin).
I am not ashamed to say that even through the predicaments we have as a country, I still have a dream. A dream that ends this unjust way of life. A dream that has been with me ever since I was a child discovering the frightening reality outside my safe doors. I have a dream where families do not have to go through another night with an empty seat at the dinner table. I have a dream where we shake this spell of evil and hate and convert it to a charm of good and joy! I HAVE A DREAM that “Violence in America” is rather fiction or history than being the truth and facts!
Here I stand in front of you all to say we must stop this violence! We must stop our youth from becoming a troubled gang member and start teaching them the promising side of their future. We must stop these “police brutality” incidents by adding body-worn cameras on our officers. We must stop these criminals on their tracks by enforcing more police on the streets and improving our judicial system for a fair sentence. Today, we must stop violence in America and start a peaceful, indivisible nation! This country: United States of America, is our home, and so we must unite like a family. Peace for the people! Peace in America! Peace in our home!
I really enjoyed your metaphors. Especially, “…and so they attempt to camouflage like a chameleon blendings its’ color to avoid danger.” I felt that this was very clever and refreshing. Good job on your speech. 🙂
Freedom For ALL!
In November of 1983 an orca, known as Tilikum, roughly around the age of two was captured near Iceland. In his lifetime, he was a captive at the aquarium Sealand and aquatic park SeaWorld. Tilikum killed three people out of stress, frustration, and confinement. Taken from his habitat and moved to British Columbia, Canada and Orlando, Florida, he could have had a longer life. Tilikum is an example of why animal captivity has to stop!
I see animals, taken from their families and placed behind view windows of despair. I hear “accidents” occurring because of hearts of bitterness. I feel enraged and upset with the choices of unthoughtfulness.
Why? Why do animals have to suffer the pain of depression? Why should they be confined? Why can’t they be free like the wind? Why should they be taken from their homes? All humans are created to be equal. Why can’t animals be too?
Now is the time to stop the death of animals captives and the people around them. Now is the time to send the animals home. Now is the time to give the animals their freedom. Now is the time to see animals as more than lowly creatures.
One day I want to live in a free world. This is a dream of numerous people. We cannot live in a free world if the animals aren’t free. I have a dream that every animal on earth will be free!
I really admire the fact that you chose an entirely different subject from everyone and your subject is very unique and uncommon which makes it surprising and refreshing. Although your rhetorical techniques are not easy to spot, I liked your motif of “Now is the time”. Good job. 🙂
Words of pain
We see this situation at school mostly and we choose to ignore it or engage in it. It’s a situation that hasn’t been solved no matter how much some of us try to. I see kids being pushed around and teased at every corner. I hear the most painful words being said like a stab in the heart. I feel horrible for not having enough power to stop this but together we can. I see kids being hurt with those soulless words like a punching bag. This world of hate that we live in must be stopped. Now is the time to stand up and speak. Now is the time to let those children feel safe wherever they may be. Now is the time to put an end to this atrocious situation. Like the great Albert Einstein once said,” the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil but by those who watch them without doing anything”. I have a dream that one day those victims that have been hurt more than a million times will hurt no more but rejoice. I have a dream that those bullies will open the windows to their eyes and realize what they have done and accept their mistakes. I HAVE A DREAM that we will come together and become a strong pack of wolves that will not be torn apart physically or mentally.
Your speech was pretty good. I really enjoyed your quote of Albert Einstein. It was a nice touch. 🙂
I’d like to begin by thanking everyone here that has taken time out of their day to come and join me in taking this stand. I appreciate you all greatly because without you all, my words would be meaningless. I am very thankful myself for being given the opportunity to come here and gather with all these amazing people to unite and intend to make this world a better place.
In Pakistan, in 2010 we face several issues but none as severe as the way in which we treat women as less than men. This routine has been passed on generation after generation and it’s about time we put an end to it. I see women at home cooking and taking care of their children because society believes that’s all they’re good at. Society sees no potential in women. I hear the criticism and foul language they respond into women when all they did was simply ask for a job. “You’re no good!” “You’re useless!” “Go back home and do what you’re supposed to do!” “This is a man’s job!” This view gives me a feeling of disgust and sorrow at the same time. Why do they believe women aren’t as capable as men? I feel they have no right to reject and treat us in such a way and the fact that they cut off our wings so young is just heart breaking. Young girls aren’t allowed an education and the thought of my daughter one day not being allowed the opportunity to an education makes me cringe. This that we are living isn’t life. This is not what it’s supposed to feel like. They treat us like wild animals that need to be domesticated yet we’ve done nothing wrong to begin with and to deserve this life. All these things have brought me to ask myself, what is it that they fear about women being as capable as men? Why do they deny us the freedom we deserve? Where are our equal rights?
Now is the time to make things right! Now is the time for women to rise and fight for what we’ve been robbed of for years! Now is the time to be free, be educated, be whatever we want to be! Like the great Malala once said, “I speak – not for myself but for all girls and boys. I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights: Their right to live in peace. Their right to be treated with dignity. Their right to equality of opportunity. Their right to be educated.” I have a dream that one day women will be given the same rights as men. That they won’t be criticized based on their gender but based on their capabilities. I have a dream that one day women will be able to get their hands dirty and seek all the education they desire. I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY THERE WILL BE NO GENDER DISCRIMINATION!
I think your speech is great but your rhetorical techniques aren’t as easy to notice except for your motif of “Now is the time”. Great job though. 😀
Phone Addiction
A long time ago, human invented a device called a “phone”. At that time, a phone was
meant and used for long distance communication with other people. But as time goes by,
Improvements and developments were made to phones that it wasn’t meant for calling anymore.
They are using it for texts, games, and musics. As further improvements and development of
other new devices have gotten people so addicted to their phones that they can’t get off their
phones and stop using it. New features were added along with touch screen and even better
quality cameras as well. Even apps were developed and added to phones too. Ever since these
improvements and developments were made, people have been over using their phones all the
time. They have been staying up late using their phones and don’t get enough sleep or rest. As I
go out, I see people on their phones while they are driving, while they are eating, and while they
are shopping. As I go out, I hear the sounds of people texting on their phone and playing on
their phone. As I go out, I feel like phones has gotten grip of the people and are being controlled
that they can’t get off their phones. People treat their phones like a baby that have to be taken
care of and watch for 24/7. They don’t even spend time with their families, with their works, and
with their friends. They get too distracted about their phones so they overuse them and get less
sleep every night.Phones are like drugs, the more we use them, the harder it is to resist. Now is
the time to get off your phone to go out to have fun with other people and exercise instead of
staying indoors with your phone all day. Now is the time to stop treating your phone like a baby
or that it is a big part of your life. Now is the time to put down your phone and share some of
your time with your families and your friends. I have a dream that people won’t be addicted to
their phones so they will spend time with their families and friends. I have a dream that phones
won’t be overuse all the time, but use at certain times. I have a dream that when I go outside, I
will see people out having fun together unlike those times when people stayed indoor all the
time with phones.
Your speech is very interesting and I notice that you use the motif of “Now is the time” (although other techniques aren’t present) . Also, I like how your speech was straight to the point. Good job. 🙂
The Price of Peace
I am brought here today to enlighten the world of the well-known radicals of society. For years, the world has been the undeserving victim of merciless terrorism. We, as proud men and women, are constantly at odds with those who deem their beliefs above the life of a man, woman, or child. Constantly striking fear into the hearts of countless innocents across the globe. The violence has spread the fires of war and plummeted the world into a nightmare that is reality.
Muslims, Americans, Africans, Asians, and Spaniards. No matter what race, no matter what color, or belief, human nature defines us as violent, as in all of nature’s creations. The tremendous loss we received in September 11th, 2001. The tragic outcome of a deadly struggle has done not but open our eyes to the threat of what others are capable of destroying. The school shootings in Sandy Hook Elementary have taught us that it isn’t only foreigners capable of evil. The terrorist group known over the world for their murders, Isis, is one of the world’s greatest enemies. A well-known threat to society for all races. The threat upon the world widens each passing day and countries alike are at risk. The military of every country in the world bands together to fight against the evil yet thousands of them elude us. What more must we sacrifice to the unending sea of lost souls who have been taken away by guilty extremists who love nothing more than themselves? The violence spreads too far and fear seeps into our spirits too deeply, crushing our will.
I see too many innocent lives lost to the hands of torturing evil, which claim themselves superior and holy, who claim their beliefs are right for the world. I hear the cries of numberless victims who have had all that they love stripped away from them, never to see again. Never to cherish for the future. I feel an irresistible temptation in vengeance, to punish the guilty, to rid the world of this chaos, to put peace into order. I say now, that the time has come to stand in unity. The terror has weakened us like a cobra’s venom, leaving us vulnerable to more danger. How many lives must be cast off into a dark void of misery and hate? When will the world learn to set aside disagreements and come to terms, and learn to accept each other?
Now is the time to come together as one. Now is the time to be vigilant and support whatever means necessary to rid the scourge infesting our world with bloodshed. Now is the time to bring the peace, or force it upon evil. The terrorists must be reminded, human nature is violent; however, human nature will drive us to better reasoning. And violence is not always the answer to their prayers. However, violence must be required should they fail to accept the terms of a peaceful end to the senseless killing. Blood will be spilled on both sides until we as mankind, step forward and put aside our odds.
Like America’s former president Barack Obama, vigilantly led to the execution of terrorist leader, Osama Bin Laden. It was his death that sparked a hope in peace for the bitter future. It was then that we learned, murder must be punished by justice. Ironically, the most sensible way to end the atrocities is with more bloodshed. However the responsibility lies in the world to stand together, or else more lives will be lost. Now is the time to cease turning a blind eye to the threat as it grows stronger each passing day. A time will come where wars will be lost, countries will be conquered, and many of all races and beliefs will die. It is our responsibility as mankind to ensure evil must be annihilated. The world must know to take action, to support our countries in any way they can, to be ready to protect themselves when they cannot be protected. We must learn not to wait for disaster to present itself, instead to prevent it by any means necessary. The ones who survive the terror, are the ones who rely on us to support them. And if need be, to join the fight against any terrorist. In any case, the world must be ready. People must be aware, instead of lying idle, open for attack or any dangers that lie in wait.
I really enjoyed your speech. It was very professional to which I admire and believe your speech has a strong hold or stance. In addition, I really like your introduction and your metaphors. Your vocabulary was great as well. And your speech has an excellent flow. Wonderful job. 😀
There is Hope
Our society tells us females to cover our bodies so that we don’t provoke men’s sexual behaviors or in any sexual manner, instead of telling such predators to keep to themselves and not act on such violent behavior just because they feel like they deserve it. When predators act on their sexual tendencies, critics bring up the fact that the male has a good reputation, and the woman’s “accusations” will ruin him. Patriarchy I say. Such like Brock Turner, a man who r*ped an intoxicated and unconscious 23 year-old woman, and whom only got six months with three years probation because his judge believed he was a “star athlete” and an “all American swimmer”, on top of that Turner also had claimed that the unnamed woman had consented. They believed him. You see, for man he is innocent until proven guilty, yet women are liars until proven honest. Now, this situation can happen to anyone, regardless of race, body type, occupation, clothing choice, etc. If r*pe was about how revealing our clothes are, r*pe rates would quadruple in the summer. But they don’t. If r*pe was about how attractive a person was by typical beauty standards, only white, abled people would get r*ped. But they don’t. I see females blaming themselves. I hear families blaming them as well telling them “If you wouldn’t have been running around with those little dresses on, it would have never happened.” I feel the deep dejection and the hopelessness they bury within their shattered hearts. Like a thief, the predator has stolen something so precious from the victim. Hope. Yet there IS hope. There is hope for the fallen. There is hope for obtaining justice. There is hope for gaining assurance, There is hope for realizing you ARE the victim. You can be the shaft of light in this generation and not leave a trail of sorrows. Like the great feminist activist Jessica Valenti once stated, “Should we treat women as independent agents, responsible for themselves? Of course. Yet being responsible has nothing to do with being r*ped. Women don’t get r*ped because they were drinking or took drugs. Women don’t get r*ped because they weren’t careful enough. Women get r*ped because someone r*ped them.” R*pe is not about sex, it’s about violence. I have a dream r*pe victims will no longer feel sheltered being silent. I have a dream that men will understand the meaning of NO! I have a dream women will feel attentive when going on a date and not worrying about if the suitor will assault them. We can and will be the new, thunderous, yet stern voices of this generation.
Cylysce,
I think your use of parallelism, “R*pe is not about sex, it’s about violence,” illustrates the contrast between the perception and the reality. This is an important topic, and I’m glad you are writing about it.
Coey
Great speech. I think this is a very difficult subject but you wrote it very well. I really enjoyed your motif of “hope”. It showed great purpose in your speech. Your speech also had a balanced flow. Wonderful job. 😀
Asian Discrimination
In today’s society, we hear and see, Asian discrimination. The situation I am addressing is Asian minorities being outcasted, we see it everyday in our lives.
I see racist gestures like using their fingers to pull up the skin on the side of their eyes. I see Asians turning against each other. I see the uncomfortable expressions on their face as a person spits slurs. I hear racist jokes and stereotypes like all Asians being Chinese. I hear other races mocking our language saying, “ching chong.” I hear them calling us yellow. I feel anger building. I feel the pressure of my ethnic background. I feel cautious about embracing my culture. But, I say I am proud of who I am. I say that their racial statements won’t change what I am. I say that I am unique.
The slurs spilling like a rainstorm. The hail burying and pounding on us. Stereotypes like chambers of magma erupting to the surface as flaming lava. It’s like becoming a newly made statue that is on the brink of being preserved. It’s like being enclosed in the darkness of discrimination and not being able to see the light of happiness.
But now is the time to let each Asian culture be known. Now is the time to not let them discriminate against us. Now is the time to make a difference in the world. Now is the time to embrace our culture. Now is the time to let other races know our traditions and our differences.
Like in the great Holy Bible, James 2:9, “But if you know partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” Like the great Nelson Mandela said, “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its possible.” Even civil rights activist, Alveda King said, “Racism springs from the lie that certain human beings are less than fully human. It’s a self-centered falsehood that corrupts our mind into believing we are right to treat others as we would not want to be treated.”
I have a dream that one day all the boys and girls, even men and women, would come together and appreciate each Asian race, even other minorities. I have a dream that the whole world would recognize every Asian race as not one, but many. I HAVE A DREAM that everyone would acknowledge our ethnicity and accept who we are.
Offense is always taken never given. I will keep saying this until people understand. Slurs and stereotypes personally don’t offend me but I can see how it offends really sensitive people. Also don’t quote the bible in any type of work that tries to argue for something. Just a pet peeve however.
Your comparison of them to magma was excellent use of the metaphor though.
your speech is amazing, and I like how you refer to the bible. That was pretty smart of you
More to Life than this Feeling
Society is what kills us inside. It eats us up as if we were meant to be eaten. But really, it was just the dark, empty space they made in us. They traumatized us to the point where we no longer wanted to be here. Where we wished that we could disappear and never return. And as every feeling washed over us, depression came knocking on their door. And suicide was not far behind it.
I was once a victim. I saw the dullness in our eyes as if we were a living doll. The sorrow that they held within them. I heard their late night cries as they pleaded for help. I felt their distress as they were barely surviving. Wandering in the darkness of their minds. Like Irish football coach, Neil Lennon, said, “It’s a bit like walking down a long, dark corridor never knowing when the light will go on.”
When I was young, I was exposed to depression. It didn’t happen to me but to someone whom I truly loved. She went through depression as problems had occurred for her. She became thinner than usual as the days went by due to her lack of food. She barely went out as she stayed in bed all day. Now I wished I could’ve helped her during her time of distress. But now she’s living her life once again.
So now is the time to lend a helping hand to those whose light died down in their smiles. The time to appreciate and enjoy the life given to us. The time to engulf in happiness. The time to finally start living life once again. The time to get up and move on from the past. Like physicist, Albert Einstein, once said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow…”
I hope that one day adults, young and old, would never have to implant scars onto their beautiful bodies. The embodiment of their souls. Where their eyes will shine as bright as the stars once again as if they were still innocent, little kids. Where young boys and girls, men and women come together to spread awareness.
Life is too short to mourn for the past, so look forward to the future. Where things will get better as you grow as a person. By becoming stronger. By learning to love and to forgive. By freeing yourself from the shackles of your past that always held you down. By being the person you came to be today without a worry in the world. Because there is more to life than this feeling you hold within yourself.
The time is now or never.
I really like your speech. It speaks to the people, excluding the profession. Like you’re talking to someone. Your subject is very touchy, yet you were able to write it with balance and with a calm tone. Great job. 🙂
Endangered Lives
There was a time where animals didn’t have to live in fear of being hunted, and thinking where to find their next meal. That in present time around the world in places like jungles, rainforest, and icy land animals are becoming endangered due to our actions.I see the once crystal clear water turn murky brown. I hear the gunshots of hunters and the squeal of animals that follow. I feel the once cold solid ground turn soft and warm. That these are the results of Global warming, Pollution, and many other problems. That if we don’t changed many more animal will die and become endangered.
That when we pollute and poison the things around us, the more we poison ourselves and animals alike. That the more we pollute things the more animals die unknowingly. That when we build our homes the more we disrupted the ecosystem and kill animals that live there. That when we destroy the forest and plants to build houses we disrupt the natural living of animals that live there. That the more animals and plants we destroy the more we destroy ourselves. That without plant or trees how would we get oxygen for us animals alike to breath. That without animals how would we get meat for nutrition. Now is the time, to take care of pollution before it take care of us and animals alike. Now is the time, to stop global warming before the tundra melts away and all arctic animals disappears. Now is the time, to help preserve life of animals before there is no life to preserve at all.
There are many solutions to help preserve life of endangered species like “YellowStone National Park” which is a wilderness recreation area where plant and animals are protected. That I have a dream, where animals just like us are protected. I have a dream, where all water sources are pollution free and crystal clear again. I have a dream, of when animals are no longer endangered. I have dream, where both aquatic and land animals don’t have to worry about water or air pollution. I have a Dream, where there are no more endangered species in the world.
Great speech. I really like your subject about nature and environment. Your speech was well balanced and had many facts. However, I was not able to find many rhetorical techniques except for your motif of “I have a dream”. Despite that, Great job. 🙂
Cleaner
What a beautiful day today is it not?
I think about this all the time when I look out my window every morning,
Except this time.
Let me tell you what I’ve seen, felt, and heard shall we?
I see a gray mist of toxicity in the air,
I hear the rusty gears from factories working,
I feel like I need to cough.
The acid rain,
It is so painful like ember on skin.
I rarely get to see the sun of luminosity anymore.
When I’m on the mountains,
All I see is a fog,
But it isn’t the water-type of fog.
It is like walking through a huge smoke of a car’s waste,
It is smog.
I miss looking at the green of nature and life,
And so I stand here in front you people to tell you this;
Now is the time to stop using fossil fuel,
Now is the time to use electricity instead of coal in factories,
Now is the time to build solar panels so that it isn’t just the plants that are getting use of it.
Like the great Bill Nye,
Show the world what us humans can do to help stop climate change,
A change so harmful to our world that us humans MUST fix.
But today my people,
I have a dream.
Yes,
I have a dream,
That one day,
In the summer I won’t have to be in shade when I’m out in the sun for 5 minutes.
I have dream that one day,
I won’t be inhaling carbon monoxide.
I HAVE A DREAM that there won’t be global warming!
Thank you.
Enrique,
I like your simile about ember on skin.
I like the part when you said “The acid rain,
It is so painful like ember on skin.” gives so much details that how much that acid would do and I like how you give out so much details for your speech.
I know right, the description is amazing! (owo)/
Your poem-form speech was okay… Lol jk. Your speech was quite swell. I enjoyed your metaphors and motifs. Great job! 🙂
William Keopanya
A World of Peace
In today’s world, violence is always around. Whether it is war, terrorism, gangs, or police brutality, I see it too much. One day when I entered my home, my dad told me that a man had shot his girlfriend. These are the acts of violence that the world must make an effort to avoid. Why do we have to go through this pain? Why do we have to harm others? Why do we kill each other? I see people fighting and bodies dropping. I hear gunshots outside and news about police beating and shooting people down. I feel down because of the fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters lost in the war against terrorism. Violence is as dangerous as a tiger and as cold as ice. The world is trapped in the web of violence. Now is the time to end this violence. Now is the time to end wars and terrorism. Now is the time to end police brutality, and now is the time to end gang violence. We must be non-violent like the great leader Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. I have a dream no more tears will be cried. Family members of hurt or killed ones suffer a great amount of grief and sadness. There should be no more mothers who cried because they have lost someone they loved. I have a dream no more blood will be shed. This endless fighting has caused many of brothers and sisters blood to be spilled. One day there will be no blood lost. I have a dream that the world will become a more peaceful place and free from violence.
I like how you have so many connotations on violence?
People like to fight so we can solve this by killing all the people then there will be no more fighting.
In all seriousness, you made great use of the imagery.
enrique , I like how you were passionate about your topic and I also like how your speech has vivid imagery.
Losing Your Native Language
No matter when or where, at school or at home, many students around me including myself are big English users. We surround ourselves with those who influence us to communicate using a language outside of our very own. As time passes we start to forget how to speak our native language. Students who grow up to be adults don’t realize how growth can start to dim the light in our language. Our brain is like a sponge that soaks up knowledge,emotion and logic, yet one thing we don’t remember to keep is the knowledge of our language.
I see students who need an English translation. I hear students who consider themselves “white-washed”. I feel that students or people in general have an opportunity to change the fact that they are losing their ability to speak their native language. It’s as if their ability has been sucked into a blackhole of knowledge.
Now is the time to step forward. Now is the time to learn. Now is the time and it’s never too late. Like the great Nelson Mandela has once said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language that goes to his heart”. The importance of knowing your native language is shown through this quote. Today is the day where you communicate with your native people. Today is the day to retain your native language. Today is the day to bring unity within yourself.
Malika Vang
We Stand As One
We Hmong people never had a country of our own. We originated from China, then we moved down south and scattered throughout Southeast Asia. The Vietnam War known as the Secret War started on November 1, 1955 and ended on April 30, 1975. During the Secret War, we fought trying to save our lives and the next generation of our Hmong people. We walk for many days, and we weren’t able to stop to rest, eat, or sleep because we can get a chance of being killed. After escaping from it, we stay in refugees camp in Thailand until we came to United States in 1975 known as immigrants. We were separated from our family, friends and homeland to start a new life and forget the past. But our dream of living peacefully was taken away as we step our foot into the land of United States.
I see my Hmong people kneeling down on their knees with their hands place together. I hear my Hmong people crying in the rain storm begging for a place to stay. I feel sad because I couldn’t do anything to help them.
I believe that one day the rain storm would turn into a bright sunny day like a smile on my Hmong people face instead of a frown. We are not known, nor forgotten. We will never forget the Hmong who risks their life for us to have today. The society had made it difficult for us to show our self in public places. We couldn’t get hired because of the way we look or speak. We are not rich, but poor. Our looks and personality may be different, but we’re all humans. We were criticized by our Hmong people to become a better person. But we were criticized by the society because of our looks which made us seem like awful people. I have a dream that one day, we can smile without having to worry about being different.
I have a dream that one day we Hmong people will be treated equally like other nationalities. I have a dream that the tears in our Hmong people eyes will come to an end. Our tears of sadness would turn into tears of happiness. We will treat each other like their our own families. Like the great Hmong leader, General Vang Pao once said, “Hmong people will have to love each other, care for each other, and support each other.” We will stand as one! We will fight for what’s right! We will fight for our dream!
Teen suicide
Thank you all for taking the time to read this speech. Suicide, it has been around for a very long time, since the ancient Romans and Greeks. Suicide is a person’s way of getting out of this dark world, or of letting everyone know the demons they’ve kept to themselves for far too long. One of the greatest causes of suicide is depression, a pitch black darkness of destruction, sadness, and hopelessness. Unfortunately, the age group with highest suicide rates are teens, many of which have fallen into that pit of darkness that is suicide. Suicide is an epidemic, it seems to spread like a disease and affect young people the most. Depression is also a disease, a disease of darkness and dread. Depression is the darkness, suicide is the exit.
Many teens have contemplated taking the seemingly only way out of the dreadfulness of life, suicide. Depression is a darkness that slowly envelopes a person and takes over them, it blocks out all happiness and hope, and suicide is its good friend that finishes the job. To many, life is more frightening than death. Life is darkness and pain, death is peace and nothingness. “Nothing” may seem like something bad to a lot of people, but to the depressed it is better than the darkness that is this world. Is there a way to get rid of the enveloping darkness?
Everywhere we hear of teens killing themselves. We hear that people have lost their will to live. We hear of teens losing their friends to that darkness. We hear of people who harm themselves because of that very darkness. We hear stories of people like Amanda Todd, a young fifteen year old girl who took her life in 2012. We hear of things like this and what more can we do than feel bad about them?
We must help depressed people speak up and get help. We must get these people heard. We must be their light in the darkness that is their life. We must not let them give into the darkness that is depression, or any situation they may be facing. We must open their eyes and show them that life can be worth living, that there has to be at least one thing or person important enough to want to keep living. We must make it clear to these people that there is more to life than darkness. They believe that there is only darkness, for darkness has covered their eyes but we must uncover their eyes with light of hope as light is darkness’ only enemy. We must do what we can to help these lost souls who believe their lives are worthless.
We must not let darkness take the lives of our fellow human beings. No matter how worthless life seems, it has value as long as you give it value. Though life may be hard, death is harder. Not harder on the dead but the pain that will be caused on their loved ones. That should be the greatest reason for someone to not take their life. It is better to be the one getting hurt instead of hurting others, in my opinion. Truth be told, no matter how many friends and loved ones someone has, the darkness won’t leave. We can only find ways to not let it take control.
We must find a way.
We must find a light.
Thank you for taking your time to read this.
Great Description!
Jimmy Xiong
Period: 5th
2/17/17
Racism
I’m grateful to be here to compromise about a problem about people, people who treat others disrespectfully, people who makes those people that are different feel uncomfortable of living in part of this world. This is a problem of racism and this need to stop even when it has been told by many many men and women out there, there is still an issue with this racism. Racism is a problem in this world and this racism can be cause in any type of situation that judging people by their color or their culture because of what their people did to this world or causing this world issues. This racism causes to hurt and threat those people who are differently by color or races making them feel uncomfortable.
I see people, judging those who are different by color, by their race giving disrespect of how they are being treat just by their color of their skin.
I hear people speak the way they use it for bad reason of judging those who are color differently, who are in differently by their race.
I feel contagious that these feeling had been wondering around my body could not be no longer a bystander, but can be use as a solution to change this world, to change the way we think, feel hear, and see of these people that deserve the respect they need.
I want my dream to be like a story that haven’t been told, but now it’s gonna be told, shared to you all people that will understand the ways that I feel and the way i see and hear from the mouth of those people that intend to use it to judge the people that they deserve respect. My dream is as a book being read aloud to the world, and now here I am telling you all each and every feelings of words shared out.
Now is the for a change of us people to treat those different people with respect, with the pride that they have all this long making them grow and glow brighter than before.
Now is the time for us to change the world without a word about racism, a word that shouldn’t be heard from others and seeing that racism anywhere.
Now is the time for us to end this racism that we people and those people would not be treated disrespectfully.” Like a great man name Martin Luther King Jr. who talk about racism, a man who left his dream in our hands to treat those people who needs and a person that would stand against racism and have the hope that racism cannot stop us human from giving up on this world.If this problem was fix and there is many solutions to this problem humanity mankind would change, we people would enjoy the time of our lives without racism a world that wouldn’t have any problems.
I have a dream that men and women and us people, and other races would join forces and treat us people respect that we should have and those people, citizens would get the respect they deserve.
I have a dream that one day that we people would see the way that I see and feel and be shared the ways that I have been feeling and we people would see the good that even if you’re different by color of the skin or the race you were born isn’t the problem or should I say shouldn’t be the problem for you to treat those people disrespect.
I HAVE A DREAM that one day we from humanity would join forces together and fight together, survive together feel and share the pain and suffer we felt, this is our way and our road, to lead us to hope. The color of our skin isn’t the content,but the content of our characterization.
Racism isn’t the way of the life, but no matter your social status or how powerful you feel are, we are all equal. We came here by birth and will leave in death.
Jimmy,
I really like the last two sentences of your speech,”Racism isn’t the wasy of life, but no matter your social status… and will leave in death”. Thats very powerful.
I totally agree with you Jimmy racism is definitely not the way of life. It also intrigued me when you made a reference to Martin Luther King, that addition was fantastic!
Jimmy Xiong
Period:5th
2/17/17
Racism
(Fixed Mistakes)
I’m grateful to be here to compromise about a problem about people, people who treat others disrespectfully, people who makes those people that are different feel uncomfortable of living in part of this world. This is a problem of racism and this need to stop even when it has been told by many many men and women out there, there is still an issue with this racism. Racism is a problem in this world and this racism can be cause in any type of situation that judging people by their color or their culture because of what their people did to this world or causing this world issues. This racism causes to hurt and threat those people who are differently by color or races making them feel uncomfortable.
I see people, judging those who are different by color, by their race giving disrespect of how they are being treat just by their color of their skin.
I hear people speak the way they use it for bad reason of judging those who are color differently, who are in differently by their race.
I feel contagious that these feeling had been wondering around my body could not be no longer a bystander, but can be use as a solution to change this world, to change the way we think, feel hear, and see of these people that deserve the respect they need.
I want my dream to be like a story that haven’t been told, but now it’s gonna be told, shared to you all people that will understand the ways that I feel and the way i see and hear from the mouth of those people that intend to use it to judge the people that they deserve respect. My dream is as a book being read aloud to the world, and now here I am telling you all each and every feelings of words shared out.
Now is the for a change of us people to treat those different people with respect, with the pride that they have all this long making them grow and glow brighter than before.
Now is the time for us to change the world without a word about racism, a word that shouldn’t be heard from others and seeing that racism anywhere.
Now is the time for us to end this racism that we people and those people would not be treated disrespectfully.” Like a great man name Martin Luther King Jr. who talk about racism, a man who left his dream in our hands to treat those people who needs and a person that would stand against racism and have the hope that racism cannot stop us human from giving up on this world.If this problem was fix and there is many solutions to this problem humanity mankind would change, we people would enjoy the time of our lives without racism a world that wouldn’t have any problems.
I have a dream that men and women and us people, and other races would join forces and treat us people respect that we should have and those people, citizens would get the respect they deserve.
I have a dream that one day that we people would see the way that I see and feel and be shared the ways that I have been feeling and we people would see the good that even if you’re different by color of the skin or the race you were born isn’t the problem or should I say shouldn’t be the problem for you to treat those people disrespect.
I HAVE A DREAM that one day we from humanity would join forces together and fight together, survive together and share the pain and suffer we felt, this is our way and our road, to lead us to hope. The color of our skin isn’t the content,but the content of our characterization.
Racism isn’t the way of the life, but no matter your social status or how powerful you feel, we are all equal. We came here by birth and will leave in death.
Jimmy, I like the how you added your own experience to your
speech. “I see people, judging those who are different by color”
well done brother
Drug Addiction
In an abandoned town, near an abandoned church I stood in the dark. Wet and muddy in need of help but finding the need was impossible. So I walked into the church to stay away from the rain to see… What I saw was bunch people, not normal people but drug addicts who are dosed off with drugs in need of help. I heard people smoking and coughing from the cold. I could just feel the air around me that was filled of filth and disturbing smells the could not be described.
As I walked through the church I looked down to see people curled up from the cold like bunch of turtles. There were many people who were pale white just the way a white crayon is. I couldn’t stand there a minute longer so I walked out and start hitchhiking my way to the nearest street.
After that crazy experience I believe now is the time to improve people’s lives so the next generation could have the right example of how to really live in peace and away from drugs. Now is the time to show the drug addicts what a blessing this world is if there is no drugs included. Now is the time to rise and show the new generation what this world could provide for them if there are not any drugs included.
Like the great Russell Brand actor said, “The mentality and behavior of drug addicts and alcoholics is wholly irrational until you understand that they are completely powerless over their addiction and unless they have structured help, they have no hope.” What Mr.Brand is trying to say is that if another person does not give moral support or any help to an drug addict then there is no hope for him proving on his own or becoming better than he is at the moment. So I have a dream that one day the society will stand together and the people will stand as 1 to solve this issue of drugs. I have a dream that all you will see in this society is cleanness and no drugs! I HAVE A DREAM that not only this society will be great but it will also be strong to keep themselves away from drugs.
I like the word choices you chose! “There were many people who were pale white just the way a white crayon is.” Great imagery! Strong descriptive words.
Yes, awesome imagery and great beginning story line which was really detailed of what you topic was.
A water solution, not water pollution
I have a dream to change a problem in this world. This problem is Water pollution, which is present around us and in our water. The water has not always been like this. Before, was cleaner and clearer.
Parts of the world are now affected by water pollution and are devastated by it. To this day, through the apathetic behavior to our invaluable resource, I see a village of despair on the shattered banks of a polluted river. I hear nothing as the fish of tranquility have floated to the surface of the water. I feel the trash of bitterness along the ripples of the tides. All of these are examples of which water pollution affects and will cause. Water pollution is not the only problem that can provide examples for which will affect everyone.
So just like the water, the air can reveal a travesty of our planet making the unbelievable a reality. That reality will devastate everyone and we must find a solution to avoid such a thing. So I call out to everyone and I say that now is time to face this situation first hand. Now is the time to create a world where fresh water roams. Now is the time to stop the causes and prevent the destruction of the ecosystem.
Like the Great lakes and the Ganges river, pollution can reach even these fascinating bodies of water and tell us a story about the consequences of pollution. This is why I have a dream that the children live on generation to generation seeing the clear waters we saw. I have a dream that people can once again drink the fresh waters. I HAVE A DREAM that we have the ability to believe and the power to change.
!H20 es muy importante! I liked your use of metaphors and the allusion to the Great Lakes/Ganges River.
Yes, it definitely is important and thank you! 😀
Si, es muy importante.
Fernando Llanito
Period:5
02-09-2017
Blindness toward poverty
To the respected audience I speak to, family, friends, and teacher(s). It is a pleasure for me to be able to state the problem of poverty caused around the whole world, not only Africa, not just India nor any other country that pops to mind when poverty is mentioned, it is a worldwide struggle. I’m not here to just state the problem of poverty but the reputation the U.S.A. has as one of the most powerful countries in the world, one of the wealthiest countries, a country with open opportunities, but it doesn’t own up to it and poverty still lays on this country’s street. The wealthy are blinded by the cars in the street unable to see the suffering of the poor, ignoring their existence, ignoring the poor, ignoring human beings. I see the poor sleeping in the streets of my city in all four seasons of every year, I see their struggle for protection against the weather of mother nature, I see their struggle for survival in the shadows of misfortune.The poor seeks a path away from being miserable like seeking a way out of an infinite maze. The homeless, as lions who have been domesticated and thrown back to the wild, having low chances of survival. Today I speak for the poor, the homeless, for I feel heartbroken seeing them suffering from hunger and searching for food in the trash cans because the wealthy waste half eaten meals. Today I speak against the ignorance of the wealthy towards the poor, for the bible has taught me to help a fellow man in need without taking in notice their race, appearance or religion. I will not tell you all to be catholic and follow this religion of mine I only ask for the heart and knowledge to try and understand the view of the poor, ‘place yourself in their shoes, how would you feel?’ My parents always bring that up and now I say the same to all present here. I shall say this once, I will say this twice, as many times it needs to be said in order to help the poor, to support the poor as if they were family because I have a dream. I have a dream that I will see people raise up and become middle-class people, transform the world’s third class humanity into satisfying living conditions. I have a dream that these words will not be ignored and being put into action instead. It is my ambition, my dream, my desire, their dream, their lives, our choice and our responsibility. To change the world it is necessary for all people to fight for their rights, let’s not leave anyone behind. Poverty will vanish from this world with opportunities that will rain down upon the poor, a light of hope in the darkest cave that was once impossible to exit. Let us be the saviors of our own race.
Poverty in Society
Throughout history, all over the world there have always been social classes. The rich, the bourgeois, and the poor. Living in penury is not a good way to live, nor their choice to live. They face great hunger, cold weather, and weakening sadness. I see men, women, and children wandering the streets the streets looking for a place to sleep. I see them looking for a kind soul to spare some change. I hear them begging for help as I walk past them. I feel sadness and anger rising to my head, questioning why they are in this situation. I remember that when i was little I would always carry a couple quarters to give, when I saw a homeless person on the street. Imagine yourself walking the street with no money and no home. Would you like to be in that situation? Bodies as thin as a skeleton, not having enough to eat a day. A shadow of fear not knowing whether or not they will wake up the next day. Now is the time to open our hearts and be kind to people on the streets. You don’t know their past, nor their future. Now is the time to think about the present and helping someone in need. Like the great writer Eli Khamarov once said,”Poverty is like a punishment for a crime you didn’t commit”. I have a dream that one day I will see men, women and children giving to people in need. I have a dream that one day we can attain a goal as a community and completely abolish poverty. I have a dream that we will end poverty.
Roberto,
I appreciate your sophisticated word choice and your thought-provoking allusion. Great ideas!
Coey
Nice similes you used such as “Bodies as thin as a skeleton.”
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Branden P. Nguyen
(UN)CENSORED FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT
Hundreds upon hundreds of thoughts pass through your mind every second of everyday. You can choose whether or not to express those thoughts but people nowadays want to make that choice for you. Thoughts deserve to be free. Thoughts could change your life, change other’s lives, and change the world. Unchained and unburdened, these thoughts can be very powerful. But there are some people who want to infringe on your speech.
They want to lock your words behind bars of censorship. They want to cut off the flow of ideas from your mind. This will be our future, a future where we are limited in what we can and can’t say. This will be our future if we don’t stray from this path of censorship and sensitivity. Soon with the censorship of our words there would be no words to express oneself such as in the world of 1984 by George Orwell. We will fall into a abyss of ignorance if we don’t see where we’re headed.
Our society has spoken but now it’s our turn to speak. We want to be able to say anything we want. We want to criticise and judge. We want to question and inquire. However, the plague of sensitivity seeks to infect our thoughts and changes them to fit their own agenda. This plague infests the very being of a fool who wishes to spread it amongst his kind. The plague of ignorance and sensitivity can be cured but it will not be cured if it continues to spread among the people.
The people should not be afraid to speak their minds or be demeaned for their opinions. They should be able to shout from the highest towers and the lowest valley without fear. They should be able to pierce the heavens with their voice. You should be able to do all of this. But all I hear is a deafening silence. Your voice is as wild as a lion and as free as the ocean. So, why do these people try to calm it?
So I have a dream that we will move past this and return to a world of which your voice is allowed to roam freely in this great plain of ideas.
December 15, 1791. What does this date mean to you? Because what it means to me is the day that solidified your right to speak freely. If James Madison could see what idiocy we’re trying to pull off today, he would roll in his grave.
So I have a dream that the wishes of our founding fathers will be granted and the country they fought for and spilled blood for was what they always dreamt it would be. We should help them realize their dream of free speech. We need to stand up against these people and our government who wish to sink the thoughts that we let flow out of our mind.
I want to rally you all and say to you that this plague of censorship and sensitivity can be cured if we work together to develop a vaccine.
I have a dream that we can stand up to this injustice and break the chains that bind us.
This is a plague, ignorance is a symptom, and the cure is education and knowledge.
Branden,
I agree with you, Education is important! I also enjoyed your imagery.
Branden,
I like your super dope metaphors, “bars of censorship” and “abyss of ignorance” as a way of comparing the potential outcomes of living in a society that doesn’t address the dangers of censorship.
Coey
Branden, I love the words you use in your speech. They are powerful and they speak out to me. Keep up the majestic work!
Branden,
This is a great speech and I like how you say education is the cure.
Great speech! I really like the simile you use, “Your voice is as wild as a lion and as free as the ocean.”
A World of Love
Social, Verbal, and Physical are three forms of bullying which can and have ruined many lives. I see the pain on the child’s face, I hear your silent cries, your tears falling steadily like a slowly dripping faucet. But no one there to wipe them.
Feeling troubled, misunderstood, and unwanted but still facing reality. The reality of being alone, shut out and taunted. Having to ask yourself, “Am I good enough?”. Feeling as if you’re trying to stay above water but the bully is pulling your leg, tying a brick to your body leaving you helpless and drowning. Drowning in a deep ocean of insults, a deep ocean of hatred. But you can get through it.
My first year of high school, I entered a bathroom. As I looked in the mirror I heard cries, I admired the girl’s light freckled skin turn red as she hit herself on the head. Afraid of her response, I asked “what’s wrong?”. The girl rose her head, eyes looking weak and tired of the tears. She said, “ No matter what I do, how I dress, or how I act; people make fun of me.”.At the time I did not know what to tell her. How do I encourage her? What can I do to help her? Today I’m here to answer those questions. To put an end to bullying, we must all work together. A bystander is just as guilty as the bully.
I hear you, I see you, and I feel your pain. You can rise, rise above the ignorant bully who taunts, harasses, and torments you. Rise above the hatred and enter a peaceful world. Imagine your silent cries being heard. Imagine being brave and telling the bully, “ I AM UNBOTHERED!”. Imagine attending school worryfree of the next insult you may hear. I see you, I hear you, and i feel your pain. Today I’d tell that sad girl to stand up for herself! I’d give her a voice.
Together we can stop bullying. We can give those silent, a fearless voice. Together we can rise above the negativity. Like the great Madonna, who was bullied based on her physical appearance. Together we can create the peaceful world we imagine, a world of love.
Your speech makes great use of an anecdote. Even though I don’t agree fully with your opinion on bullying, it is still suffices. Overall it is a well-built speech though.