Take a Stand

• Artist: Zircon_Sphere
• Description: I had to write a speech for my American Lit class. It had to be something that would move a group or club to 'action'. It would include an allusion, repetition of key points, and a rhetorical question.
  
  This is what I did.
• Date: 04/21/2009
• Tags: take stand homosexuality conflict speech

I stand before you today with a proposition, an idea, and a light of hope. I stand as a peer, a friend and a person with an ideal. I stand here with the hope that when I am done my words will have left some imprint on your mind that cannot be idly brushed away. I stand here today to show my support for a group of people that need our support in this day and age. And I am here to ask for that support.
Imagine that you are a young teenager just beginning high school; everything is new, different, and confusing. You don’t know many people and are desperately trying to find friends. But one thing keeps everyone back; they shy away from you and whisper behind your back. You cannot change what makes them fear you, so you stay as you are; friendless in a place you cannot stand. No one deserves to be treated this way, and I stand here to tell you that the homosexuals of our world need our help.
Ernest Gaines once asked, “Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?” Are we really such a close-minded society that we cannot see past a person’s sexual preference? Are we so cruel that we no longer look at someone’s personality or choices to tell us if they are worth speaking to? Are we so inhumane as to think we can now tell someone who they can and cannot love? I hope that we have not become so blind.
So here I stand, asking each and every one of you sitting before me today; will you stand up for the rights of someone who is persecuted in our free land? Or will you hide in the shadows and never voice a word of protest? I know my choice, but where do you stand?

Comments

[Broken Blind]

hmmmmm... i must say that this is a very strong speech. however, i follow what i have been told all my life, and I believe it. I don't believe in homosexuality. but you see, im also a christian.We dont believe in homosexuality, but we are also free to just ignore it. I would try to help the person, but if they cant be helped, if theyre comfortable with their same sex preference, then fine. thats what makes us different: we can fit in. Ya thats it, other than that, its very very good.

[Tiej]

some bits are good, some bits sound a little out place... length is very very short..
you need an example
but...
VERY good choice of quote

[Fanfir]

Very Intriguing, I love the dedication and passion within this writing

[Lionessrox4ever]

This is pretty amazing. I love how you pick a topic that is not easily approached but one that really needs to be looked at.