This is kinda sad...

[SparksFly]

@SparksFly Kudos to you for advocating something very politically unpopular in the Portland school system. True courage is standing up for what you think is right when it's against the beliefs of the majority, even when those beliefs are due to ignorance.

The only advice I can give you in addition to what others have said is to make your speech in three major parts:

1. Tell them what you are going to talk about, e.g. firearms, how they function, firearm safety, gun control facts and fallacies. Since the audience knows what is coming they will be less likely to interrupt with question later, and instead ask question that are more pertinent to the topic when you are in part two.
   
   
2. Give the the speech body, all the details in the same order as step one
   
   
3. Finally summarize the key points you just talked about and connect the dots as to how A relates to B which relates to C, etc..

I speak frequently and I have found this to be the best way to open people's minds to the subject matter and to retain the information.

Thanks for the tip! I am going to go over a lot of details in the beginning so it will provide information that will help to understand the larger, more important parts of the speech,

 

[Caveman Jim]

Also consider citing the 1946 Battle of Athens, Georgia, where a bunch of crooked local pols tried to steal and strongarm an election and the native sons just back from WWII with their Garands wouldn't put up with it.

Excellent point that is not taught in public schools nowadays.American history has been replaced by Social Studies......

 

[thorborg]

11 miles I peddled my bike one way from Beaverton to Hillsboro with a Winchester model 60a 22 single shot slung over my shoulder and a pocket full of 22"s to shoot in the dirt floor basement range of Hillsboro high school. I can't remember any deaths, injuries, freaked out people, dirty looks, incidents, or lead poising related to it.
What a different, and in my opine more stressful life you have inherited.

 

[bbbass]

Be careful with stats... they are loaded with inaccuracies based on what is included and what is left out. For instance, why are suicides listed as gun violence when people believe in assisted suicide? Why is gang violence included when if removed we are one of the lowest homicide rates instead of the #3 country as often touted?

Statistics are almost always skewed... can be used to prove anything. Be skeptical, use deep background research instead of face value.

 

[3MTA3]

Excellent point that is not taught in public schools nowadays.American history has been replaced by Socialist Studies......

Hate to be a spelling NAZI, but you misspelled "socialist" above... I corrected it for you...

 

[RVTECH]

Compare it to prohibition - the least popular law in history and violated by 85% of the population.

 

[Mikej]

Tough row to hoe young man! I wish I had something that would help, but I don't. I do wish you luck though. I have to say though, as I see you are going to school in PDX, if it's public school I'm going to say you will NOT be allowed to bring empty brass to school. Kids have been sent home and/or expelled for as little as chewing a sandwich/cookie into the shape of a hand gun!

 

[RVTECH]

11 miles I peddled my bike one way from Beaverton to Hillsboro with a Winchester model 60a 22 single shot slung over my shoulder and a pocket full of 22"s to shoot in the dirt floor basement range of Hillsboro high school.

I used to teach Hunter's Safety in a Middle School in Redmond (after school) AND bring guns in to demonstrate.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Hate to be a spelling NAZI, but you misspelled "socialist" above... I corrected it for you...

Thanks for that correction Sir, I shant forget that anytime soon.

 

[etrain16]

Just finished reading through the thread. Good on you for taking on a tough topic like this - you'll learn a lot from tackling such an assignment. I'm glad your teacher is okay with this - I did a paper back in college that had a religious topic, which the atheist teacher had strictly forbidden. I finally got him to agree to my topic, but he said if I wasn't balanced in my approach, he would fail me. In the end, I got an A- and a nice compliment from the teacher for actually following the assignment and addressed both sides of the issue equally.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[SparksFly]

Good on you @SparksFly I think it is great what you are doing! I commend your parents for raising a good kid with thoughts of his own that is not afraid to speak the truth in today's society. That is rare most kids your age don't even show respect to there elders.

Thank you! My dad and mom have always allowed me to speak my mind even if it isn't what they believe so that is nice. My dad has always encouraged to me to speak my mind at school and speak in what I believe in.

 

[SparksFly]

Just finished reading through the thread. Good on you for taking on a tough topic like this - you'll learn a lot from tackling such an assignment. I'm glad your teacher is okay with this - I did a paper back in college that had a religious topic, which the atheist teacher had strictly forbidden. I finally got him to agree to my topic, but he said if I wasn't balanced in my approach, he would fail me. In the end, I got an A- and a nice compliment from the teacher for actually following the assignment and addressed both sides of the issue equally.

Let us know how it goes.

I sure will. The good thing is that most of the students don't understand guns so they are open to hearing what a gun owner at about guns and gun control.

 

[Mikej]

they are open to hearing what a gun owner at about guns and gun control.

PRAISE THE LORD!! If that's the truth? They need you badly Sparks!

 

[SparksFly]

PRAISE THE LORD!! If that's the truth? They need you badly Sparks!

Oh yeah! Glad they are that way, it would be very hard otherwise.

 

[Gbirk]

I sure will. The good thing is that most of the students don't understand guns so they are open to hearing what a gun owner at about guns and gun control.

Sounds like a trap to me.

 

[SparksFly]

Sounds like a trap to me.

Eh. I am willing to take the risk.

 

[tac]

'Gun control is all about control'.

tac

 

[tac]

tac's method of delivering a presentation, ANY presentation.

1. Tell 'em what you are are going to tell 'em.

2. Tell 'em.

3. Tell 'em what you told 'em.

tac

 

[SparksFly]

tac's method of delivering a presentation, ANY presentation.

1. Tell 'em what you are are going to tell 'em.

2. Tell 'em.

3. Tell 'em what you told 'em.

tac

Works for me!

 

[thorborg]

I'll take an ol pedagogue over the liberally focused indoctrinate any day.