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dont just drill them with facts, ad a little humor. I remember taking public speaking in HS way back in 1990 and when you get your audience to laugh at something, you got them. you can then give your facts.
 
I am in high school as many of you know and am taking a speech and debate class. I am currently preparing a speech on gun control and found this on a website of mass shootings since 2000.
2 of the most interesting shooting weapons ever, a flamethrower and a Hi-Point.
View attachment 351727
Yes they consider 2 a mass shooting even if it is murder suicide they also Twist around the school shootings to include shooting that takes place on a school property even if there are no student 's there say a police officer Chase a bad guy on a Saturday onto a school yard and has to shoot him that's considered a school shooting lol I remember the Sept 2008 one in Alger WA it was a mental case guy who his family and sheriff had tried to get him help for long time he killed the lady sheriff and then drove down I 5 shooting people in other cars
 
Almost forgot eye contact and try to build rapport with the audience. Remember, you are among friends and are sharing something good with them. If you are relaxed your audience will be much more receptive to what you have to say.

Because of your location and the nature of your speech it's quite possible you may get heckled or someone in the audience may get into heated argument with you. Be prepared for that and respond by taking the high road. Something like "I respect your opinion and would ask you to respect mine. Please be open minded and allow me to finish my presentation."
 
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.
Oh yeah. I made sure to triple check any stats I am using by reliable sources. The FBI homicide data table was one of my sources.
 
Almost forgot eye contact and try to build rapport with the audience. Remember, you are among friends and are sharing something good with them. If you are relaxed your audience will be much more receptive to what you have to say.

Because of your location and the nature of your speech it's quite possible you may get heckled or someone in the audience may get into heated argument with you. Be prepared for that and respond by taking the high road. Something like "I respect your opinion and would ask you to respect mine. Please be open minded and allow me to finish my presentation."
Luckly the teacher is strict with interruptions. You interrupt and you get a trip to the counselor and a talk with the principle.
 
dont just drill them with facts, ad a little humor. I remember taking public speaking in HS way back in 1990 and when you get your audience to laugh at something, you got them. you can then give your facts.
That is one of my strong suits. I always manage to get humor in no matter what the topic.
 
4 pages hope I didn't miss too much

I am in high school as many of you know and am taking a speech and debate class. I am currently preparing a speech on gun control and found this on a website of mass shootings since 2000.
2 of the most interesting shooting weapons ever, a flamethrower and a Hi-Point.
View attachment 351727

Id pull up the FBIs stats on mass shootings as I recall their standard for what a mass shooting is different from the recently pushed stats.

A flamethrower definitely stands out the hi-point is less surprising they're cheap and plentiful.

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.

Yes they consider 2 a mass shooting even if it is murder suicide they also Twist around the school shootings to include shooting that takes place on a school property even if there are no student 's there say a police officer Chase a bad guy on a Saturday onto a school yard and has to shoot him that's considered a school shooting lol I remember the Sept 2008 one in Alger WA it was a mental case guy who his family and sheriff had tried to get him help for long time he killed the lady sheriff and then drove down I 5 shooting people in other cars


1st - Which web page? The most famous, most used, table on "Mass Shootings" is FAKE. They Make Stuff Up. reddit - Guns Are Cool.
Do not use that one, do not let your opponent use that one.

2nd - know that no agencies use the same measure - it is exceedingly difficult to compare FBI statistics to NYC to LA

3rd - define mass shooting. Does a guy who shoots his 3 kids and himself count?
- if a police agency, or single cop, shoot 3 perpetrators , does that count?
- if you run over 5 people, shoot 2, and stab 7, does that count?
- if you shoot your parent, then one at school, then one later in the day, does that count?

4th - shooting or deaths ?

5th - this is tough, most involve people of certain self described races, it is an important factor.

6th - what counts as a child? 18yr, 21? depending upon the agency, these young adults get counted as children



Tough subject. Best of luck.
 
I am going over the number of deaths by firearms in the years of 2010 - 2014 and which weapons cause the most deaths (pistols - 70%, rifles - 3.5%, shotguns - 3.7%, and misc. firearms - 22.2%), the parts of AR-15s as well as the different actions of firearms and the different rounds that are used most commonly.

Please do not claim that the weapons cause the deaths. The person caused the deaths, the weapons were the tools.
 
Some thoughts & questions:
  1. Four minutes minimum? What's the maximum? In just discussing actions, you can kill an hour.
  2. How/Why would you integrate brass casings into your gun control speech? What benefit does it serve? Use handouts.
  3. DO NOT bring a firearm. Include pictures of types of firearms in your handout, and if you feel the need, also picturese of brass, photos of the different loaded cartridges, side-by-side for comparison.
  4. Understand your audience. If you were addressing a group of forensic criminologists, statistics would be important. Keep statistics to a minimum, if at all. Lots of people, if you hit them with numbers, become numb and stop listening.
  5. Engage your audience as one of them. Use WE, make lots of eye contact throughout the room. Walk into the seating area and make some of them turn around.
  6. If you can get it arranged, have the school do a "active shooter lockdown drill" two minutes into your class, before you give your presentation. If they're not lackadaisical, they will experience some emotion during the drill.
  7. I cannot stress the importance of KISS. Keep your subject tightly focused.
  8. Practice, practice, practice! Try speaking to audiences of your parents or friends. Have them ask questions and challenge you on your subject. Remember to keep focused on the subject, but don't be rigid in the presentation. Sometimes, a member of the audience will give you something you can leverage to add impact to your speech.
  9. The group you are addressing is not a circling school of tiger sharks - they are your village. Keep them human and think of them in ways that makes them harmless. Some people suggest imagining them in their underwear, or envisioning them on the crapper. Look at your classmates in the days before your speech and think of ways to regard each one of them that makes them more human.

@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.
I was taught to write in this framework. Remarkable how few people employ it, yet it is astoundingly effective. It embraces KISS.

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
Tac, do you use this ▼ for the dense ones who still don't understand?
b3cbb0ab-28da-4956-9315-075bfbb00b3f_1000.jpg
 
Some thoughts & questions:
  1. Four minutes minimum? What's the maximum? In just discussing actions, you can kill an hour.
  2. How/Why would you integrate brass casings into your gun control speech? What benefit does it serve? Use handouts.
  3. DO NOT bring a firearm. Include pictures of types of firearms in your handout, and if you feel the need, also picturese of brass, photos of the different loaded cartridges, side-by-side for comparison.
  4. Understand your audience. If you were addressing a group of forensic criminologists, statistics would be important. Keep statistics to a minimum, if at all. Lots of people, if you hit them with numbers, become numb and stop listening.
  5. Engage your audience as one of them. Use WE, make lots of eye contact throughout the room. Walk into the seating area and make some of them turn around.
  6. If you can get it arranged, have the school do a "active shooter lockdown drill" two minutes into your class, before you give your presentation. If they're not lackadaisical, they will experience some emotion during the drill.
  7. I cannot stress the importance of KISS. Keep your subject tightly focused.
  8. Practice, practice, practice! Try speaking to audiences of your parents or friends. Have them ask questions and challenge you on your subject. Remember to keep focused on the subject, but don't be rigid in the presentation. Sometimes, a member of the audience will give you something you can leverage to add impact to your speech.
  9. The group you are addressing is not a circling school of tiger sharks - they are your village. Keep them human and think of them in ways that makes them harmless. Some people suggest imagining them in their underwear, or envisioning them on the crapper. Look at your classmates in the days before your speech and think of ways to regard each one of them that makes them more human.


I was taught to write in this framework. Remarkable how few people employ it, yet it is astoundingly effective. It embraces KISS.


Tac, do you use this ▼ for the dense ones who still don't understand?
View attachment 352285
There is no maximum and I was going to use the brass to give people who have never shot a gun before an idea about just how big the cartridges are in real life that are fired by certain weapons compare to others and the difference in range and power. I wouldn't be bringing a gun, the security guard (yup, heard that right) would not take that kindly. I will definately be walking around and engaging the audience and I will be making sure to stay very tight to my topic. My dad doe a lot of public speaking as a lawyer so it will be very useful to practice with him.
IMG_1484.JPG
:D
 

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