I have to give a persuasive speech.

I took a public speaking class in college during the McCain v Obama fall. I had to support McCain one day, and then the next give a speech in support of Obama. I crushed the person against me...Everyone sides one way or another for any topic. Maybe not as dedicated as others, but we all do. You have to completely take yourself out of your shoes and into those of the other side. I.E- gay marriage. If you are for it, you need to think about why people who are against it are truly against it. Don't think they are stupid, or bigoted, or backwoods rednecks. Think about what part of their thought-process makes them against it and really hammer on that aspect. On the other hand, if you are against it, don't think about the sinners, the disgusting, or the liberal hippies who are for it. Think about a gay person who truly is in love with his/her partner and all of the benefits marriage can bring them (from a strong household to financial benefits etc.)

I remember in high school my buddy and I would make bets over which outrageous stories we could get people to buy into. In college, my public speaking prof tried to get me to join debate, but I had bigger fish to fry. It's easier for some than others, but if you really want to knock it out of the park, you have to completely separate yourself from what you normally think. As George Costanza so eloquently stated, "It's not a lie if you believe it."

You can literally google this & get a plethora of topics to choose from.

I gave a speech a semester or so ago expressing the importance of having a strong properly funded flagship university. By having & supporting a strong LSU will equate to a strong Louisiana

I included the economic benefits, social benefits, and the hundreds of millions of dollars of research performed by LSU that postively impacts every Louisiana resident

Eta: All the info is easy to find too. LSU provides everything on the matter

I have the same problem as you

I did mine ok why Pete Rose should be allowed in the hall of fame.

With mike applin?

Most important part is dont go over on time.

I did mine on...racism maybe. Or nanny laws.

Ahhhh, the joys of college. First and foremost, 5 minutes isn't long and you shouldn't have to stretch to speak persuasively for 5 minutes about anything.

Second, pace is vital. Pauses are vital. Go listen to martin Luther King's I have a dream speech to see what I'm talking about. You shouldn't give it with the intonation of an African American preacher, but you can learn a lot about pace, repetition, and styling of speeches from him.

Third, the best persuasive speeches show where we were, where we are, and where we should be. Where we should be is the persuasive part.

So with Gay marriage you could start with something like:

"In 1776 (pause) some of the greatest men the world has ever known (pause) created the Declaration of Independence with clear goals in mind (pause). They had come from a society that was segregated (pause) both economically and otherwise (pause) and were looking to build a more perfect union (pause). Those great men recognized that their words were not novel(pause). They recognized that their notions of freedom and justice were not revolutionary (pause). Instead, they called the justice they sought self-evident (pause), evident to all those living at the time and all of those that would follow in their footsteps (pause). The truths they believed to be self-evident were simple (pause) and founded on one basic notion, that all men are created equal (pause). From those humble beginnings they built a great, if imperfect union(pause). Not imperfect due to their ideas, but imperfect because the torchbearers of the future did not heed their words (pause). Now is the time(see MLK) to honor the words that formed our great country (pause). Now is the time to insure that all men are created equal (pause) and not to define the men who are created equal by our own prejudices (pause). Now is the time to allow all of our citizens the same inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (pause). Now is the time to allow all of American's citizens the right to wed, no matter their personal orientations (pause). Now is the time to recognize that all of our futures are intertwined if this great nation is to continue to be a beacon of hope to the world (pause). Now is the time to treat everyone with respect (pause).

I could keep going, but that's a couple minutes right there without very much substantive information. Persuasion is not about spitting out a bunch of facts. Paint some pictures for the class about where we were (racism, women's rights, etc) where we are (still segregating against our fellow men) and where we should be (according to the Declaration of Independence/Constitution) and you'll have a persuasive speech.

quote:

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The only thing I could come up with was making immoral decisions from a religious standpoint, but after doing some research, I can't find enough examples of this to stretch in to 5 minutes.

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What is your position on abortion?

That's pretty controversial.

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