I had Speech class in 10th grade.
Throughout the course of a semester, students had to prepare and perform a series of standard lectures. Styles included (but were not limited to) informative, narrative, and persuasive. I have no clue how I ended up on the topic of my persuasive speech, euthanasia, but I do know that I chose it; topics were not assigned.
I was unfamiliar with the practice. Hell, in 10th grade I was entirely ignorant of the word “euthanasia,” much less it’s meaning. But the more I read, the more intriguing I found the subject. The idea people could be in control of their own medical decisions, especially one that would end their life? Fascinating.
When it was my turn, I stood before the class and delivered a matter-of-fact talk. Allowing people with debilitating diseases to exit their life with grace and dignity made euthanasia a “this just makes sense” idea. If my words contained empathy, it was generated, like an actor might emote for a scene. Nothing I did was felt by me; I did not speak from the heart. I was catering to reason; pleading with people to do what was right just for the sake of being right.
Read On…