Motley Moose – Archive

Hi Moose.

I have read the links you gave me and talked with my Dad and have some idea what I am doing. Dad has suggested I take the outline they have given me and put it here as a diary. I will edit it here as I work on it, if anyone has any suggestions I will be reading the comments.

Thanks!

-Damien

p.s. This is the outline for the speech, the top part of it has been put into a speech format.

Last week the United States Congress passed a 4 year extension to the USA Patriot Act, handing yet another victory to the very extremists that the laws were intended to protect us from.

Since 9/11 the US government has been trying to find ways to prevent future successful attacks. In a world of internet communications US intelligence services have successfully argued that they need fewer restrictions to perform their duty. Others have argued that parts of the USA Patriot Act effectively attack the same freedoms that many terrorist groups aim to diminish.

I am going to argue that despite whatever good intent is behind the USA Patriot Act, the harm it causes to the founding principles of the United States better serve our enemies than ourselves

All of us here share a common interest to protect our country both physically and philosophically  

A point that the other side would be likely to make: Some might argue that the Patriot Act is necessary to protect us from catastrophic terrorist attacks like 9/11

However the laws of the United States already provide all the tools needed to achieve this goal

Concrete detail to support counter argument:

Commentary relating your concrete detail to your topic:

Point Two: Presenting Counter Argument

Transition:

Many people say that unless you have something to hide you shouldn’t have you worry about the Patriot Act.

The powers granted to the FBI and other investigative bodies under the Patriot Act are broad and virtually uncontrolled; a US citizen’s records including library records, credit records and transactions, bank records, internet records, medical records can all be obtained under Section 215, as long as the FBI can maintain that the records are “related to ongoing investigations. –

This is the wrong way to look at freedom in America, however. Our government was specifically designed to protect the individual from the power of large organizations, specifically itself.

Point Three: Presenting Your Argument

Transition:

Even if the USA Patriot Act enables us to stop a terrorist from detonating a nuclear weapon in a major American city it will still have achieved a goal that that same terrorist could never have hoped for. No physical attack could make Americans give up the hard-won freedoms put in peril by this legislation, but with a stroke of the pen we can surrender them ourselves

Concrete Detail:

Commentary:

Concrete Detail:

Commentary:

Point Four: Presenting Your Strongest Argument

Transition:

Topic sentence explaining why your thesis is right:

Concrete Detail:

Commentary:

Concrete Detail:

Commentary:

Conclusion

Transition:

Reiterate thesis in a new way:

A final, memorable line which calls your audience to take action: