Gay Marriage in America- Persuasive Speech at Goshen College

Follow me on Twitter and let me know what you thought of the speech! http://www.twitter.com/jacobkraybill
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Regarding comments/discussion: debate is encouraged (even if I know you're wrong... ;), but blatant hate will be removed.
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Update 05/29/2010

Thanks to all for the overwhelming response to this speech. It's wonderful to hear all of the positive words of affirmation and heartfelt responses. It's crazy that it's only been two years since I gave this speech. When I put this speech up, I had no idea it would be viewed by over 50,000 people. That is humbling and amazing. Thanks to everyone who has viewed this speech and drawn something positive from it.

Jacob
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At Goshen College in Indiana, there is an annual speech contest called the "C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest." The school body is invited to try out, but only five are selected to present their speech to an audience and be judged under the criteria of presentation style, relevance to peace and justice issues, and the organization of the speech.

This is my speech, "Unpacking the Issues: Gay Marriage in America." I received second place in the contest.

According to a Goshen College press release: "The annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest was established in 1974 in honor of Smith and his academic contribution as a Mennonite historian and professor at Goshen College and Bluffton (Ohio) College. Speech contests have been part of Goshen College's history since the early 1900s; the C. Henry Smith contest allows the campus community to hear more about relevant, contemporary issues."

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• gay marriage
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• bible
• homosexuality
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• gay
• speech
• persuasive
• jacob kraybill
• social justice
• goshen college
• oratorical contest

[imrich868]

Jacob is right. Gay and Straight people don't choose their sexual orientation. We are who we are. If you love someone, it is be honored, blessed and celebrated. Loving relationships are what we need more than ever. Children deserve to be loved by loving people. Maybe the belief that homosexuality is a sin, is really not a God Belief, but a man-made law to keep the lineage alive because in the olden days people didn't live long. It's time to make a new amendment. Keep the dialogue going!

[XsasunaruloveyaoiX]

This speech was amazing. :)

[MrSeanIkin]

Sometime rhetoric doesn't cut it with bigotry ... sometimes leading with amazing and letting other people wallow in their own hatred is enough. To everyone that hates anyone for whatever reason ... you're great!! To all the homophobes out there: I want to suck your dick! BAM! Deal with it!

[MrSeanIkin]

@josephpidgeon Fuck off wanker!

[yaketyjak]

@MrGwaneDM If it was a matter of social status and simply "indentured servitude," then why does it say how hard you're allowed to beat your slave? The Bible is disgusting and I can guarantee if Jesus proofread it he would not be pleased. When it's in your favor, everything is fact. When it isn't, then they're just "stories meant to be symbolic of true lessons" and all that happy horse shlt.

[yaketyjak]

@MrGwaneDM Also, I want to point out that the line I was referring to in Leviticus included the words "their blood shall be upon them." I would LOVE to know how that translates to "spiritual death." Don't call it marriage if that's your issue. But gays should absolutely have equal rights. This civil union BS is NOT equal. LOTS of federally recognized marriage benefits are not given to gays. Discrimination. Period. Fine, see it as a choice or as sinful. But be in favor of equal rights!

[yaketyjak]

@crewalpha "Marriage is religious, not gov't instit." Ok, fine. If it's only the word you care about, then call it something else!!! There are lots and lots of federally recognized benefits to being married. Civil unions are state based, and therefore not federally recognized for many of the benefits. That is flat out discrimination!!! Don't call it marriage, but fight for equal rights! Jesus would be embarrassed with the writing of the Bible and it's interpretation, I assure you.

[yaketyjak]

@lightandbeautiful Scientifically unproven? Really, include a link to the evidence or explain please. Just because it isn't conducive to being procreative doesn't mean you can't be born with it. Thus, dwarfism, Down Syndrome etc. etc. etc. all exist today. And if you don't believe it's a choice, I don't know how you think it's so wrong. You don't have to want to kiss guys to be fore equal rights. Fine, I get it. Marriage is a religious term. Call it something else, but let their be equal rights!

[josephpidgeon]

It's a shame that the "gays" aren't being given the help they need. People with a severe handi-cap or schitzophrenia aren't neglected in this way. Give them the medicine to correct there illness, thats what i say! Who's with me. Lets sing a song -

Give the gays the medicine they need,

No sharp objects theirs bums might bleed,

Pray for them at church everyday....

Even though they'll burn in hell anyway!

[MrGwaneDM]

@yaketyjak Let me assure you that as a Christian bible believing African American nothing surprises me living in this sinful, ungodly world. Just becuase the World or this society is becoming more accepting of the gay lifestyle doesn't negate the fact that the bible clearly speaks out against it. I am sorry but if you are a gay christian then you need to repent so you can be closer to God!

[crewalpha]

My goodness. Perhaps instead of having your judgement clouded by emotionalist rhetoric, use reason. False compassion and false charity is not Christian. The romanticizing of a pathology is destructive. A pathology because it's rooted in a consumptive understanding of relationship and another and a fear of sexual intimacy with the opposite sex because of the unknown. The purported biological are fallacious: correlation is not causation, and theories weak. Marriage is religious, not gov't instit.

[MrGwaneDM]

@CaptainShadowCross Exactly my point! no one is self righteous! All have sinned and fallen short of his glory! I speak against every sin including my own! I am a believer and What I am doing is presenting the scripture to people and proclaiming Biblical truths! It's up to you to accept it or not!