Friday, April 23

COMM 101:
I'm going to begin posting some of my favorite lines from your speeches. Here's my first entry. This is from Group 5's speech on immigration. It is so simple and elegant, and finishes with a nice set of parallelisms wrapped in a tricolon. Try speaking it out loud--it'll give you a nice little tingle:

Economic issues exist on both sides of the debate on immigration, but let me focus on the interests of the American people for just a moment. It is the very nature of illegal immigration that we do not know how many people are coming across the borders every year. With every new undocumented worker, another potential American job is lost. With every new undocumented worker, a wage is lowered just because there is no one to stop it. With every new undocumented worker, it becomes more difficult to maintain our security and to ensure that a person searching for opportunity will not be placed in harm's way.
Here is another good one. A sharp antithesis couched within clear, direct, and agent-oriented prose. It practically pops off the page, and the tongue!
Tonight, I am formally announcing my decision to support President Bush’s Plan for Immigration. I believe that illegal immigration cannot go unchecked; however, I also believe that immigration should not be stopped.(litotes) The United States needs to harness the advantages of immigration with supportive policies, and I am here tonight to call you to action.
Okay, this one is not quite as elegant, but, it's not half bad and it manages to fit in three classical rhetorical figures side by side. It's their concluding paragraph and they finish like a champion figure (pardon the pun) skater who combines three difficult moves in the finale. They make it look easy don't they? Be afraid of Group 5. Be very afraid.
America has always stood for such ideals as freedom, opportunity, and security. This is due to the actions and character of people such as yourselves.(comprobatio) President Bush’s Plan for Immigration lives up to the traditions and values of this country. Immigration carries with it the potential for great change if harnessed properly, as well as the potential for disaster if left unregulated and ignored. (compositum ex contrariis) With this policy, we will meet the challenges that immigration poses to our security, economy, and public health. (accumlatio) Our plan will ensure that America continues to be a land of opportunity and freedom. God bless you all in this great state.