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Timely Topics Need Strong Voices
If not Toastmasters, who?
Free speech is not only about an individuals protected right to speak but the responsibility of the individual to listen and allow other individuals to express themselves.
The Constitution of the United States, Bill of Rights, freedom to speak. As with any speech, regardless whether the opinion is based upon fact or pseudo-science, a poorly-stated view will receive less consideration than a well presented view. The goal of a good speaker is to promote their cause or belief without arousing animosity toward any specific party or philosophy. Easy enough, right? (Sarcasm)
An average citizen might not realize the importance of a well-presented opinion which can effect a town-hall meeting or determine the quality of self-government in vities, communities and states.
Example: Society encourages young women and girls to compete in sports, however, males who identify as females have recently begun to dominate women’s sports. This has led to demoralization of female competitors at the cost of lost medals and scholarships.
Growth and Expansion to make America and the World Better.
Continue as a Movement A movement grows and develops, and changes when change is need. We cannot afford to permit Toastmasters International to become an institution. It must remain a living, growing movement, always receptive, and open to suggestion for betterment.
Smedley’s vision: Preservation of Democracy
“Because of the good we can do with our system of training, we are under obligations to spread the opportunity just as widely as possible. Since there are no financial profit motives to be consider ed, we can give ourselves freely to the ideal of service in our extension, with no apologies for our enthusiasm. We believe that our
training makes for a better America—a better world, and so we may go ahead in the true missionary spirit.
1 am confident that you will share with me the ambition to grow and enlarge, so that more and more men may get the benefit.
The growth will be limited only by your enthusiasm and activity in spreading the idea.
Second, 1 am especially ambitious for our organization to ocontinue as a movement. There is always a tendency to develop an organization into an institution, and it makes all the difference in the world. An institution tends to become fixed, static, inflexible, not easily changed or adapted.
ed. It is open to improvement, and can welcome desirable innovations.
Third, I am concerned with the possibility for developing our movement into a force for the preservation of democracy. It is growing into an important position as a conservator of individual rights to think and speak, and as a producer of intelligent, patriotic leadership.
We must keep ourselves free from any suspicion of propaganda, except the propaganda for protection of the rights to individual expression which are inherent in America. With this position of independence, and this assertion of our right to criticize, evaluate and point the way to improvement, we may stand as the exponents of the true American spirit of frankness, fairness and honesty.
We can never forget that liberty means responsibility. Our freedom to think and speak puts upon us the two-fold responsibility, first, to think and speak with honesty and fairness, and second, to guard that right, both for ourselves and
others.
“We are here for serious business. Our business is the encouragement of better speech, and the conservation of the great American right to freedom of speech by making speech more truly worthy of its freedom.” Smedley 1947
On the Topic of Liberty
- Should government have the power to dictate how we think, speak, and act regarding controversial social issues?
- What does Freedom of Speech mean today?
- Should the space program be private or publically owned?
- Should practices in religious denominations and non-profit organizations toe a government line?
- What is your personal “hot potato” what gets you riled up and excited?
- Biggest, most important issues politicians neglect to address?
- Should all minorities be protected?
- From whose mouth defines a minority?
- Should Americans be free to live according to their beliefs without fear of government reprisal?
- Should women and girl athletes be forced to compete against biological men and boys?
- Should women’s rape and violence crisis shelters be forced to admit biological males?
- Should a man who identifies as a woman be free to use whichever bathroom facility he chooses?
- Does ideology of “gender identity,” treat womanhood as an emotionally fickle feeling rather than biological fact?
- What are the rights of conscience?
- What is the liberty of conscience?
- What rights are embedded in the First Amendment?
- What is the freedom of conscience?
- What does freedom of worship mean?
- What Are Democracy’s Responsibilities?
- https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2016/04/free-speech-important/
- https://thebestschools.org/magazine/controversial-topics-research-starter/
- https://www.lawteacher.net/free-law-essays/constitutional-law/freedom-of-thought-conscience-and-speech-constitutional-law-essay.php
liberty, thinking, thought, liberalism, human rights
- Does this platitude include the ideology of “gender identity, where trans-males compete against females in women and girl sports?
- ‘any faith that puts men above women is a misguided faith’ – quote by Anthony Douglas Williams – Spritual Quotes to Live By
http://www.spiritual-quotes-to-live-by.com/anthony-douglas-williams.html
