We’re in a recession and we don’t really care about the environment we just want jobs. That’s the message the American people are giving President Obama according to opinion polls recently published. Environmental concerns came way down on the list.
We are very concerned about terrorism but fail to ask ourselves if we are fanning the flames of terrorism. Then too despite being concerned about crime we seem to fail to recognise that prison is not the only punishment for crime. We worry about energy but fail to recognise the fact that Nuclear Power – is a sensitive issue.
Health Care - Our costly crisis is even further down on our list of priorities although, in conscience it should be a huge concern to every right thinking person.
We also fail to recognize the fact that Immigrants and Illegal Aliens are a part of us. Despite the fact that the world has had huge hurricanes and earthquakes lately global warming comes way down on our list of priorities.
Isn’t it time we got those priorities right? Our very world is in danger and we don’t seem to care. It’s time we got our act together and dealt with climate change before we have no fresh water, no clean air and no possibility that any of our other concerns will matter. Besides, tackling those environmental problems will give those jobs we so desperately need. So let’s look at that list again and put the environment right where it matters most, at the top of the list.

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Timing and topicality are two of the most important rules when giving a speech. Sometimes you are given a certain time for which you have to speak and if that is the case you speech should last the length you have been given. Radio stations use as a guideline 180 words a minute and so that is a useful guideline for the public speaker as well. Obviously some people will speak faster than others but it should be remembered that you should not talk too fast when giving your address. Of course you should not speak too slowly either or you will lose the attention of your audience.
It goes without saying that topicality is equally important and it helps a speech greatly if your audience recognises that your speech, whatever the topic, has some connection with a recent happening. If you are giving an informative speech on buttons, for instance, you might mention that the Parish collections showing just now have an emphasis on buttons this year. Mention of global warming or marine pollution can be added to most speeches nowadays because the environment is so topical and it affects us in every sphere of our lives. So it doesn’t matter if you are talking at a business conference or a resident’s association meeting you can link it to some environmental point. However if you are talking about a subject such as it pays to have passion a mention of someone who is known to be passionate about something will add to your speech. You might, for example, mention President Obama’s passion for the reform of the Health Service. Get the timing right and the topicality and you are well on the way to giving a speech that will make them sit up and take notice.

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Most of us have been told there is nothing new under the sun. That can make it awkward for speechwriters who are trying to write a speech. They may, understandably, feel that there is nothing new to be said at all.
A speech is a very personal  thing, though, and so, whatever the topic, they should write it from their own perspective. A business person may want to speak about innovation and with a clever twist of words he can say make innovation your business. In a time of recession he may want to take the angle companies don’t succeed in business people do.
A good speech is all about the angle you take and the perspective you have. If you are speaking about mirrors you should try to speak as thought you were explaining mirrors to someone living in a jungle who had never seen one. In other words you speech should not just state the obvious. It should intrigue.
If you are speaking about health instead of speaking about cancer or hearth disease why not speak about feet: a question of mutual support. It’s a more unusual topic and everyone has feet. A very good rule when writing a speech is to write one about something that applies to everyone in the audience.
Everything has not been said yet. You can choose to speak from your own heart or your own perspective. Get your message across - clear communications count.

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It’s now legal for children to laugh in Berlin. The sound of children playing, like the sound of chapel bells has been deemed to be a legally acceptable noise.  The same does not apply yet to the rest of Germany. It’s a victory for Berlin’s parents, of course, but what kind of people object to the very natural sound of children playing? What kind of people have made it necessary for those running playschools to have to keep finding new places to play because of local complaints?
That is not to say that parents should not control their children if they are rowdy or too noisy. Maybe it’s a reflection on the fact that there are so many large playgroups. Could it be that those who complain believe, however sexist it may seem, that mothers should stay at home and control their own children?
Maybe they should think of what it would be like not to be able to hear those children playing at all. Deafness, the hidden illness affects many people who would love to hear any sound whatever it might be. Play is a natural part of growing up for our children. Without them it’s worth remembering we have no future.

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Link your speeches to someone or something. That’s one of the secrets for giving a good speech. It’s nearly Valentine’s Day for instance so you mention love. Naturally if you are speaking at a business function you would have to tailor what you say to the occasion. You might, for instance, mention how the floristry industry loves the economic benefits of Valentine’s Day. I f you are speaking to a group of schoolgirls you might speak of the long and romantic history of valentine cards.
That’s a very obvious one of course but there are thousands of holidays and festivals that can be mentioned and of course there are always saints. If you are speaking to a group of accountants for instance you could introduce the fact that St. Matthew is their patron Saint while police officers have St. Michael as theirs. It’s the kind of interesting titbit that makes your speech different and catches the attention of the audience.
If you are speaking just now a mention of earthquakes will be very relevant because of Haiti. You can link your speech to a particular day or event in history or to an event that has some relevance now. Perhaps you may be giving a fundraising speech for AIDS? If so you might like to mention the fact that the first charity walk took place on the 26th December 1959 in aid of the world refugee fund.
So do your research, find the link and tell your audience about it.

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The volunteers in Haiti are marvellous. They are giving their all in a fight against hunger, disease and homelessness. Just now they are getting all the headlines and deservedly so. We often forget, thought, the volunteers who work for others every day. Think of all the home carers for instance and the unenviable job they have looking after elderly parents or sick children. Think of the teachers who do so much extra curricular activities with children who would not otherwise benefit from band practise for instance. Think of those who spend their spare time raising money for different charities. Consider the groups who organise holidays for the elderly or for sick children. Think too of the sports coaches and mentors who give all their spare time to training children thus keeping them fit and occupied. Isn’t it about time we said thank you to volunteers, all volunteers.

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Haiti is in the news now for all the wrong reasons. A 7.0 earthquake tremor has hit it and caused havoc. The Red Cross has estimated that 3 million people have been affected. It will be some time before the final figures emerge but in the meantime rescue workers are rushing to the scene and countries are sending aid.
It’s wonderful that there are such volunteers of course. They understand the meaning of volunteering - that it is in giving we receive. There will always be a need for such volunteers because there will always be disasters. The question we should be asking ourselves though is should those disasters have such a devastating effect? Surely with modern technology there is a warning system about such earthquakes and building materials that are much safer?   Surely countries could have planning laws that forbid building in certain areas? It’s no co-incidence that it is the poorer countries who cannot afford the technology or the materials that suffer the most. We appease our consciences by giving aid but we really need to share our expertise and our money to make the world a safer and more equal place for all.

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Climate change is happening whether we like it or not. Countries are experiencing droughts, floods and unusual cold snaps. What are we going to do about it? Individually we can, of course, recycle and re-use. We can take public transport and stay at home instead of flying. Overall though individuals cannot take the hard decisions that governments need to take to make a real difference.
What we can do as individuals is to lobby our public representatives. They are dependant on us for our votes.

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In Ireland just now they are not calling soccer the beautiful game. In fact they are very upset that France has beaten them in their effort to qualify for the World cup. Even the French player Thierry Henri at the cause of their disquiet has agreed that there should be a re-play as the goal he got to beat Ireland was really as the result of handpassing the ball which is not allowed in soccer.
There will not be a replay, of course, because the referee’s decision is final and every player has to accept that fact knowing that in some games he will seem to favour this team while in others he will seem to favour another. It’s just the luck of the draw and most referees do try to be fair. However they are only human and that’s what makes the game so problematical or exciting, depending on way you look on it. So the luck of the Irish is out this time and its Vive la France although maybe not in the world cup.

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What topics make for the most interesting speeches? For specific audiences of course you may have to give specific speeches. A motivational sales speech will go down well with sales staff. For a mixed audience though you can’t beat health subjects.
All of us either have health problems ourselves or know of people with them. Diabetes is a growing problem these days as is obesity so speeches on either of those topics is certainly topical. We are always being warned about skin cancer and summers with a high pollen count also brings untold misery to millions with hay fever. If you give a speech on these subjects you will be speaking about a subject people understand. They may not know much about these illnesses but you can enlighten them in your speech. That is not to say that what you say should be mournful, you can make it upbeat and interesting. Above all you can make people think. You can help them to understand how different lifestyles affect our health. Lots of people get sick through no fault of their own but lots more get sick because they eat or drink or stay out in the sun too much. For such people a good speech topic would be health it’s in your own hands.

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