my entry for a public speaking competition.

[CrazyHobo]

I have a contest this Thursday and this is my speech.You grammar nazis are free to unleash your fury on this essay As always, rate and comment, if you please

Lessons for the future

I may shock the audience and shatter somebody’s idea of life experience when I say this, but, in my opinion, there are no lessons for the future.
 We have always been interested in the question: “Who reigns over human history? Is it the laws of history or event? Fate or some Higher Power? Does man forge his own fate or is he simply a pawn, following a pre-determined path?”. Homo Sapiens say, that history repeats itself, but people don’t learn from it. Historical events are a bright example of this.
 Today the world is drowning in blood: war and terrorism are proof to that. History has showed us multiple times, that war is a horrifying sight to behold and is pure evil. Ernest Hemingway and Remarque, Bulgakov and Sholohov have caused society to hate war thanks to their novels, because war takes away human lives. But their messages were eventually forgotten and World War II began, which took the lives of over 50 million people. Mankind did not learn a lesson out of WWII either: after it immediately started the Cold War, when two super powers were opposing each other. The result was, that people lived in fear, waiting for the third war to come, while nations were stock piling nuclear weapons.
 The world had changed by the end of the 20th century: the political map has changed, but war did not cease to exist. Remember the Serbian Genocide, the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya. You turn on the TV and you see news about fleeing refugees. The only thing we did learn out of the wars we’ve been through was how to slaughter people more effectively. World War II was the most devastating war in human history, ending the lives of 50 million people. Did we learn anything from it? Yeah, we learned how to kill better. We made new guns, tanks, jet fighters and everything else designed to mass-murder. A famous historian, Kljuchevski, once said: “History cannot teach anything. It can only take vengeance for the lessons we did not learn”.
 It is possible, that a theological movement, or as we call it “believing in fate”, can help us learn from the past. Is there anyone in the audience that has never read the prophecies of Nostradamus? They were always popular at the end of each century, and man was trying to “catch” his future in them. I want to give a prophet for example: there once lived a man in the 15th century, named Vasili Nemchin. The dictator of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stain, read his prophecies, but did not believe them. One states, that if the great conqueror’s burial place, Tamerlan’s, is to be disturbed, then a horrible event will take place. Soviet scientists were very eager to uncover the grave of the mighty conqueror, hoping to amaze the world. They excavated his grave on the 21 of June. The next day Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Stalin was afraid to admit, that the prophecy was true. It is a proven fact, that right before the Kursk Battle of 1943 which would decide the outcome of the war, Stalin spent millions to bring Tamerlan’s grave back to where it was. And the Soviet Union won the battle.
 Will society learn from this example? In my opinion, it will looked upon during the most dire times, but mostly this incident shall be ignored.
 Like every individual, society can only learn from it’s own mistakes. You don’t believe me? I can give you a simple example: you are reading the news and notice an article, which says, that a person was hit by a car, because he was crossing the road in the wrong place. You instantly think to yourself “Good thing that wasn’t me”, but will you learn anything from this article? Will you cross the road properly from now on, thank to this article? Of course not. That guy was just unlucky, you’re different, this will never happen to you!

A question arises out of all this: “How do we avoid this negative experience and bring into the present day all the best, that mankind has ever created?” An Estonian writer, Tuglas, wrote in his novel “Lembitu”, that everything is in man’s power. Man can seed flowers and death. Man can destroy and build. It all rests on our shoulders to decide which path to take.

 When we all agree to take the path of good and start doing good deeds, only then will I believe in lessons for the future.

[TRHeadshot]

"thank(s) to this article." Only mistake I noticed. Bravo, I really liked it.

[Mustang MKIII]

Looks good to me but a question I have is "Is there a particular theme to the contest or just whatever you want to talk about?"

[Superchaos2585]

Very good! The only thing I noticed was "Stain" instead of "Stalin", but you put "Stalin" on a later reference though.

It would be interesting if you also wrote a part about people who are for war and rising up and whatnot, like Karl Marx and Adolf Hitler and so fourth.
May I ask what the prize is for this competition?

[CrazyHobo]

Looks good to me but a question I have is "Is there a particular theme to the contest or just whatever you want to talk about?"

the theme is "Lessons for the Future"

Very good! The only thing I noticed was "Stain" instead of "Stalin", but you put "Stalin" on a later reference though.

It would be interesting if you also wrote a part about people who are for war and rising up and whatnot, like Karl Marx and Adolf Hitler and so fourth.
May I ask what the prize is for this competition?

I'd write it, if it was relevant to my speech.
I don't know what first prize gets, because this is the first time I participate in this federation.

Last time I took first place in a Russian public speaking contest and won 500 krons (40$).
This time I'm participating in an English public speaking contest.

[CrazyHobo]

well, I made it to the finals, but did take any place.

Disappointed in myself, but what you gonna do?

[exxon]

Aww, unlucky mate, wank it off 

[CrazyHobo]

OH MY GOD, IT'S SEXXAWWWWN THE ****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Foo, why you not MSN these days?